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PLASTIC NOT SO FANTASTIC!!

How dangerous is plastic?                                                                            Plastic affects human health. Toxic chemicals in the plastic can leach out and are found in the blood and tissue of nearly all of us. Exposure to them is linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption, and other ailments. Chemicals added to plastics are absorbed by human bodies. Some of these compounds have been found to alter hormones or have other potential human health effects. Plastic debris, laced with chemicals and often ingested by marine animals, can injure or poison wildlife. 

How has plastic affected the environment?                                                   Plastic pollution is currently one of the biggest environmental concerns. It occurs when enough plastic has gathered in an area that affects the natural environment and harms plants, animals, or humans. By 2050 the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish and marine animals. Plastic has toxic pollutants that damage the environment and cause land, water, and air pollution. Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources, and also the ecosystem. This can cause a range of potentially harmful effects on the species that drink the water.

How much plastic is in the world's oceans?                                               Between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year. Plastic can enter the ocean as large, identifiable items or as microplastics - pieces under five millimeters in length. By 2050, plastic in the oceans will outweigh fish. It's predicted the ocean will contain at least 937 million tons of plastic and 895 million tons of fish by 2050. 

How has plastic changed the world?                                                             Plastic has taken over the world. Thanks to its ability to remain sterile while acting as a container, plastic was used in the formation of bottles for items such as milk, which no longer had to be delivered in glass bottles. In the food industry, plastic has had an amazing, incalculable effect. Plastic has toxic pollutants that damage the environment and cause land, water, and air pollution. It can take hundreds or even thousands of years for plastic to break down, so the damage to the environment is long-lasting.

What animals are affected by plastic?                                                             More than 1,200 species are impacted by plastic, through ingestion or entanglement—both of which can sicken or even kill them.some of the animals affect or killed by plastic are Birds, turtles, sharks, whales,  Sea Turtles, Seals, and Sea Lions, Seabirds, Fish, crabs, Whales and Dolphins. Microplastics are a major part of the issue. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that come from larger plastics that have degraded over time. Sea animals often eat microplastics because of their small size. And plastic contains toxic chemicals, which can increase the chance of disease and affect reproduction. After ingesting microplastics, seals, and other animals, may suffer for months or years before they die.

How much plastic is produced each year in the world?                                      We produce over 300 million tons of plastic every year, 50% of which is for single-use purposes – utilized for just a few moments, but on the planet for at least several hundred years. More than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year. Plastic is cheap and incredibly versatile with properties that make it ideal for many applications. However, these qualities have also resulted in it becoming an environmental issue. We have developed a “disposable” lifestyle and estimates are that around 50% of plastic is used just once and thrown away.

How much of the world’s plastic is recycled?                                                Plastic recycling has become an increasingly important sector of recycling, but it would be hard to declare it a great success story from an environmental perspective. Less than 10% of plastic generation from the U.S. Municipal Solid Waste stream is recycled.75% of people recycle, 75% of plastic generated ends up in landfills and only 9% is actually recycled. 260 million tons of plastic the world produces each year, about 10 percent ends up in the Ocean. If we recycled the other 75% we could save 1 billion gallons of oil and 44 million cubic yards of landfill space annually.

Why is plastic used so much?                                                                       Plastic packaging is one of the most important contributors to protecting food from spoiling. Because it takes considerably more resources to create the food itself, it often makes environmental sense to protect it for as long as possible so the resources invested in its growth are not invested in vain.

Why should we stop using plastic?                                                               Plastic bags are everywhere. We should stop using plastic because they are so lightweight, plastic bags get easily picked up by the wind and travel long distances by wind and water to pollute nature. Plastic bag litter has even caused great problems in some areas. Recycling plastic not only requires large amounts of energy but also uses large quantities of water. While getting rid of plastic waste is the primary environmental problem, the production process is a leading cause of carbon emissions contributing to global warming.

When we chuck out plastic where does it end up?                                         When plastic is thrown away it usually ends up in landfills or in waterways and oceans. Reusit.com reports that in a landfill, plastics may take up to 1,000 years to degrade and they break down into tiny particles that contaminate our soil and water. recycling facility, plastic gets melted down and turned into pellets that are sold and repurposed. And since plastic is not biodegradable, all plastic that doesn't get recycled ends up in landfills or the ocean for centuries.

Maria Makour