The Long Term Effects Of Plastic Usage And Its Disposal

Overall, recycling plastic benefits the environment, the economy and the future of America. Although there are flaws to recycling plastic such as the sorting step overlooking additives and the washing step leaving some impurities, technological advances and more labor will be needed to fix those drawbacks in order to conserve the environment. Therefore, the U. S government should mandate recycling so that the recycling rate increase. Through this action, America will gain the benefits of recycling plastic. In addition, Americans should recycle specific types of plastic such as PET and HDPE as those two are the most commonly accepted by recycling programs. This will be strenuous upon Americans because they will have to do more work however,

In conclusion, it should have been learned that the issue of plastic pollution has become ruinous. The cost of repair and the inconvenience of lifestyle changes cannot compare to the frightful future this planet is headed. At current rates, hazards are not just inflicted on Earth's oceans but individual human health and the other creatures that rightly inhabit this land. With this concern

In 1988, it was determined that the United States alone, was producing 30 million tonnes of plastic per year (Derraik, J.G.B., 2002). This can be compared with the global and annual production of 260 million tonnes of plastic as of 2012 (Pearson, E., 2014). Plastics are lightweight, durable, and cheap to make. This makes them incredibly easy to sell and manufacture. However, these attributes are many of the reasons why plastics are the most prominent type of marine debris, and why they are a serious hazard to various ecosystems and the organisms that live within them (Derraik, J.G.B.,

Every year, millions of tons of plastic are tossed into the ocean, harming all types of marine animals as well as the environment. Hundreds of marine mammals like whales and dolphins are found washed ashore filled with bottle caps, plastic bags and basically anything they can swallow. Not only does plastic pollution harm marine life, but it affects the entire ecosystem. If a predator is dependent on a certain species for prey and the predator has a role in the environment, it is important for the prey to not be disturbed by pollution. If that species of prey were to go extinct, then the predator species could be seriously impacted as a result. These problems warrant the need for more research into the magnitude and causes of plastic

Plastic in the Oceans: Having been to the Centers for Disease Control’s David J. Sencer Museum this past year, I was able to see the exhibition GYRE: The Plastic Ocean. The ocean has become littered with enormous amounts of plastic over the years and, in some places, entire islands can be found entirely composed of discarded or lost plastic objects. The sheer volume of new and current information currently being put forth on this topic makes it an excellent one for research.

The average American creates about one hundred-thirty pounds of trash a month, and an article in the journal Nature estimates that global solid-waste generation will triple, to eleven million tons a day, by the year 2100 (Semuels). Plastic does not break down; it’s not biodegradable nor does it

Plastic is in every part of modern day life. Today’s civilizations use it for everything from cleaning products to storage to safety equipment. Plastic has effectively become part of everyday life. It’s able to be used and discarded quickly, and often after it is tossed into the trash can it is forgotten. After it is thrown away, it may end up in one of two places, the local landfill or the oceans, where approximately fifteen to forty percent of plastics end up.

This article introduces what a gyre is and states how plastic ends up in the ocean. It mentions how although plastic doesn't begin as toxic it becomes poisonous overtime due to pollutants in the water collecting on the debris. Karpus states how the plastic consumed by marine life can cause them to die of starvation and cause plastic accumulation in the food chain. Karpus talks about how the main issue is plastic's resistance to being degradable. Lastly, the article provides ways to be an activist such as living a plastic free lifestyle and fighting the government's and company’s plastic policies.

43% of the plastic is wasted on a global scale by being disposed of in landfills where all it does it

Plastic and plastic based products have turned the American society into a single use, throw away lifestyle (Eriksen, 154). Due to the introduction of plastic to everyday life, it has become a main source of pollution and liter to the Earth. Whether it is on the side of the road, being collected in large masses such as in landfills, or located in the depths of our oceans, plastic has integrated itself into our environment as well as our society. However, no one environment sees the most impact from plastic pollution than our waterways and oceans. Plastic waste can enter the ocean a multitude of different ways such as through illegal offshore dumping, storm-water drainage, lost fishing equipment, overflowing during high-volume rain events, improper or lack of sewage treatment of water, or simply by blowing off of piers,

