Snip Rings for Wildlife

We live in a world designed for convenience, but even small choices can have unintended consequences. That’s why small, thoughtful actions can also create positive change.

Here’s an example: when I finish a bottle of milk, I make a habit of cutting the plastic ring before tossing it into the recycling bin. Simple, right? But do you do it? All it took for me was keeping a pair of scissors in the kitchen so there was no excuse.

The Australian Wildlife Society is championing this idea through their Snip Rings for Wildlife campaign. They encourage individuals to protect Australia’s wildlife by snipping through ring-shaped items such as plastic rings, rubber bands, hair ties, loops of facemasks, and plastic dome-shaped lids, in their entirety, before disposing of them. These small items might seem harmless, but they can cause serious harm if they become caught around an animal's neck or body.

Want to help spread the word? Share a photo or video of yourself snipping a plastic ring, and use the hashtag #SnippingForWildlife.

Together, we can turn small actions into widespread habits that save lives.

Each year, thousands of birds and semi-aquatic, air-breathing species such as platypus, turtles, and water dragons are strangled, obtain significant injuries, and often die horrific deaths from discarded litter, including ring-shaped items. Wildlife often becomes entangled in ring-shaped items that wrap around their beak or muzzle, preventing them from eating. These items can also tangle up their feet, wings, or fins, limiting their movement. Young animals can become trapped in these items, and as they grow, these items cut into their flesh, sometimes amputating limbs or killing the animal.

Cutting the lid or ring from a milk or water bottle might seem like a tiny effort, but for the one animal it saves, it can mean everything. When we work together, even the smallest changes can have a big impact. Make it a habit, share it, and inspire others to do the same.