A revolutionary product that changed the modern world. The human race cannot live without it anymore, the medical industry wouldn’t be what it is today, nor would travel or communication and it revolutionised electronic devices used in our everyday lives. It’s durable, so durable that it is almost indestructible, it’s malleable, versatile and cheap.
Plastic
The name ‘plastic’ derives from the Greek word ‘Plastokós’, meaning to mould or shape. The product itself does this however, it has also moulded and shaped how we live today. We live with and now depend upon a disposable product that is virtually indestructible.
What is Plastic exactly?
Well, it’s Polyoxybenzylmethylengylcolanhydride actually.
Let’s briefly discuss its chemical composition to help you to understand why it is so indestructible in the natural environment. Plastic is made up of monomers containing carbon which are linked together using chemical reactions or additives to then become polymers. There are naturally occurring plastics deriving from trees and animals that have been used for thousands of years to make items such as weapons and jewellery. However, synthetically made plastics are manufactured from fossil fuels, coal or crude oils and so cannot biodegrade naturally. And therein lies the problem, plastic pollution. We have become reliant on a single-use product which cannot be biologically degraded. Scientists predict that it could take up to 450 years for one water bottle to completely breakdown, and this a just a prediction. And ‘breakdown’ is a very loose term to be used, it will break into thousands of smaller pieces or break down into polymers and toxic additives (the stuff it was synthetically made from) polluting the environment and its inhabitants. We still aren’t entirely sure how long man-made plastics will take to break down, which is one of the biggest environmental threats we are facing today.
Let’s talk statistics
In the 1950s, around 1.5 million tonnes of plastic was produced. Compare this with today’s figure of 7.8 billion tonnes produced since 1955. In 1965 the plastic bag made its entrance into the world. Today around 500 billion plastic bags are used per year!
Production of plastics has drastically increased to support the growing demand for the cheap product and there doesn’t appear to be any sign of a significant reduction in production. It is predicted that if we continue at the rate we produce, use and throw away plastic then by the year 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish weight…let that sink in.
It takes around 88% less energy to recycle plastic products versus making the same product from raw materials, however, only 19.9% of plastics are recycled today.
Plastic and our Oceans
It is estimated that 8-12 million tonnes of garbage is dumped into our oceans each year. To put this into perspective, that is the equivalent of a garbage trucks worth each minute of the day being dumped straight into the marine ecosystem, the system that supports all life on earth. There is so much floating marine debris in the ocean that the 5 gyres that circulate our ocean waters, generated by ocean currents and wind movements, now have accumulated so much of the mismanaged plastic into giant patches of rubbish containing millions of pieces of plastic. The infamous Great Pacific Garbage patch, located in the North Pacific Gyre holds up to 80,000-100,000 tonnes of plastic alone. It is said to be three-times the size of France.
Ocean garbage patches and micro plastics found within the oceans pose significant threats to marine life.
For instance, a recent study determined that coral reefs that have come into contact with plastics have an 89% likelihood of contracting diseases compared with 4% chance for coral reefs that have not had any exposure to plastic waste. This is because plastic encourages the growth of foreign pathogens in the ocean.
Marine life often cannot distinguish between food and plastic, so sadly over 100,000 marine animals and an additional 1 million seabirds are killed per year from entanglement, consumption and suffocation of plastic products. When marine organisms such as fish, whales, dolphins and sea turtles consume plastic debris the contaminants enter into their body and digestive tract, and over time the contaminants accumulate in the food web, transferring to each consumer. The transfer from fish to humans through the consumption of seafood is something still being explored by scientists. In 2018, research showed the world that micro-plastics were found within human waste which is unsurprising and poses a serious health hazard to humans.
Is there a solution?
The bottom line is that prevention is better than a cure.
The world did not recognize the catastrophic trend of using plastics and throwing it away after one use until the 1980s. Since then, there have been many companies who are producing items such as shoes, bags and clothing made out of 100% recycled plastics.
Scientists have been experimenting with chemicals, bacteria and enzymes that can degrade “indestructible” synthetic plastics. Other possible future solutions are to produce “friendlier” bio-based plastics based from natural plant oils (sugarcane, corn or soy) that can biodegrade naturally into landfill without releasing toxic chemicals as synthetically-made plastics do.
The best solution we have is to stop plastic and our rubbish from entering into the marine ecosystem from the source. If everyone can create less waste, reuse products where possible and recycle, then we will start our road to recovery. If you want to have a more significant positive impact, joining local beach clean-ups or creating your own beach clean-ups is a fantastic way to engage your local community. Educating others on the plastic pollution problem we are facing is easier when they can experience first-hand how critical the plastic pollution problem is.
Marine Conservation Volunteering Programs Help the Cause!
Australian owned and operated Charity organisation Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers offer a variety of Marine Conservation projects incorporating plastic pollution education and prevention into their programs. Volunteers experience firsthand how plastic affects the sea turtle population on the Great Barrier Reef Turtle Rehabilitation project and engage in daily beach clean-ups, marine debris sweeps and citizen science activities on the Island Reef Research and Conservation project. As volunteers, your commitment and help towards these initiatives are imperative. You can read more about Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers’ Marine Conservation programs here.
As individuals, we can all begin by generating less waste, reusing and recycling. Why not support research and innovative ideas and technologies to replace single-use plastics. Small changes to our everyday life and taking action now have long-lasting impacts on ours and everyone’s future.
Every positive action counts towards combating plastic pollution.
Written by Megan Cundy, Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers Marine Conservation Advocate
