Have you ever looked around – at the supermarket, or coffee shop, or local mall – and noticed how much excessive plastic there is? Once you start looking for it, it’s EVERYWHERE. And it’s a huge problem.

This week, we invite you to take pictures of the most excessive or ridiculous throwaway plastic products or packaging you see, and post them on your favorite social media site. Make sure you use the hashtag #BreakFreeFromPlastic and #RidiculousPackaging and tag the brand or retailer responsible.

We are surrounded by plastic that is intended to be used once and thrown away almost immediately. But plastic never goes away! These single-use plastics are filling up our oceans and choking marine life. Birds, fish, and whales have been found dead, their insides filled with straws, plastic bags, and wrappers. Plastic has been found in drinking water all around the world, and it’s making its way into our food.

But we can do something about all this plastic. There is a growing chorus of voices around the world, saying “enough!”

We’re putting the responsibility where it belongs: with the corporations producing and selling single-use plastics. Huge companies like Nestle, McDonald’s, Tim Horton’s, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola have the means to tackle this problem. They must take responsibility for what happens to their products and packaging after it leaves a store or restaurant.

That’s why people around the world are calling out these companies on social media. We know big companies like Coca-Cola care about their image and pay close attention to what people say about them on social media. When they see thousands of people highlighting their waste, they will take notice.

That’s where you come in. Look around your house or your workplace right now. Or keep this in mind the next time you go grocery shopping. Take pictures of the wasteful examples of single-use plastics you see, and post them to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter using #BreakFreeFromPlastic and #RidiculousPackaging.

Make sure you tag the company responsible. For too long, corporations have been ducking responsibility by telling us that plastic packaging is a necessary evil, that the responsibility lies solely with us, the consumers. It’s time we make corporations take responsibility for this problem, and take steps to reduce how much plastic they produce.

Thank you for taking this step toward a plastic-free future!

If you haven’t, make sure to add your name to our Plastic Pledge to end ocean plastics. Click here.