|
Before I drop some facts about plastic pollution, take a moment to look
around you. Whether it be your phone case, the cup you’re sipping from,
or the container that holds your lunch, almost everything is made of
plastic. We use plastic products so much they are literally apart of us.
Don’t believe me? The Environmental Heath News states,”Chemicals added
to plastics are absorbed by human bodies. Plastic buried deep in
landfills can leach harmful chemicals that spread into groundwater.” As
we produce more plastic, it ends up harming the environment and
ourselves. Plastic pollution also destroys animals and entire
ecosystems. Don’t believe me? You need to read these some scary facts
about plastic pollution. By the end, the shocking facts will likely
change the way you use plastics.
|
|
Production of plastic has rapidly increased
Studies show that plastic production has increased from two million tons
in the 1950’s to 380 million tons in 2015. By 2050, it’s estimated that
34 billion tons will have been produced. |
|
|
|
Germany recycles the most
Germany recycles around 56% of its total waste. Austria comes in second
with 53% and South Korea ties with Wales with 53%. The United States is
not even on the top 10 list. |
|
|
|
The fight on plastic pollution began in American
on December 31st 1988
The international agreement named MARPOL Annex V prohibits throwing away
plastic waste into the marine environment. |
|
|
|
46% of plastics are floating on the worlds oceans
Nearly half of our oceans have plastic waste floating on its surface.
Who knows how much plastic has already sunken to the deepest depths on
the oceans floor. |
|
|
|
Plastic cups take 50 to 80 years to decompose
Since plastic cups contain non-renewable materials, it takes an
extremely long time for plastic cups to decompose. Places like Starbucks
are offering 10 cent discounts if you bring in your own reusable cup.
|
|
|
|
100,000 marine mammals are killed each year due to
plastic
The small amounts of plastic segments in the ocean and on land make it
easy for animals to mistake it for food. Hundreds of thousands of
animals are killed each year due to plastic pollution.
|
|
|
|
500 million plastic straws are used each day
Plastic straws are in almost every fast food drink. It’s no wonder that
they made 5 GYRES Ban List 2.0. Plastic straws are the top polluters to
our beaches. Many states and countries have banned or proposed a ban on
drinking straws. So, what do you think? Should Plastic Drinking Straws
Be Banned?
|
|
|
|
There are only 4 ways to deal with plastic
Plastic can either be recycled, converted to fuel or energy, destroyed,
or thrown into natural environments. Of course, the best option option
is to recycle or convert the plastic into fuel.
|
|
|
|
Half of the world's plastics are made in Asia.
Asian countries like China, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines
accounted for 60% of the plastic creeping into the ocean. China,
Indonesia, and Vietnam produce the most of the plastic waste.
|
|
|
|
40 percent of plastic is made for packaging
Packaging is another single use item we could do without. The second
biggest plastic produced is for building and construction. The third is
made for textiles.
|
|
|