Imagine this picture: UNEP reports that around the world, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute. EVERY MINUTE! And up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year! At this rate, the Earth is bound to be drowned in plastic waste because, as we know, it takes a pretty long time for plastic to break down.
The following items are examples of plastic materials: water bottles, dispensing containers, trays, milk and ice cream containers, soap and shampoo bottles, book packaging films and bags, cutlery, plates, straws, cups, and shopping bags, among others.
Only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. About 12% has been incinerated, while the remaining 79% has ended up in landfills, dumps, or the natural environment.
Plastic debris has been found in all major ocean basins, with an estimated 4 to 12 million metric tons (Mt) of plastic waste generated on land entering the marine environment in 2010 alone. ( 2)
It is estimated that globally, about 300million tonnes of plastic is produced every year. To put this in perspective, it is about the weight of all humans on earth. All this plastic basically end up in our landfills and in our environments. We see them everywhere, in trenches, by the roadsides, over water bodies and, even some may fly into your face on a windy day!
It is a scary picture if you can imagine what this means for water supply, biodiversities and food production. Every part of the earth system will surely take a bad hit. One million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans. (3)
So there you have it, a very frightening picture of the earth drowned in plastic waste. It almost feels like one person cannot make an impact, but the truth is we can all make a difference. How? Let see these simple things we can do:
1. When you go grocery shopping (or any kind of shopping), bring your own reusable bags and say no to plastic bags.
2. Instead of using plastic cutlery, plates, cups, and straws at picnics or parties, opt for paper or ceramic alternatives. You can also encourage the use and collection of plastics for reuse.
3. Use your own water bottle instead of buying plastic bottled water. It’s also a more cost-effective option.
4. Join community efforts to pressure local food suppliers and producers to use non-plastic packaging.
5. Advocate for a ban on plastic bags and bottles to benefit the environment in the long run.
Sources: 1. https://www.unenvironment.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/ 2. http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782.full 3. https://www.ecowatch.com/22-facts-about-plastic-pollution-and-10-things-we-can-do-about-it-1881885971.html