Have you ever been out in nature and seen garbage where it shouldn't be? Most of this garbage is composed of man-made plastic materials that take a long time to break down. It can take up to 1000 years for plastic to decompose in landfills. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea. That is only 33 years away! The practice of zero waste can help diminish the amount of waste in landfills which in turn protects the wildlife, the environment, and people.
What exactly is zero waste? Zero waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The goal of zero waste is for no trash to be sent to landfills or incinerators. It is a similar process to the way that
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Tons of plastic waste finds its way to the ocean every year. From the ocean, it goes onto islands or continues floating until something eats it. An example of this is on Midway Island, an island in the Pacific Ocean. The mother birds look for food and the bright colors of the plastics resemble the colors of tropical fish or squid. They feed it to their young and as a result, the birds die. The bodies will go through their cycle after the bird's death but the plastic will remain for hundreds of years before it decomposes completely. Tiny bits of plastic, micro-plastics, break off from bottles, bags, and other plastic items as they break down and those bits collect toxins like pesticides and flame retardants. When they get even smaller, a nano-plastic, they can cross into fish other sea life's cells. This harms fish's reproduction, immunity, and survival skills, according to CNN 10. If plastics can cause this much harm to sea life, how much harm will it cause us when humans eat the …show more content…
Many would argue that there is no point of switching such small things because they don’t impact the environment, wildlife, and people that much. Someone might ask “Isn’t recycling enough?” or “Does switching these small things really matter?” Recycling is part of zero waste and yes, it really does matter. Straws, razors, bottle caps, plastic bags, and small bits of plastic from individually wrapped items are some of the main things found in the ocean and eaten by animals. The chlorine plastics that make the soil and water toxic for species that drink it and the nano-plastic particles that poison fish affect wildlife and humans. If you can switch these items to zero waste friendly items, you can save wildlife, the environment, 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
Two fundamental and closely related problems confront our present ecosystems: overpopulation and the destruction or exhaustion of natural resources.Some natural resources are so abundant that they still seem infinite, such as the planet’s stock of air and water.“At this stage of our technological development, we are learning that our powers extend to such heights and depths that we can even destroy the near-infinite resources” (Al Gore). Scientists predicted in the end of last century, that fresh water would be the “new oil” — the global strategic resource for the twenty-first century. This means that control over sources of fresh water will be one of, if not the, most important sources of conflict in the future. The last few years many books have been written about this issue, with titles like “Water Wars, Blue Gold, Last Oasis, Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource, and Thirsty Planet” (Maude Barlow, Tony Clarke)(1), as well as in press articles with the same alarmist titles. In this essay i will use this book, statistics, press articles and examples to discuss this issue. How come Population density, economy and politics affect water pollution?
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
If everyone recycled then there would be less need for new materials to be made out of unused resources; instead they would be made with recycled materials. Recycling saves a lot of natural resources because every time you turn something into the recycling center part of that is reused on a future product. In fact I read once, that each aluminum can that is recycled, a quarter of that is used on a new can. That twenty-five percent can add up in the long run. When people don't recycle that plastic bottle, aluminum can, or glass bottle that is in their trash can it is only used once and then is sent to a landfill just to take up space.
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.
Zero Waste Market will focus its marketing strategy in the Kitsilano area. According to research, the projected location has a high concentration of the target demographic (LOHAS 20-50). Kitsilano’s population has increased significantly in the last few years; in 2006 the population was 40,000 and by 2011 the population had grown over 4% to 41,700 (Statistics Canada, 2016). This data suggests that the population will continue to grow, creating more potential customers for ZWM. The majority of the Kitsilano population has the income to afford high quality products and possess the desire to purchase these goods for themselves and their families. The Kitsilano area also has many local gyms and yoga studios. This is an indicator that Kitsilano residents are concerned about maintaining their health.
Many people believe that we should not recycle anymore, but this is not the case. We, the people of the world, need to continue to recycle because we do not want our children to grow up in a world where there are no certain species of animals due to recycling failures. We also do not want our children to grow up thinking that it is okay that they throw their garbage on the ground, and not have to pick it up. We need to teach our children that they need to take care of the earth that they are living on, because they only get one. Recycling is one of the most beneficial environmental issues that we have here on this earth. Recycling saves energy, limits pollution and supports several environmental factors of the economy. “In 2003, the savings from recycling 54 billion aluminum cans exceeded the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil- or the amount of gas the U.S. uses in one day,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA estimates that 200 million gallons of used oil are not disposed of properly, and if we were to dispose the oil properly then we could keep the oil from polluting the ground and the fresh water source. According to E. Takatori, “… While on-going societal regulation treats material recycling as the dominant cycle, the properties of recycled plastic remain the most port
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.
