The problem with plastics

Category: Manufacturing, Nature, Problem, Recycling, Water

Last Updated: 23 Mar 2023

Pages: 2 Views: 165

The problem with plastics The problem with plastic is that it doesn't break down and go into the soil it Just sits there for years and years and it's way overused. We use plastic for A LOT of things: packaging, transporting, manufacturing, etc, but do we ever stop to think about what happens to the plastic after we're done using it, or where it ends up? The 'out of sight, out of mind' saying is perfect when it comes to a lot of environmental issues, especially the issue with plastic. Plastic is made from petroleum, which the earth cannot digest.

Instead of plastic biodegrading (breaking down in the soil) it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, which causes more harm than Just staying in one piece. For example, if the plastic ends up in the ocean, the plastic pieces will get smaller, and filter feeders will start to eat those pieces. Since filter feeders are on the bottom of the food chain, every organism (birds, fish, marine mammals, etc. ) that feeds on the filter feeders are also eating plastic. Plastic that ends up in the ocean, kills around one million marine organisms each year!

One of the most obvious impacts of plastic bottles is what happens after its been thrown away. According to the Container recycling institute, 86% of plastic water bottles used in the US become garbage that ends up in landfills throughout the country. About 60 million plastic water bottles are used every day in the US. Each year making the plastic water bottles used in the US Takes enough oil and energy to fuel 1 million cars All that energy spent to make Water bottles even more to ship it around the Country

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