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Plastic article

Plastic Pollution

A very large amount of plastic waste gets into our world’s oceans and coasts every year. There is projected to be about 18 billion pounds of waste from plastic. Another way to look at this amount would be if there were approximately five bags of full of plastic waste on every foot of coastline we have on the planet would be equal to the amount of 18 billion pounds that is found in the oceans and coasts.Although there are endless uses for plastic, packaging accounts for almost one-half of total plastic produced. Due this disposable application, the majority of this packaging is disposed of after its single purpose use. About 40 percent of all plastic produced is used in packaging, and much of that is used only once and then discarded. Recycling has become the green thing to do, but for many reasons of economics, lack of facilities, and other challenges, only about twenty percent of all plastic produced is recycled. As people become more aware of the impact these products have on the environment, there is more of a push to provide solutions that will enable the recycling of these products more widespread.

Research shows there are possibly 15–51 trillion pieces of plastic in the earth’s waters— from one end of the earth to the other. There is not one body of water on earth that is safe from plastic pollution. Fish ingest tons of plastic each year which, through the circle, results in human ingesting the plastic through consumption of affected seafood. A study in the state of California showed undigested plastic contamination in digestive tracts of seafood sold in California fish markets.

Sea turtles, an endangered species, cannot distinguish floating trash from food, resulting in injury and death. When plastic is ingested, it does not digest or break down which can cause choking, starving or other serious injury. Due to the fact this pollution is on the rise, research indicates over fifty percent of sea turtle population have been affected by mistaking floating plastic for food. It has risen to the extent that these endangered reptiles reproduction is now being threatened due to the invasion of these pollutants on the beaches.

Huge numbers of seabirds fall victim to starvation as a result of ingesting plastic each year, and those numbers are increasing daily. The current percentage of affected birds are expected to increase by over 50% over the next thirty years.

Marine mammals are also at risk. They not only ingest the plastic, but become entangled resulting in starvation, drowning or serious injury. The highly endangered Hawaiian monk seals’ habitat, including the areas housing baby seals or pups have been invaded. The endangered Steller sea lion is experiencing a high mortality rate as a result of the same hazards as the monk seals. No sea mammal, reptile, or other water species, whether large or small is exempt from the impact of the tremendous amount of plastic pollution now being dumped in our waterways.

Almost fifty years ago, the National Academy of Sciences cited the source of fourteen billion pounds of trash being dumped into the ocean were vessels that actually travelled the ocean, such as cruise and cargo ships. This pollution, along with beach front and other pollution sources, results in the deaths of millions of seabirds and sea mammals each year.

Americans recycle only about 100,000 tons out of 10.5 million tons of plastic pollution per year. An additional fourteen billion pounds of trash, primarily plastic, is dumped in the ocean, endangering survival of oceanlife.

Some ways that plastic affects humans?

Plastic pollution poses a greater risk to human and wildlife because it decomposes so very slowly, most effectively by sunlight. The continued dumping increases the plastic pollution problem because pollution from previous years is not decaying. The numbers are increasing every year, and without a way to deal with the rising numbers, the pollution ends up being consumed in the form of microplastics and chemicals by sea life, wildlife and ultimately by humans.

Plastic pollution is becoming a toxic threat to all living beings. Clean up funding and crusades are not meeting the growing needs to clean up our oceans and waterways. It has taken years of dumping and polluting to get to our current state. Fixing the problem is going to take the introduction and enforcement of harsh restrictions on producers of the pollution. Restricting new pollutants will only fix part of the problem. It will take serious fiscal responsibility and a well financed program to make a difference in this ever growing crisis and threat to our health and the health of our wildlife.

Ocean garbage patches are areas of the ocean that have extreme amounts of land based pollutants such as items that are a result of discarded trash that are used in households and other land based establishments. Most of the fabric based pollutants/trash are eventually broken down and do not become a part of the garbage patches; however, the plastics are simply washed to these patches and remain for years to come because of their ability to endure. The five most noted trash patches in the oceans have been called islands of trash. These piles of trash are made with the help of the ocean currents, being deposited where those currents meet.

What is being implemented?

There are many businesses, organizations, cities and individual volunteer groups that are implementing plans to help reduce the amount of plastic waste that is endangering our environment. The following are some of the plans being implemented or ideas being shared:  discontinuing use of straws, single use plastic ban, companies investing in waste collection and recycling; cutting plastic table ware from restaurants, food service companies and clubs; restricting the use of plastic packaging rings, netting; restrict use of plastic bags in retail establishments, and volunteers organizing clean up missions.