Watch | Tiny turtle rescued from Sydney beach pooped 'pure plastic' for six days

According to Taronga zoo's animal hospital, a newborn green sea turtle that was rescued from a Sydney beach had consumed so much plastic that it took six days for the contents to be expelled. The 127-gram hatchling was discovered in a rockpool not far from Tamarama Beach in Sydney. It had a hole in its shell, a chip in one of its flippers, and one of its four flippers was gone. Apart from these wounds, caregivers reported that the turtle appeared to be in good physical health and could swim without difficulty.

The turtle is described as a "bagel with flippers," and it has recovered its health and weight to over 400g. Although there has been development, it might still be a full year before he is returned to the wild and coastal seas. According to the hospital, little hatchlings are particularly vulnerable to predators because of their size, and they want to give the animal the best chance of survival. Warmer waters are better for turtles, thus size and ocean temperature are both important considerations.

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While some states have enacted stricter single-use plastic prohibitions, such as New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia, the scope of the issue can occasionally be daunting. Every year, more than 8 million tonnes are dumped into the oceans. The bulk is deposited along coastlines, carried out to sea by rivers, or left behind by fishing boats.

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Nearly 38 million pieces of plastic were discovered scattered across a beach on Henderson Island, one of the most remote places on earth, according to research. The amount of plastic pollution on Australia's shore has, on average, decreased by up to 30% as a result of the local government's efforts to reduce litter, according to a June analysis by CSIRO researchers.

(with inputs from agencies)