Due to an increasing call for society to eliminate plastic usage for many years now, more and more countries have started implementing measures to lessen our dependence on plastic products.
Since 1950, 8 billion tons of plastic have been produced. More than half of it moved to landfills, while only about 9 percent was recycled.
Much of the plastic that is not recycled or sent to landfills normally end up straight to the oceans. Studies show that around 4.8 to 12.7 million metric tons of trash enter the ocean in a year.
We can only stop producing plastic when we finally stop using it. The world has grown so dependent on plastics, that we are now facing a global problem when it comes to proper waste disposal. Getting rid of plastic seems impossible, but there could still be a way to do it.
Germany currently leads the race in recycling municipal solid waste with a whopping 68 percent recycling rate. Meanwhile, countries like Austria, South Korea, Wales, and Switzerland complete the top 5. As of 2019, the United States has yet to be included in the top 10.
At just a 34 percent success rate, the US sends a measly percentage of its waste into recycling pools, way below than many other countries worldwide.
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles, which include plastic bottles, bags, and microbeads in the Earth’s environment, adversely affecting wildlife, wildlife habitat, and humans. To this day, the biggest source of plastic waste is single-use plastics.
Single-use plastics also include packaging materials. Because plastic is versatile, hygienic, lightweight, and flexible, it is known to be the perfect material for packaging goods. It accounts for the largest usage of plastics worldwide.
Every year, around 8 million to 12 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean. This is on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons already in our marine environments.
Research shows that Indonesia and China are the two biggest offenders in terms of ocean plastic pollution.
Plastic bags are everywhere in our environment. In fact in our modern lives, they have become part of us.
Recent research shows that several countries from Asia are the top sources contributing to plastic bottles, bags and other rubbish clogging up global sea lanes. These plastics are not only detrimental to marine health, but also pose health risks to humans.
Due to a recent viral video showing a turtle with a straw on its mouth, there has been a worldwide call to boycott plastic straws. There is no denying how plastic straws are wreaking havoc on oceans and marine wildlife. They kill fishes and other marine animals.
Humans have a bad habit of abruptly throwing something away when they no longer see the good in it. Not actively seeing the volume of waste we create, we did not expect the impact of all the waste we throw not only in landfills but in the surrounding environment as well.
When asked which is better between paper or plastic, naturally, we think paper is better.
We all know that plastic is dreadful for the environment. In particular, plastic bags are known for clogging up our oceans, choking our wildlife and generally wreaking havoc on the world.
Because of this, the paper bag industry has conveniently positioned itself as the solution for decades now. But to really think about it, is paper actually that much better?
Six pack rings, also referred to as six pack yokes, are a set of connected plastic rings used in multi packs of beverages, particularly six packs of beverage cans.
Plastic food storage containers such as Tupperware and their lids usually have a number 1 or 2 recycling symbol on the bottom are accepted in almost all local recycling programs. The proper way to dispose them of for recycling is to make sure they are clean, empty and dry.
There is no denying how plastic products have become a staple in our daily living. Its convenience and cheap price made plastic a favorite material to produce all sorts of things, such as containers, bags, utensils, etc.
There are lots of things that we can do to our plastic groceries bags after we use them from our groceries from the supermarket. Because they are non-recyclable, the least we can do to be kinder to the environment is to look for ways to reuse or repurpose our grocery bags. That is, if we cannot completely stop using them at all.