Why is plastic bad

Fish eat thousands of tons of plastic a year, transferring it up the food chain to bigger fish and marine mammals. Microplastics are also consumed by people through food and in the air. These oil giants are rapidly building petrochemical plants across the United States to turn fracked gas into plastic. This means more plastic in our oceans, more greenhouse gas emissions and more toxic air pollution, which exacerbates the climate crisis that often disproportionately affects communities of color.

Sign our petition to protect marine wildlife from deadly plastic pollution. For example, plastic items are commonly colonized by barnacles, tubeworms and algae. Along the shore of Adelaide Island, west of the Antarctic Peninsula, ten species of invertebrates were found attached to plastic strapping that was littering the ice.

Plastic is so resilient that even burying it deep within the earth doesn't keep it from impacting the environment. Currently it accounts for approximately 10 percent of generated waste, most of which is landfilled. But, as the report notes, placing plastics in a landfill may simply be storing a problem for the future, as plastic's chemicals often sink into nearby land, contaminating groundwater. In addition, production of plastics is a major user of fossil fuels.

Eight percent of world oil production goes to manufacturing plastics. As plastics grow in volume at a rate of about nine percent each year, the authors emphasize that tackling its problems means addressing its sustainability. One solution is to treat plastic as a reusable material rather than as a disposable commodity that's quickly discarded. That means making plastic more easily recyclable from the get-go by using fewer materials in the manufacturing process and increasing recycling facility availability.

Increasing the availability of biodegradable plastic, which can be made from renewable materials from plants such as corn and soy, is another option. However, currently production capacity for biodegradable plastics worldwide is around only , tons, representing less than 0.

In addition, "most of these materials are unlikely to degrade quickly in natural habitats, and there is concern that degradable, oil-based polymers could merely disintegrate into small pieces that are not in themselves any more degradable than conventional plastic," stated the report.

To help mitigate the potentially harmful chemicals in plastics, the authors recommend that more studies be conducted on the biological mechanisms that may be affected by plastic additives and in particular, low-dose chronic exposures. In the meantime, the report recommends reducing the use of these chemicals and developing safer alternatives, a strategy known as green chemistry. The report also suggests that plastic waste can be reduced by using labels that allow consumers to choose packaging based on a lifecycle analysis that includes all components of the manufacturing process.

For example, if the product were made of mostly recycled materials, used minimal packaging and could be easily recycled, it would get a green dot. If the product were made of excessive packaging that used a lot of virgin materials, it would get a red dot. Neal of PlasticsEurope said consumers, not the industry, are responsible for making sure plastics don't wind up littering the environment. The authors said that if plastics are made and used responsibly, they can help solve some environmental problems.

For example, one study found that packaging beverages in PET a type of plastic versus glass or metal reduces energy use by 52 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent. And, solar water heaters containing plastics can provide up to two-thirds of a household's annual hot water demand, reducing energy consumption.

Plastics, if used wisely, "have the potential to reduce mankind's footprint on the Earth," Thompson said. As insects become more scarce, our world will slowly grind to a halt, for it cannot function without them.

EHN talked to people with disabilities put in increased danger during last summer's Pacific Northwest heat waves. Activists say accessible cooling centers and air conditioning are key to combating this injustice.

Expanding electric vehicle access will help improve air quality and mobility in low-income communities plagued by environmental racism. Environmental Health Sciences founder will join the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design for a live podcast on the world's plastic problem.

The EPA is not acting as Congressional laws have stated: truly inspecting chemicals and how they impact the environment. Environmental Health News. Powered by RebelMouse. Apr 09, Environmental toll of plastics. Take action: download our free guide to tackling plastic pollution. By downloading this guide you will also be subscribed to our weekly Plastic Pollution newsletter.

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