Article Written By: Sihyeong Ha
Plastic is remarkably beneficial and we utilize it every day. In our current society, plastic exists everywhere making it impossible to live without it. However, what happens after we throw away the plastic causes an extensive quandary regarding planet Earth. It takes about 20 years to fully break down the plastic products...
What is plastic anyways? Plastic is a synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers such as polyethylene. Plastic is used in numerous places for diverse reasons. For instance, Starbucks, one of the leading coffee companies, give out plastic cups for take-out beverages. These bottles are mainly made with plastic and the crisp packet is also made with plastic. This toxic material is frequently used because there are varying types, and it is easy to make complex shapes and sizes. Yet the problem with plastic is that plastic itself is not biodegradable. Unfortunately, it does not decompose like paper or food. That is why it takes 20 years to completely break down. Annually, approximately 400 million tonnes of plastics are trashed and about 40% of the plastic is littered after being used once. We call these single-use plastics. Single-use plastic includes plastic bottles, plastic spoons, and plastic straws. According to recent statistics, roughly 8 million tonnes of plastic is emptied into the ocean, which contaminates the ocean critically.
Additionally, a rising issue is that some varieties of plastic are not recyclable. It is due to the production methods as well as the plastic's characteristics. For example, some plastic waterproof coffee cups are cannot be easily recycled. Every day, almost seven million single-use-plastic cups are thrown away, though only one in 500 are recycled and reused.
Scientist predicted that by 2050, the weight of plastic in the sea will weigh more than the amount of fish living in the ocean. On land, by 2050, the entire Earth will be covered with plastic alongside animals and humans being trapped in huge plastic bundles. Moreover, one in three sea turtle has consumed plastic or other unfortunate situations due to the irresponsibility surrounding our society. Adding on, around 90% of seabirds have eaten plastic - the one element that can instantly eliminate these natural creatures. The animals cannot digest plastic inside their body meaning no more space will be left for actual food. Yearly, about 100,00 sea animals are killed by plastic goods...
Bibliography (MLA 8 FORMAT):
Website Citations:
Website 1:
Helmenstine, Anne Marie. “What Is Plastic? Definition and Examples.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 20 May 2018, www.thoughtco.com/plastic-chemical-composition-608930.
Website 2:
Plastics, Professor. “What Are Plastics?” Plastics Make It Possible, 29 Oct. 2018, www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/about-plastics/types-of-plastics/what-are-plastics/.
Photo Citations:
Photo 1:
Bayley, Sian. “We Must Combat Our Plastic Problem to Save Our Planet.” Evening Standard, 17 Jan. 2019, www.standard.co.uk/futurelondon/theplasticfreeproject/plastics-is-killing-the-planet-a3973081.html.