The problem of plastic in the environment
Do you know how many giant islands of rubbish are floating in the oceans, and how you can help make a difference in trying to reverse the enormous waste problem? environmental devastation that plastic is causing globally? Here are some interesting facts you need to know, as well as some of the most important urgent recommendations to be taken into account.
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How plastic pollutes the environment
Plastic has become the material of choice for industry over the last century. Petroleum products, being so flexible and relatively inexpensive, generated a massive production that ended up flooding the planet with plastic.
Recent studies have documented that since at least the 1950's, there have been more than 9.1 billion tons of plasticThis is creating a growing problem that threatens not only the land, but also the water and the air; at least 7 trillion of these are no longer used, i.e. they have become waste.
Contaminates the land
Perhaps the most common form of plastic pollution that we can perceive is land-based pollution, and although we may believe that it is something minimal that will sooner or later degrade in the environment, the truth is that plastic can take up to 1000 years to degrade, during which time it can cause multiple damages to ecosystems.
Even if this plastic is channelled and disposed of in the rubbish, the landfills are not a definitive solution eitherCurrently, the vast majority of massive rubbish dumps do not have the capacity to generate total isolation, so they end up becoming a permanent source of toxins and leachates, which also end up severely contaminating aquifers, and generating deterioration and erosion that is difficult to counteract.
Plastic pollution in the sea
Marine plastic pollution is also one of the most serious, with at least 5 large islands of rubbish in the world's oceans, which are on the move and polluting vast stretches of coastline and seas.
The consequences of plastic in the sea not only are they fully documented, but their routes, for example, are increasingly known in detail, although there is also growing audiovisual evidence; recently a group of divers around the world managed to capture what one of these massive concentrations of rubbish looks like in the waters off Bali.
Pollutes the air
Even if you think that plastics are heavy and do not pollute what you breathe, you should be aware that in reality they are also one of the main factors of environmental pollutionThis is also one of the world's biggest health problems.
Not only does the extensive plastic manufacturing system release a huge variety of toxins into the environment, but also a significant proportion of the world's plastic (+-12%) ends up being burned or incinerated, generating enormous air pollution, as this also releases some of the most toxic components known to science.
End life
Even if you think that islands of rubbish in the ocean do not affect you or that you live in a very clean city without major pollution problems, you must remember that we live in an interconnected system, so in one way or another you end up being affected as well.
For example, almost everything we eat has been severely affected.This is not only because marine pollution has generated a dangerous presence of toxins in fish all over the planet, but also because even some of the smallest actors in the process, such as plankton, are being poisoned to varying degrees, thereby contaminating a long list of animals in the food chain.
What can be done to address the problem
Although they have been promoted for some time now, the basic principles of campaigns such as the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) or the system of Zero WasteThe socially responsible actions that are being carried out around the world are still at the heart of many social responsibility actions.
Today, there is already a whole corporate trend to adopt measures that contribute to these objectives, although it is also something that you can do at an early stage. personal leveland will have an even greater impact if you can influence at a local, or at least familiar, level.
Of course, the Reduction is the first action we should promote, as in this case the phrase "better safe than sorry" also applies. In this sense, using your own thermos when you want to buy a coffee, carrying reusable bags to avoid disposable ones when shopping, or avoiding the consumption of bottled water, are some of the actions that you can do yourself.
At the corporate level, many companies are replacing paper receipts and other documentation with digital systems, switching to biodegradable materials, or using rechargeable batteries, as some of the measures to make their development more environmentally responsible.
Although it may sound trite, the recycling also helps, he believes that only 9% of the plastic produced in the last half century has been recycled, which is less than the amount that has ended up being incinerated, so there is still a long way to go to reuse these materials, although this is not a definitive solution.
Recent studies have also warned that, due to this recycling process, a a large proportion of bottled water is already contaminated. with plastic micro-particles, which has also once again set off alarm bells in international organisations.
The Re-use can also contribute to reducing the environmental impact of plastic waste in the environment, remember that in reality waste is only a mental concept that we give to something when we do not find it useful; however, in these times it is worth getting creative, and also look for ways to contribute to meet the objective of reducing the environmental impact of plastic waste in the environment, remember that in reality waste is only a mental concept that we give to something when we do not find it useful; however, in these times it is worth getting creative, and also look for ways to contribute to meet the objective of reducing the environmental impact of plastic waste. nothing should really be rubbish; For if we could harness the materials and things that exist today, we could begin to make a dramatic change on the planet.
Of course, social pressure through civil organisations and other mechanisms to generate committed policies to reduce the impact of plastic pollution also plays a very important role today; this is something that still has a long way to go, but just by starting in our own home or neighbourhood, we can begin to generate tangible changes that contribute to the formation of a more sustainable culture with better chances of survival.
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