loading...
Tons of plastic waste dumped in oceans
Globally, this year
Plastic is one of the most widely used and cheapest materials in the world today. You can find it anywhere. If it’s not made from plastic, it’s wrapped in plastic. We use around 5 trillion plastic bags a year worldwide! The US alone throws away enough plastic bottles in a week to encircle the world 5 times. Only 1 to 3% of all plastics used are recycled. After we use them, we throw them away.
More: Interesting Facts about Plastic Bags
Have you ever wondered where they end up?
Plastic is Forever. They are not bio-degradable. Can you imagine that since plastic was invented, everything that has ever been made from this material still exists? In around 700 years they will start breaking up. They will not decompose or biodegrade and get absorbed by nature. They will “photo-degrade” – which means they will turn into little toxic bits of themselves. They are here to stay.
More: Garbage Islands In The Ocean
Some of the plastic waste facts might surprise you:
More: Pollution from Plastic
These are just some of the things you probably didn’t know about the plastic you use everyday.
Read more about the harmful effects of plastic waste to our environment and to our health at The World Counts: Stories
We can still do something. We just need to have all the facts and do what needs to be done.
References
A little click can go a long way. And if you feel couragous, please share.