HUMAN IMPACTS - Plastic Pollution

Plastic is:

Amazing because it cannot be destroyed! Terrifying because it cannot be destroyed!

Plastic is an amazing product, it was invented in 1862 by Alexander Parkes and it is a durable, waterproof, light, easily moulded into any shape and size and most importantly it is very strong. Sounds incredible! The world jumped on board to make plastic packaging, medical equipment, car parts, kitchen utensils, etc. The quality of life enjoyed by people today directly relates to the increased use of plastics positively and negatively.

So what went wrong? Well, it took a few years to realise that alongside strength comes non-degradability. There is still an increase in single-use plastics and this accounts for 40% of all the plastic produced every year. Along with half of all plastic ever manufactured having been made in the last 15 years.

Although recycling is ongoing and increasing, over 79% of plastic still ends up in landfills, requiring around 400 years for decomposition. In this time the plastic leaches contaminants into the soil and groundwater. One of the reasons plastic ends up in landfills is that there are so many varieties with diverse chemical compositions, therefore 'with all the best will in the world' recycling would become more challenging and expensive to contend with all the plastic varieties.

Plastic is not just a problem in landfills, but generally within the environment, where it has been dumped in the countryside. This litter can then be consumed by wildlife, causing choking and digestive tract damage from the indigestible materials.

Plastic that has been broken down into smaller components called micro-plastic has been found on Mount Everest and in the Mariana Trench which is the deepest trough in the ocean.

Plastic on the land is just the tip of the iceberg, plastic pollution in the seas is difficult to calculate but estimates are predicting an unprecedented amount, about 8 million tones of plastic waste escaping into the oceans, again causing damage to intestinal tracts of the species which consumes it, such as turtles and birds. These plastic particles floating in the oceans also carry with them other chemical pollutants such as trace metals and pesticides which bind to the broken down pieces of plastic and are therefore also consumed by wildlife.

Plastic is not just a planet and wildlife issue, microplastics have been found in drinking water systems and drifting through the air which we breath.

So what can be done?

There are currently large clean up water wheels in operation which can be effective at picking up plastic in the oceans, however, once the plastic has been broken down into micro-plastics (less than 5mm long), these can drift through the collecting wheels.

Plastic alternatives are beginning to increase as we read and understand the problems surrounding plastics. Theses alternatives such as Bioplastics which are plant-based plastics are increasing in use, such as Bamboo, these are durable and can be moulded into many shapes. There are other alternatives such as reverting back to glass and paper. Theses are important ways of preventing the demand for plastics within companies. If consumer demand decreases this will in turn lead to companies reducing the amount of plastic being produced.

Also, if we can refill, reuse and buy unpackaged products we are undoubtedly being sustainable. So we can all do our bit for the environment, by say no to single use plastics and yes to plastic alternatives such as bioplastics.

Thanks for reading this.

Rose (Conservation Biologist