It is undeniable that plastic has become a part of human lives all around the world. Plastic has been one of the most essential commodities when Alexander Parkes created it in 1852 (Kulbhushaan, 2011, 4). Chris, the member of Earthsave Canada, said that it seems nearly impossible to escape plastic in our daily life and we cannot escape plastic pollution, either (2008, 5). Although it is one of the most essential commodities, there is no doubt that using plastic has its own set of disadvantages. Plastic pollution involves the accumulation of man-made plastic products in the environment that adversely affect wildlife or humans (Moore, 2015, internet). In order to evidently discuss plastic pollution, this report will interpret more details on …show more content…
Plastics are divided into two distinct groups: thermoplastics and thermosets. The majority of plastics are thermoplastic, it means that the second-hand plastic can be heated and reformed repeatedly. Another group, the thermosets, cannot be used again or reformed. Once these plastics are formed, reheating will cause the material to decompose rather than melt (Boulder County Recycle Center, 2009, internet). Each plastic has clear characteristics, but most plastics have same components which are polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene, different plastic products contain different components (America Chemistry Council, 2009, internet). The website Life Without Plastic listed some examples of three main components of plastics: polystyrene terephthalate is used in soft drink, juice, water, beer, mouthwash, peanut butter, salad dressing, detergent, and cleaner containers; polyvinyl chloride is used to make toys, clear food and non-food packaging, some squeeze bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil and peanut butter jar; polystyrene is the main component to make Styrofoam containers, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls
According to a study conducted by the University of British Columbia, approximately “93 percent of beach fulmars (migratory seabirds related to the albatross) had bellies full of plastic, with one even having upwards of “454 pieces of plastic in its stomach” alone. (Source B) Similarly, in a 2011 International Coastal Clean-up, there were 964244 plastic bags found in the ocean, each having the potential to kill wildlife (Source C). A major reason as to why plastic bags are so hazardous to animal health is the fact that they have no biodegradable capabilities, meaning that instead breaking down into organic materials, plastic takes 500 to 1000 years to simply photodegrade, fragmenting into smaller pieces but not presenting any less danger (Source F). As these pieces become smaller, making it easier for any animal life, marine or not, to ingest it and suffocate as a result of the blockage. This is when the implementation of a tax on plastic bags could become extremely useful as a method of regulation and
Most of the necessities humans need are provided in supermarkets, in fact supermarkets have become a necessity for our everyday life. They are now the main source of water, food, clothes and everyday tools. Therefore, the plastic bags demanded and supplied in this industry increase every day. In the past decade, we produced as much plastic as we did in the whole twentieth century (Freinkel, 2011). This exponential increase of a non-biodegradable material has negatively impacted our environment immensely. Plastic production requires our dwindling fossil fuel resources, robs away animal lives, litters our beautiful landscapes and even affects our very own well-being. Hence, if plastic production doesn’t diminish immediately, we will suffer great
Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste enters our environment, severely polluting oceans, beaches, forests, and even the towns and cities we live in. In the ocean alone, it is believed that 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic pollutes the waters (“Plastic Statistics”, Ocean Crusaders).The majority of plastic pollution can be traced back to single-use items, such as grocery bags, bottles, and plastic packaging. According to United Nations Environment, “At the rate we are dumping items such as plastic bottles, bags and cups after a single use, by 2050 oceans will carry more plastic than fish…” (“UN Declares War on Ocean Plastic”, UN Environment). This pollution is a major problem and endangers not only the environment, but human
Water pollution has had devastating effects on the environment, which include irreversible effects to the oceans ecosystem. People often underestimate the importance of the ocean. They don’t realize how much damage pollution has caused to the ocean and the thousand of creatures that inhabit it. Earth is a huge place, but resources are actually very limited and will not last forever; unless there is a balance. We must protect the resources we have in order for them to last into the next generation. Every time we throw away a plastic bottle, drive our cars, and even burn those millions of fossil fuels to operate all those huge factories, there is a chance it will pollute the ocean and eventually effect the way we live. There should be stricter laws regulating human pollution, in order to protect our oceans ecosystem.
Many plastic products such as plastic water bottles and plastic grocery bags are poorly disposed and end up in our water system. Plastic affects our water by releasing harmful chemicals into the soil, which can later on seep into our groundwater and other water sources. Most plastic is not easily biodegradable. The plastic in our oceans annually take the lives of one million seabirds and 50 thousand marine mammals. If we keep on disposing our plastics carelessly, by 2050, there will be more plastic in our water than there will be fish. Since water is key to life, we do not want it to be badly affected. Every year, the plastic that gets thrown away is enough to circle around the world four times! To improve our watershed we can encourage people to recycle more and ban certain harmful waste
Man-made polymers are generally called ‘resins’ and can be classified under two types; thermoplastic and thermoset, according to the effect of heat on their properties. Thermoplastic materials contain polymer molecules that are held together by weak van der Waals forces or hydrogen bonds [3]. Thermoplastics soften when heated and will eventually melt but they can be hardened again by cooling the material. This process of heating and cooling can be performed many times without having an effect on the material properties and this can be desirable for certain applications. Some types of thermoplastics include ABS, nylon and polypropylene and the main type of dispersed phase used in the creation of composites using thermoplastics is short fibres such as glass [4].
