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Navigating the Plastic Global Crisis Towards Sustainability

Writer: Emma HsiehEmma Hsieh



Plastic, a synthetic material known for its versatility, affordability, and longevity, has become deeply integrated into nearly every aspect of modern life. According to Earthday.org, since its introduction in the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced, half of which is single-use plastics. Each American uses about 0.34 kilograms of plastic daily, nearly three times the consumption in other North American nations like Canada and Mexico. This ranks the United States as the world's second-largest plastic consumer, using 37.83 million tons annually—significantly behind China, which consumes almost 60 million tons annually. Plastic is used across various industries, including medicine, construction, and technology. Although plastics play a crucial role in our lives, their production, use, and disposal contribute to climate change, necessitating urgent and innovative actions to mitigate their environmental impact.

Plastic pollution, from production to disposal, poses a significant threat to the environment and contributes to climate change, primarily by releasing greenhouse gasses and degrading ocean ecosystems. Plastics, including soluble, disposable, and durable types, contribute to pollution throughout their lifecycle, beginning with using fossil fuels for their production. According to the United Nations Development Program, less than ten percent of all plastic waste is recycled, with approximately seventy-nine percent ending up in landfills or the natural environment and around twelve percent being incinerated. Despite the recyclability of most plastics, numerous obstacles such as contamination, harmful chemical additives, and lack of economic incentives hinder effective recycling, often delaying rather than preventing the final disposal of plastic waste in landfills or incinerators. This inadequate management of plastic waste significantly contributes to ocean pollution, with two-thirds entering the ocean via beaches, drains, rivers, or poorly managed landfills near coastlines. Once in the sea, plastic is carried by currents and eventually accumulates in large gyres, the largest being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Despite the vastness of the oceans, there is a high density of plastic pollution, including 51 trillion microscopic pieces. Plastic bags are one of the most commonly sighted man-made objects by sailors. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a well-known symbol of the plastic pollution problem, situated in the North Pacific and roughly twice the size of Texas. It primarily contains waste from Pacific Rim nations, especially North America and Japan, and consists of 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, totaling 79,000 tons, with 99.9% of the debris being plastic. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that Garbage patches in the oceans pose severe threats to wildlife through entanglement and ingestion. Animals can become entangled in debris like lost fishing nets, known as "ghost" nets, which continue trapping wildlife even without human control, or become hooked by items such as plastic bag handles and six-pack rings; they may also ingest plastic pieces that block their digestive systems, leading to malnutrition, and marine debris can transport non-native species across the ocean, potentially introducing invasive species that disrupt local ecosystems by outcompeting native species.

Addressing the issue of plastic pollution is essential for mitigating its detrimental effects on the environment and climate and safeguarding marine life and ecosystems for future generations. Innovative solutions worldwide are dealing with the growing problem of plastic trash. For example, Sweden created a large sorting place called Site Zero, which handles the nation's entire household plastic waste. In Indonesia, a new company called Kibumi is changing how we deal with trash by using technology and laws that make companies responsible for recycling. Another company called Again in the UK makes reusable packaging through its CleanCell facilities. In Germany, Wasser 3.0 found a way to clean water from tiny plastic bits without special filters. TrashCon in India uses robots to sort trash and turn some of it into furniture. These ideas are helping us use less plastic and better care of our planet. One simple way individuals can contribute to reducing plastic pollution is by opting for reusable items like water bottles, shopping bags, and containers instead of single-use plastics. By making conscious choices in everyday consumption habits, we can reduce the demand for single-use plastics, thereby decreasing the amount of plastic waste generated.



Sources



Earth Day. “Fact Sheet: Single-Use Plastics.” www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-single-use-plastics/.



Santa Cruz Works. “Plastic Pollution Statistics & Facts.” www.santacruzworks.org/news/plastic-pollution-statistics-facts.


United Nations Development Programme. “What Do Plastics Have to Do with Climate Change?” UNDP, stories.undp.org/what-do-plastics-have-to-do-with-climate-change.


World Economic Forum. “Plastic Pollution Solutions.” www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/12/plastic-pollution-solutions-uplink/.


 
 

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