Life Saving Substance or Devastating Debacle?
The impact of single use plastics.
Single Use Plastics are Altering the Fate of Our Planet
A miraculous product — versatile, durable, and commonplace — plastic is a new plague on Earth. Not all plastic is bad. Various things composed of plastic including medical supplies, car airbags, and bike helmets, assist in saving lives. Most of the plastic we use is single use: grocery bags, straws, bottles, packaging, and wrappers. The acceleration in plastic production has created 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic- consisting of 40 percent single use plastic. Single-use plastics create a problem for animals, human health, and the environment, so people need to take action to reduce their use of plastic.
Plastics are made to last forever
Plastic forms through “chemically bonding oil and gas molecules to create monomers which bond into large polymer chains” to manufacture millions of pellets. The pellets are melted and reformed to create objects with this resilient material known as plastic. After using single use plastic items, we discard them. The plastic can end up in numerous places, including in landfills, and in the ocean. When rainwater flows through landfill waste, the water absorbs the water soluble contents from the plastic, which is highly toxic. Known as leachate, “toxic water can move into groundwater, soil, and streams, poisoning water sources, harming wildlife.”
The Impact on Marine Life
Scientists predict that approximately 8.8 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean every year. Littered plastic blown into sources of water like rivers and creeks, eventually make their way to the ocean. “Eighteen billion pounds of plastic-waste flows into oceans every year from coastal regions; that’s about 5 grocery bags of plastic trash sitting on every foot of coastline around the world.” Vast vortexes in the ocean collect massive amounts of plastic: The Great Pacific gyre, The North Atlantic gyre, The South Pacific gyre, The Indian Ocean gyre. Plastic, unlike other types of trash, cannot decompose; it remains in the ocean entangling animals and many species often mistake it for food. Without action to minimize plastic usage, oceans will contain more plastic than fish in tonnes by mid century. Marine animals like whales, dolphins, and seals get strangled with deadly fishing nets, and plastic packaging. “Forty percent of plastic produced is used for packaging- a single use plastic.”
Over 100 species of aquatic animals consume microplastics. Plastic ingested by animals gives them a false feeling of being full, prompting death by starvation. In some cases, small pieces of plastic cannot pass through the digestive system of aquatic animals, blocking digestive tracts, piercing organs, and causing fatal injuries that may lead to death. Damage to the liver and reproduction system leads to a decline in the species population.
Microplastics and Health
Most plastics are not biodegradable; they break down into smaller pieces known as microplastics. Similar to the toxic water known as leachate, microplastics are detrimental to human and wildlife health. Microplastics and toxic chemicals are often consumed indirectly. Fish consume microplastics, and humans consume fish, likely transferring the toxic microplastic ingested by the fish into the human body. Scientists have found toxic chemicals from plastic in our blood and tissue, causing a plethora of health issues including cancer, birth defects, impaired immunity, and other medical ailments.
Recycling
You might think why don’t we just recycle it? It’s not so simple. Plastic production has rapidly increased; the recycling system is unprepared for the large amount of plastic. “Difficult to recycle and biodegrade, plastic takes longer than 400 years to decompose.” Limitations to recycling prevents many types of plastic from being recycled. As a result, many plastic objects end up in landfills. The types of plastic that can be recycled are limited, and not all products can be made using recycled plastic. Often, already recycled plastic cannot, or does not get recycled again. “Less than a fifth of all plastic is recycled globally, and the United States only recycles nine percent of its plastic trash.” We are responsible for the plastic on the planet: take action and reduce plastic use.
What Can You Do?
- Here are some ways to reduce single use plastic pollution:
- Avoid and Eliminate The Use of Straws.
- Use a Water Fountain, and Reusable Bottles Instead of Plastic Ones.
- Shop with Recyclable Bags.
- Pack Your Lunch and Snacks in Reusable Containers.
- Eat Fruit as a Snack (it’s already pre-packaged in its skin, and its compostable)
- Don’t use products with microbeads like hand-sanitizers, toothpastes, and face washes.
- Don’t Litter and Pick Up Trash.
Sources, and Further Reading
01, November. “Why Is Plastic Harmful?” Plastic Pollution Coalition. Accessed October 31, 2019. https://plasticpollutioncoalition.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/222813127-Why-is-plastic-harmful-.
Carey, Rich. “Plastic Pollution.” Kids’ Games, Animals, Photos, Stories, and More, July 16, 2019. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/nature/kids-vs-plastic/pollution/.
Dufour, Fred. “A Whopping 91% of Plastic Isn’t Recycled.” National Geographic, December 20, 2018. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/07/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment/.
Parker, Laura, and Jason Treat. “Fast Facts about Plastic Pollution.” National Geographic, December 20, 2018. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/05/plastics-facts-infographics-ocean-pollution/#close.
Parker, Laura. “The World’s Plastic Pollution Crisis Explained.” Plastic pollution facts and information, June 7, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/plastic-pollution/.
“What Really Happens to the Plastic You Throw Away — Emma Bryce.” TED. TED-Ed. Accessed October 31, 2019. https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-really-happens-to-the-plastic-you-throw-away-emma-bryce#review.
GREEN ZINE contributors are volunteers amplifying their voices on environmental and social justice issues. Views expressed may or may not represent the voice, opinions, or policy stances of Greenpeace. Instead, writing on GREEN ZINE reflects the creative brains of individuals.
