It’s no secret that single use plastics are becoming a big problem for Mother Earth. Plastic is a huge pain for two reasons. First, it takes a TON of energy and resources to make. It can be made from a variety of materials (natural gas, oil, coal, minerals, and plants), but turning it into a durable product requires excessive use of energy, heat, and chemicals. Plastic also takes hundreds of years to decompose naturally and its durability means that it ends up in places it shouldn’t be. There are 4 billion plastic microfibers per square km in the deep sea, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of Texas, and it's been estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Super scary, but also preventable if we take the right steps now. Knowledge is power, right? Here's how you can make a difference starting right this minute. Take single use plastic out of your daily routine. Avoid plastic takeout containers, say no to straws, buy in bulk or at your local farmer’s markets, carry a reusable water bottle and a reusable grocery bag. These small changes can have a huge impact. At Toad&Co, we've committed to reducing our use of single use plastic and finding ways to stem the flow of plastics into landfills. Our recycled polyester fibers are made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles, and it takes about 9 bottles to make one T-shirt. Only 9% of the Earth’s plastic has been recycled, but we’re committed to boosting that percentage by using more recycled polyester across more styles each year. We believe in upcycling and using the resources we've already created as a society. We share the planet with millions of living organisms who do their part to keep the environment clean, so it’s important we do our part too. It’s up to each of us to take responsibility for our use of single use plastics. Together, we can make a difference.