Most importantly, it saves lives. We should all learn the importance of recycling. For example, some sea lions won?t get stuck in plastics if we recycle. We would also breathe better air. We can recycle and aluminum can and put it back on the shelf for something useful. If we just leave it in the landfill, it?ll decompose and it?ll be of no use. It?ll also reduce pollution or else it?ll make a new one.
In the 1870’s, plastic was discovered in the United States when John Wesley Hyatt was trying to create a different material to make billiard balls (Manrich, 3). Little did he know it would majorly evolve into material we use everyday. However, plastics are now taking over our landfills. The average American throws away one-hundred and eighty-five pounds of plastic a year (Popescu, 121). The answer to decrease this statistic is easy: recycling. I believe that recycling will help eliminate littering and the growth of landfills, while also creating jobs for the unemployed. Not only does recycling plastic help eliminate littering, but also reuses the plastic so there is not a production of additional unneeded plastics. The
Recycling is an important asset to the world “going green”, (keeping the environment healthy), project people have been working on for at least a decade. Over the years the environment has suffered immensely because we humans haven’t done what is needed to make sure that our planet can flourish and evolve into its full potential. When we drive down the roads, or walk on the streets, or even relax in our own yards, we don’t think about the paper wrapper we just threw out the window, or the bottle we left on the park bench or the napkins we let fly off our table and were too lazy to pick up. A good percentage of the waste on our planet is due to exactly that. LAZINESS. Humans have this mind set that if they don’t want to do it, and they can get away with it, then usually they aren't going to do it. Plain and simple, people are just lazy. Basically, if everyone would just pick up after themselves, half of the worlds pollution and filth would be taken care of. The way to do this in a beneficial manner is simply by recycling.
Traditional methods of waste disposal have proven to be ineffective and have caused harmful effects on the environment. The most popular and inexpensive way to get rid of garbage is burial, but burying your problems does not necessarily mean getting rid of them. Landfill sites pose as severe ecological threats as these mass garbage dump yards overflow with trash and frequently contaminate our air, soil and water with hazardous wastes. About 400 million tons of hazardous wastes are generated each year1. A large-scale release of these materials can cause thousands of deaths and may poison the environment for many years. For example many industrial companies around the world cannot afford to enforce the strict pollution regulations set by many developed countries. This usually forces these types of companies to move to developing countries where pollution regulations are very lenient. These developing countries knowingly accept environmentally hazardous companies usually because they are in desperate need of employment. The harmful effects of these companies were clearly illustrated in the 1960s and 1970s when residents living near Minamata Bay, Japan, developed nervous disorders, tremors, and paralysis in a mysterious epidemic. The root was later found to be a local industry that had released mercury, a highly toxic element, into Minamata Bay. The disaster had claimed the lives of 400 people1. Since 1970 you can bet that a lot more than 400 people have died as a result of waste disposal. If the type of waste disposal were cheaper and effective we wouldn’t have to deal with waste problems, which still plague mankind today.
While walking through the park last Sunday, I observed a shocking scene. There are two cans: one for recycling and one for trash. The recycling receptacle had only an empty Dr. Pepper can and a few used Ozarka water bottles. On the other hand, the trash can had a plethora of half eaten meals, wrappers, banana peels and disgustingly even bottles, cans, newspapers and plastics that could have been recycled. Because people do not understand or do not care to understand about conserving our resources, many reusable items are being put in landfills when recycling these items could help save the environment.
Therefore, recycling can protect natural resources, preserve energy and lessen pollution. If people want to save planet Earth for generations to come, then recycling is necessary. On Debate.org, the question “Should there be mandatory recycling?” was asked and 84 percent said yes, while only 16 percent said no (“Should There Be Mandatory Recycling”). Recycling is very important to the planet and can make a huge difference in so many ways. Recycling is a way of life and once a person has made the choice to follow through with the steps, recycling can become second nature. Every small contribution adds up to how the society shapes the Earth’s future. How will someone make a difference?
Efficient waste managing approaches help with reducing and avoiding unpleasant impact on the environment and human health, while allowing financial development and progress in the quality of people’s life. People do not even imagine what is the size and capacity of their activities and the impact they produce on the environment. Garbage is an important ecological problem. It is seems amazing that approximately all of the citizens of the world identify rubbish as a major environmental problem and yet these people still litter. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (2008), an American produces 250 million tons of garbage per year (para.2). There are different circumstances that are based on the society, environmental conditions, occupation and size of each of the different family. As Richmond (2010) stated, if no administration organizations has the responsibility or resources to concentrate their efforts on the waste disposal, then the responsibility to do that is on ...