Science- why is plastic bad for our environment ?
Answers
Explanation:
Plastic pollution causes harm to humans, animals and plants through toxic pollutants. It can take hundreds or even thousands of years for plastic to break down so the environmental damage is long-lasting. It affects all organisms in the food chain from tiny species like plankton through to whales.
In recent years, people have started cutting down on plastic consumption, as we have realised the effects plastic can have on the environment and our oceans.
There are many people who are unaware just how much plastic ends up in our oceans - and how detrimental this can be.
How much plastic is in the ocean?
According to the Ocean Conservancy, in less than 10 years, scientists predict there will be 250 million metric tons in the ocean and by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish.
Why is this bad?
The world is currently producing nearly 300 million tons of plastic each year - a significant amount of which will end up in the oceans.
→ Plastic is a useful product, many of these products are created for single-use - with an estimated 50 % of plastic used once and thrown away.
What plastic can be recycled?
Plastics are not biodegradable and typically take more than 400 years to degrade.
Single-use plastics are the worst offenders and include plastic bags, food packaging, and straws.
How can we fix this?
Switching to reusable bags when shopping can also make a difference - as single-use plastic bags are a large part of the problem.
And knowing the proper way to recycle common plastics is necessary if humans want to keep plastics from the ocean.
