Where Does the Plastic Go?
by Sean Kato
Have you ever stopped and thought about where your plastic straw goes when you throw away your drink? You probably just throw it away without any hesitation, or knowledge about where it ends up. That straw you carelessly just threw away is one of 25 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean according to Brucker. If the pollution continues at this rate, there could be more plastic than fish as soon as the year 2050 (Gray).
Plastic Production in the last 100 years
The amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans is difficult to comprehend. As plastic goods have increased in production, so has the amount that it has impacted the environment. Over the past several decades, the amount of plastic that has been produced around the world has increased exponentially. According to Moore, “world plastic production grew from some 1.5 million tonnes (about 1.7 million tons) per year in 1950 to an estimated 275 million tonnes (303.1 million tons) by 2010 and 381 million tonnes (420 million tons) by 2015” (Moore). We have become so reliable on plastic goods, especially single use plastic goods such as food containers, bottles, bags and utensils. Unfortunately, many of these products are not recycled and thrown away after just one use.
Plastic reaches our oceans in two ways; lack of recycling and through rivers. In most developed countries, the issue begins with the lack of recycling. For example, in the U.S, Planet Aid states that Americans only recycle, “34 percent of all the waste they create, according to the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency” (Planet Aid). This number has risen in the past 50 years from 6.2 percent, however, it is much lower than other European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium or Austria.
How rivers pollute the ocean
As much as recycling can help our marine environments, much of the plastic pollution actually comes from a place you wouldn’t expect; it comes from rivers. According to an article by Gray, “More than 8 million tons of it ends up in the ocean every year… And 90% of it comes from just 10 of them (rivers), according to a study.” (Gray). Eight of these rivers are in Asia and the other two are located in Africa. The main issue in these places is that they do not have the proper waste areas where people can dispose of their plastic goods. Dr. Christian Smith, one of the authors of the study done on these rivers said “ ‘The more waste there is in a catchment area that is not disposed of properly, the more plastic ultimately ends up in the river and takes this route to the sea.’ ” (Gray). According to the article, the rivers have two common characteristics; they have high populations living near the river and they have poor waste management. The Yangtze river is the longest river in Asia and is the biggest carrier of plastic pollution. Below is a short clip of the Yangtze river and the problems it has caused China and the world.
China has recently begun to make effort in order to reduce their plastic waste in the world. The government has greatly reduced the amount of plastic imports that it receives annually. In 2018, China ordered 46 of its major cities to begin sorting their waste more efficiently and try to get their recycling rates up to 35 percent by 2020. Other Asian countries such as India that have plastic debris issues have also been proactive in their attempts to reduce the waste. The Indus and Ganges rivers are the second the sixth most polluted rivers in the world. India has dealt with issues due to the lack of funding and health in cleaning the rivers. The National Green Tribunal, India’s environmental court, said “ ‘not a single drop of the Ganga has been cleaned so far’ ” (Gray). It is clear that these countries understand the issues and want to clean up but simply do not have the resources that they need and deserve.
How does plastic affect marine life?
Marine animals have had many issues in the quality of their lives since plastic pollution became an issue. Once the plastic reaches the ocean, it can stay there for centuries. According to the UN Environment article, “The same properties that make plastics so useful — their durability and resistance to degradation — also make them nearly impossible for nature to completely break down” (UN Environment). The plastic slowly breaks down but never completely disintegrates. As the plastic stays afloat on the ocean, animals may mistake the plastic for food. This is a problem. Many organisms cannot tell the difference between plastic and food and will eat the plastic. Over 100,000 marine animals die from plastic entanglement and one million birds die from plastic every year. These poor animals are dying because of a problem that humans started. It is not fair and something needs to be done. Animals should not pay the unfortunate price of our mistakes.
How plastic is speeding up global warming
Plastic does not completely disappear, it breaks down over time. These small particles can be very difficult to detect. Our food supply of fish and other animals is not at jeopardy at the moment, but scientists warn that the plastic could make its way up the food chain without us even knowing. There is even the possibility that these particles enter our tap water system and get us sick. There has also been research done that climate change has been increasing due to the amount of plastic in the ocean. According to Parsley, “Over time, plastics give off more and more gas. Light (and to a lesser extent heat) are the primary catalysts for this gaseous release. This leads to an alarming feedback loop: as the climate changes, the planet gets hotter, the plastic gives off more methane, increasing the rate of climate change” (Parsley). The article also explains that LDPE (low-density polyethylene) is the most discarded plastic in the ocean right now. Not only does plastic pollution affect the animals of the ocean directly, it indirectly begins another prevalent issue. Global warming.
What you can do to help
Unfortunately, there is no cure to this plastic pollution problem that will make it all go away overnight. However, there are many small steps that can greatly reduce and help the cause. Recycling the plastic products you use so that they can be transformed into other goods is the easiest way to reduce your plastic output. Other small tasks such as using reusable shopping bags, metal straws or non plastic water bottles can significantly help the environment. Participating in your own cleanup of trash you see or helping volunteer on beaches can also benefit the cause. Even writing to your local representative about the issues in your community and around the world in China can help legislation happen and aid to the struggling developing world. Many of these steps are very basic but if we all are able to do a little bit every day, we can save our environment and humankind.
References:
“Blog.” Recycling Rates Around the World — Planet Aid, Inc., www.planetaid.org/blog/recycling-rates-around-the-world.
Brucker, Drew. “30 Ocean Pollution Facts That Will Blow Your Mind | Rubicon Blog.” Commercial Garbage & Waste Management Company | Rubicon Global, 3 May 2019, www.rubiconglobal.com/blog-ocean-pollution-facts/.
Daly, Natasha. “For Animals, Plastic Is Turning the Ocean Into a Minefield.” National Geographic, 16 May 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-animals-wildlife-impact-waste-pollution/.
Gray, Alex. “90% Of Plastic Polluting Our Oceans Comes from Just 10 Rivers.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/90-of-plastic-polluting-our-oceans-comes-from-just-10-rivers/.
Moore, Charles. “Plastic Pollution.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Mar. 2019, www.britannica.com/science/plastic-pollution.
Parley. “A New Link Between Plastic and Climate Change.” PARLEY, PARLEY, 1 Aug. 2018, www.parley.tv/updates/2018/7/23/a-new-link-between-plastic-and-climate-change.
“Plastic Statistics.” Ocean Crusaders, 12 Nov. 2018, oceancrusaders.org/plastic-crusades/plastic-statistics/.
“Our Planet Is Drowning in Plastic Pollution. This World Environment Day, It’s Time for a Change.” #BeatPlasticPollution This World Environment Day, www.unenvironment.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/.
