The new study, published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, is the first global analysis of all plastics ever made—and their fate. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that, only nine percent has been recycled.
There is now 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in our ocean & 46,000 pieces in every square mile of ocean, weighing up to 269,000 tonnes. Every day around 8 million pieces of plastic makes their way into our oceans.
Key findings. A total of 3.4 million tonnes of plastics were consumed in Australia. A total of 320 000 tonnes of plastics were recycled, which is an increase of 10 per cent from the 2016-17 recovery. In 2017–18, the national plastics recycling rate was 9.4 per cent.
There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste estimated to be in our oceans. 269,000 tons float, 4 billion microfibers per km² dwell below the surface. 70% of our debris sinks into the ocean's ecosystem, 15% floats, and 15% lands on our beaches. In terms of plastic, 8.3 million tons are discarded in the sea yearly.
There is an EU target for the UK to recycle at least 50% of household waste by 2020. The recycling rate for WfH decreased in all UK countries except Northern Ireland in 2018. The recycling rate for England was 44.7%, compared with 47.7% in Northern Ireland, 42.8% in Scotland, and 54.1% in Wales.
If the world continues at its current rate of fishing, there will be no fish left by 2050, according to a study cited in a short video produced by IRIN for the special report. Industrial, long-distance fishing fleets, mostly from developed countries, are largely responsible for the destruction of the marine food chain.
Humans Eating Plastic – Over 40 Pounds In A Lifetime.
We know it today as celluloid. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was first polymerised between 1838-1872. A key breakthrough came in 1907, when Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland created Bakelite, the first real synthetic, mass-produced plastic.
Another thing: the cost of both plastics and steel are majorly determined by the energy input to make them. Steel because it is mostly recycled in the US, and plastic because the feedstock is so cheap. ... The "ingredients" for making plastic are very inexpensive, but this is true of many things including metal and glass.
Plastic harms wildlife
This often results in injury or death. Sea creatures are particularly at risk, and turtles are known to choke on plastic bags which they mistake for jellyfish. Fish eat microplastics. The fish then end up in seabirds' stomachs and on the plates of humans, and we all ingest the harmful toxins.
Starting with an estimate that 150 million tonnes of plastic are already polluting the world's oceans, and that "leakage" adds at least 9.1 million tonnes more each year — a figure that is said to be growing by five per cent annually — the MacArthur report calculates there will be 850-950 million tonnes of ocean ...
The Problem: Over 1 million marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean (UNESCO Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution). Currently, it is estimated that there are 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world.
Studies have found that certain chemicals in plastic can leach out of the plastic and into the food and beverages we eat. Some of these chemicals have been linked to health problems such as metabolic disorders (including obesity) and reduced fertility.
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