The city of Orlando, Fla. Is partnering with local environmentalists to investigate what is causing the city’s plastic pollution and find a way to reduce it.

The Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) study will be conducted by scientists at the Ocean Conservancy in DC and the University of Georgia.

J.P. Brooker, Director of Florida Conversation, says that the goal of the study is to determine how they can reduce plastic waste and protect local water ways.

“What starts in Orlando, ends up in the Everglades, water-wise and or ends up in the St. Johns River and out through Jacksonville. And highlighting those connections is really important," said Brooker. "And what we're announcing has a lot to do with the connection between Florida cities and marine debris that ends up in our oceans.”

The ongoing issue with plastic pollution needs to be addressed and reversed to prevent the further threat of toxic algae blooms and manatee deaths throughout Florida.

“They're consuming that plastic in water that they drink. They're consuming it in beer, in fact, and so people in Orlando are certainly drinking water and drinking beer, and they're also taking in plastics on account of that," said Brooker. "And so by having a better understanding of where the plastics are coming from, we can keep the plastics from entering our ecosystem and ultimately entering our bodies and potentially having negative impacts on our health.”

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