By Samantha Semoso – EMTV Online
It seems nearly impossible to escape plastic in our everyday lives, doesn’t it? And we can’t escape plastic pollution either.
Plastic is found in nearly everything these days. Your food and hygiene products are packed in it. Your car, phone and computer are made from it, your slippers, wrist watch and you might even chew on it daily in the form of gum. While most plastics are said to be recyclable, the reality is that they’re “downcycled.” A plastic milk carton can never be recycled into another carton – it can be made into a lower quality item.
But where does all this plastic go? We ship some of it overseas to be recycled. Quite a bit ends up in landfills. And more than you can imagine ends up on the loose as plastic pollution, eventually making its way into our waterways.
All this plastic pollution is not only a problem for the earth; it’s bad for our health.
Some facts about plastic pollution:
- 50 percent of plastics we use, we use once only and throw away.
- We currently recover only 5 percent of the plastics produced each year.
- The production of plastic uses around eight percent of the world’s oil production.
- Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times
- Plastic accounts for around 10 percent of the total waste we generate.
- It takes 500-1000 years for plastic to degrade.
- One million sea birds and 100, 000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans.
- Plastic chemicals can be absorbed by the body.
Some Ways to “Rise Above Plastic.”
- Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water
- Volunteer at beach clean-ups when there are any.
- Spread the word. Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to reduce plastic in our lives and the nasty impacts of plastic pollution.
- Say no to straws for consuming drinks, small things like these count
- Give up gum
These will help educate and clarify the effects of plastic pollution and some simple steps that will dramatically decrease the amount of plastic waste you generate.
