What is plastic pollution?
Plastic pollution is caused by the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment. It can be categorized in primary plastics, such as cigarette butts and bottle caps, or secondary plastics, resulting from the degradation of the primary ones. It can also be defined by its size, from microplastics – small particles (<5>
Plastic pollution can take different forms including
- The accumulation of waste
- The accumulation of marine litter, fragments or microparticles of plastics and non-biodegradable fishing nets, which continue to trap wildlife and waste
- Waste causing the death of animals by ingestion of plastic objects
- The arrival of microplastics and microbeads of plastics from cosmetic and body care products
Plastic pollution causes
Since its commercial development in the 1950s, plastic has been a real success. Its global production is growing exponentially. Its success comes from its remarkable qualities: ease of shaping, low cost, mechanical resistance, etc. Being the ideal material for packaging, plastic is basically everywhere.
But what are the causes of plastic pollution?
Negligence is the main cause. In fact, it is estimated that 80% of marine litter comes from land. This pollution comes mainly from household waste, which is poorly recycled, dumped in landfills, or abandoned in nature. This waste is carried by the winds, pushed by the rains into sewers, streams, rivers, and finally in the oceans. Natural disasters such as floods must be considered as other causes of plastic pollution as well.
Plastic pollution effects
This pollution can have harmful effects on the land and rivers by affecting wildlife and habitat, but also on human health.
On The Environment
This plastic debris represents chemical pollution in several ways. They contain compounds that can be chemically transferred to organisms during ingestion. Some of these molecules are potentially toxic and can accumulate in the body. Besides, plastic bags also affect the growth of crops, by hindering the process of photosynthesis in agricultural fields.
On Animals
The most direct effect of plastic pollution is the imprisonment of animals in nets or large debris. It is a cause of significant mortality of marine mammals, turtles, and birds. A second direct effect is an ingestion, which concerns the entire food chain of the marine ecosystem.
On Humans
Because of the chemical additives used during plastic production, plastics have potentially harmful effects on human health. Indeed, exposure to toxic chemicals coming out of plastic can cause cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, and other health problems.
Plastic pollution prevention
How to solve plastic pollution?
Aside from cleaning up our oceans, which is a very significant first step but not a long-term solution, the best way to address plastic pollution is to change our mindsets and habits with this controversial but nonetheless very useful material:
1. Reduce
To efficiently reduce plastic pollution, there is an evident need of reducing our usage of plastic. It means changing our everyday behaviors and not using plastic when there is a better alternative to it and only using plastic when strictly necessary.
2. Reuse
Plastic may cause pollution when poorly managed but it has lots of advantages too, such as being resistant. Many plastic items can therefore be reused or used for different purposes. Before throwing plastic items, it is important to consider how they can be reused.
3. Recycle
Plastic recycling consists of collecting plastic waste and reprocessing it into new products, to reduce the amount of plastic in the waste stream.
4. Educate
Another crucial solution is an education in order to increase awareness and behavioral change.
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