The comparison between how people and companies turn plastic wastes into treasure implies the infinite possibilities of reusing plastic and protect the environment. Then, through the interviews with the recycle companies and scientists in Japan and America, the documentary further supports its argument by proving that only two types of plastic can be truly recycled, most of the others will stay for hundreds of years in the dumping fields and the plasticizer goes through chemical reactions in the ocean which make the plastic particles poisonous and possibly cause diseases to all living organisms. The documentary criticizes the disposable lifestyle and introduces the possibility of future progress by substituting plasticizer with other bio-additive so that they can be fully recycled or reproduced in many different ways. The documentary effectively conveys the message that plastic can be extremely harmful, and appeals audiences to pay more attention on reducing daily usage of plastics, such as plastic water bottle, and producing and recycling with the new
The world population is living, working, and vacationing along the coasts. They are contributing to an unprecedented tide of plastic waste. Pollution is defined as the process that alters a substance or molecule on planet earth, the pollution is caused by the physical contact of an organic decaying particle with a clean particle in the same spot, at the time the two particles join together is when occurs pollution in which the environment is greatly altered. Too many, plastic is a modern day miracle, versatile, inexpensive and durable (Rochman 2014). To others, it is a scourge, a non-degradable pollutant that threatens to choke the global environment. Plastic pollution has led to the deaths of many animals, natural resources, and people (Rochman 2014). It is time to change America’s thinking and to learn from past mistakes.
Over the course of the past 60 years, an increasing amount of the current population is using plastic and reusable products to try and reduce the amount of waste that is being thrown away. Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate #7 plastic which have help strengthen plastic bottles, food containers and epoxy resins (University of Minnesota, 2008). BPA is used in a range of products from every day plastic beverage containers and plastic dinnerware, to compact disks, impact-resistant safety equipment, automobile parts, and toys (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The CDC (2013) also states that BPA epoxy resins are used in the protective linings of food cans, in dental sealants, and in other products (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).
It is universally acknowledged that plastic is one of the most common pollutants to environment, but what is the definition of marine plastic pollution? Plastic pollution in marine areas is the accumulation of pollutants including plastic bags, containers and micro debris in the oceans or on the shore side. Plastics can spread in the oceans all over the world due to buoyancy force, thus leading to a global ocean plastic pollution problem at the present (Eriksen et al., 2014). Marine plastic pollution can cause damage to the ocean ecosystem considerably, and will decrease the quality of sea water at the same time. Marine animals ingest those plastic fragments which they cannot
Polymers are made from relatively small molecular fragments known as monomers that are joined together. Synthetic polymers which include the large group known as plastics are divided into three groups: commodity thermoplastic, engineering thermoplastics (ETP), and advanced engineering thermoplastics (AETP). The engineering thermoplastics (ETP) have heat resistance, strong mechanical properties, lightness, self-lubrication, and easy manufacturing. This plastic category has been lately used to replace wood and metal applications.
Using plastic bags are second nature to people in this day and age. Warner acknowledges, “Much to the dismay of the environmentally conscious citizens worldwide, the ubiquity of the free plastic carryout bag has bred nonchalant consumers who take this modern convenience for granted” (646). Although some people are conscious about the environment, people strive more for convenience and do not think about the impacts using bags have not only on the environment, but on themselves as well. If something is bad for the environment, it will alternatively be bad for humans as well. When plastic bags are exposed to the sun from being littered all around, the ultraviolet rays cause the substances of plastic bags to weaken. After the substances weaken, the substances become invisible to the naked eye. The substances that are no longer able to be seen are toxic to humans (Warner 649). As a result of plastic bags being littered around, animals consume plastic bags. This is negatively affects humans because animals are often consumed. When humans consume animals like, fish, there can be plastic in the fish’s belly, which then transfers to the humans and this poses a concern for human’s health. Humans are negatively affected by plastic bags because of the toxic chemicals in plastic bags, as well as, consuming animals with plastic in their
Have you ever wondered where plastic waste ends up? Have you ever thought about the consequences of plastic waste? What are the purposes of plastic? Although plastic is good for convenient uses, long term uses, and economic purposes, the damages plastic can cause are by far way more harmful than imaginable. Plastic is wasted just as much, if not more, than used, plastic is an imminent threat to the water life ecosystem, and plastic is also not biodegradable. Most people, like myself, have never really thought about where plastic ends up or how harmful products made from plastic can be if not disposed properly. Almost everything used in today’s society is made of or contains some sort of plastic. Limiting distributed plastic would not only benefit
This essay will discuss the various harmful effects of plastic bags, and demonstrate the risks that these bags impose on humans, animals, and the environment. It will also discuss a series of suggested solutions that could help reduce plastic bag usage. Although plastic bags appear to be fragile and light, their negative environmental effect is devastating. Plastic bags may cause large amounts of pollution at every step of their limited life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials, production, transportation, and recycling or disposal. Plastic bags can be defined as the most damaging form of environmental pollution.
It is sad to say but humans have played their part in deteriorating the earth. We have polluted and killed the very thing that takes care of us. If you ride by any lake or river you find trash and debris around it. In the “The Call of the Wild” the author says that we have committed war against the earth by the dumping of poisons and explosives upon it (337). Unfortunately, plastics are the things that are doing the most harm to our environment. Plastics are convenient and we use them everyday and these are the things that we find in the oceans, rivers and lakes. They are harmful to the earth as well as human health by directly intoxicating us with lead, cadmium and mercury. Plastic debris laced with harmful chemicals are often found inside of our marine life and can poison them. Plastic can survive for thousands of years and many invasive species are found in them which can disrupt our habitats. We need to limit our consumption of plastics and make sure that they are disposed of in their proper places.