Here are some alarming facts about the use of plastic and what it does to our planet and marine animals. You may or may not be aware of the detrimental effect it’s having in the world, so read on to make yourself aware and perhaps think about making small changes to your daily routine.
1.Plastic waste is one of many types of wastes that take too long to decompose. Normally, plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. But plastic bags we use in our everyday life take 10-1000 years to decompose, while plastic bottles can take 450 years or more. Shocking to say the least! Remember there was life without plastic once, so how did we manage? Perhaps we have become a lazy society or simply life has become so fast that we don’t stop to think about it anymore? Think what you will but at the end of the day this problem is increasing by the day and if things don’t change soon, we will be flooded by plastic.
2. Globally, it is estimated that over 100 million marine animals are killed each year by plastic waste. It’s so hard to even comprehend this to be honest, it’s utterly devastating. It leaves a lump in your throat and feel responsible somehow. What are we doing and why are we destroying the plant and the beautiful animals? Just for the sake of having it easy to squeeze ketchup on our chips or drink fluids through a plastic straw?! I bet we could all think of alternatives by making small changes of the use of plastic in our homes. Defiantly something important to think about I’d say.
3. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that, only nine percent has been recycled. The vast majority—79 percent—is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter. It’s a shocking fact that 91% is not recycled. Each year, an estimated 18 billion pounds of plastic waste enters the world’s ocean from coastal regions. That’s about equivalent to five grocery bags of plastic trash piled up on every foot of coastline on the plane Plastic products made from polyvinyl chloride, such as shower curtains, piping, window frames and some toys, can’t be recycled. Don’t put the lids of recyclable water bottles in your recycling bin, and plastic bags cannot be recycled. So, lots of the plastic waste will end up on landfill and we use these products daily. Thinking about alternatives? Or at least using recycled plastic perhaps? We should try to become more knowledgeable about the packaging we use and think more about what will happen in ten years’ time because plastic waste is increasing rapidly by the day. Where will it go you ask? It’s already flooding seas and land! No doubt we will find out if changes are not made.