The growing plastic problem is becoming an issue, because people introduced plastic to the environment. Plastics often coming from microfibers in clothing, nurdles from plastic snow, and other plastic products being found in the ocean, often in floating islands of plastic trash called gyres. In a study conducted by professor Kenji Miyamoto, in the article “New plastic-eating bacteria has potential to ease world’s trash glut” by Ken Mathiesen has stated that these issues need to be worked on, million of tons of suffocating debre show in our oceans every year coming in the realization of one-third of all plastics end up invading the environment. Showing these numbers show some realistic effect of how a total of rubbish ends up in our environment,

There would be some justification for calling the 20th century the Age of Plastics”( Strom and Rasmussen, p. ix). Many years ago, plastics changed the world and our lives. Bakelite plastic is made from carbolic acid (phenol) and formaldehyde, which are mixed, heated, and then either molded or extruded into the desired shape (Strom & Rasmussen,2011, p.22). People around the world use about 260 million tons of plastic each year. Plastic consumes 8 percent of world oil production each year. Plastics are amazing materials. They are cheap, lightweight, strong, lasting, corrosion resistant, and have high thermal and electrical insulation properties. For that reason, plastics are used in products such as cups and saucers, and components for cars and airplanes. Furthermore, there are many things made from plastic, like pens, windows, etc. Plastics come in a variety of different colors. In today’s world, people would have difficulties living without plastic because it is considered more inexpensive than cloth, leather, and metal. (Thompson, R., Swan, S., Moore, C., & Saal, F, 2009, P. 1973). Plastics can be manufactured into soft, hard and liquid materials. Plastics enter into every aspect of our lives ( Yoshioka, 1964, p. 42). According to Strom and Rasmussen in 2011, Baekeland said, ”if I had my life to life over again ……I would not hesitate to devote my best endeavors to biochemical research. The future of mankind depends on this subject” (p

Plastic pollution is all over this world. People purchase plastic almost everyday, even if someone does not realize they are purchasing this synthetic product, most of the time the item’s packaging is made of plastic. Even cleaning products and clothes contain plastic. When plastic was man-made the only thought was the benefits it can create, the deficits were not thought of. Humans and animals are being physically harmed by hazardous chemicals inside plastic and sadly, fifty percent of plastic is hazardous. The environment as well is being affected with pollution because of the amount of resources that are taken and used. Many authors have researched the effects of the plastic we use daily. ZHigui He’s article “Pollution characteristics and health risk assessment of volatile organic compounds emitted from different plastic solid waste recycling workshops” researches the various volatile compounds found in different recycling shops that lead to health risks. Charles Talsness’ article is explaining the health risks of the components found in plastic on humans and animals. Along with the article written by Chelsea Rochman, assistant professor, that classifies plastic waste as hazardous as well and W.C. Li’s article focuses on the effects of the plastic waste in the marine environment. All the while, Robert LeBlanc has found many statistics on all negative aspects inside his article “Plastic Recycling Facts and Figures”. All of these articles connect in the agreement of plastic

Plastic pollution has directlyor indirectly caused injuries and deaths ,that scientists have documented. These problems are because of various reasons which include poisoning due to consumption of plastics, suffocation due to entanglement in plastic nets etc. The millions of tons of plastic bottles, bags, and garbage in the world's oceans are breaking down and leaching toxins posing a threat to marine life and humans. Some marine species, such as sea turtles, have been found to contain large proportions of plastics in their stomach.. Income cases small bits of plastics are accidently consumed by animals. by another will cause the plastics to travel up the food chain. This may cause serious health hazards in a wide array of creature(Michelle Allsopp, Adam Walters, David Santillo

Where does all the plastic go. Every bit of plastic that has been created is still here. This is because plastic is one-hundred percent non-biodegradable! Even the most degraded plastic down to polymers cannot be digested by bacteria (Laist, 1997). If global issues like starvation and climate change are not enough to stress on, the weight of an issue literally churning in the Pacific Ocean is startling. For decades the majority of the world’s population has not been properly educated on the nature of plastic and the potential harm it can do to our environment and our physical health. Due to factors of man and the natural effects of nature, a major problem has developed that is now harming our food.