Plastic Menace
Plastic Menace
Plastic Menace
– Initiative launched by the Union Environment Minister to stop the plastic menace.
And the horrible truth is that, by 2050, oceans will have more plastic than fish.
We can't simply live without making change happen.
Since 1950, the world has produced 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic and 6.3 billion
tonnes of plastic waste. In 2015, the planet generated 322 million tonnes of
plastic.
Of all the waste generated in 192 coastal countries, 275 million metric tonnes
is made of plastic. Between 60 and 80 percent of litter found in the oceans is
plastic.
Kenyan supermarkets hand out 100 million single-use plastic bags. The
African country's 30 plastic manufacturing units sell plastic products for a
total of $406 million.
In Kenya, 40 percent of cattle that died during the 2017 drought had ingested
a significant amount of plastic bags.
Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production
and development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after
World War II, so transforming the modern age that life without plastics
would be unrecognizable today. Plastics revolutionized medicine with
life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—
saving fuel and pollution—and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and
equipment for clean drinking water.
Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last
15 years.
Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950
to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by
2050.
Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the
oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five
garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the
world.
Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more
flexible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the
life of products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging
to at least 400 years to break down.
How plastics move around the world
Most of the plastic trash in the oceans, Earth’s last sink, flows from
land. Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers, which act as conveyor
belts, picking up more and more trash as they move downstream. Once
at sea, much of the plastic trash remains in coastal waters. But once
caught up in ocean currents, it can be transported around the world.
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PLASTICS 101
Microplastics
Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste
into small particles, often less than one-fifth of an inch across. These
so-called microplastics are spread throughout the water column and
have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the
highest peak, to the Mariana Trench, the deepest trough.
Harm to wildlife
Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to
other marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered
ones, are known to have been affected by plastics. Nearly every species
of seabird eats plastics.
Tests have also confirmed liver and cell damage and disruptions
to reproductive systems, prompting some species, such as oysters, to
produce fewer eggs. New research shows that larval fish are eating
nanofibers in the first days of life, raising new questions about the
effects of plastics on fish populations.
Stemming the plastic tide
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The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in
the first place, many scientists and conservationists—including
the National Geographic Society —say. This could be accomplished with
improved waste management systems and recycling, better product
design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging,
and reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.
The report also supports India’s view on the necessity of public finance
for developing countries and the need for scale, scope and speed in
Climate Finance, he said.
Taking the momentum forward and stressing the need for active
public participation, the Union Minister also administered the
“Swachh Bharat Harit Bharat Green Pledge” to the gathering.
The city of Curitiba in Brazil is known for its recycling scheme. Over
70% of waste produced is recycled. This scheme is no more
expensive than using landfills and gives people of the community jobs.
The recycling program also helps people from lower class
communities, when taking waste to the centres tokens are given which
can then be exchanged for transport and food. Waste is not only
recycled but also reused, old buses are renovated into mobile
schools.
9. Austria
Austria has one of the highest recycling rates across the globe. 96%
of Austria's population separate their waste into the recyclable
categories. Annually every household sorts an average of a million
tonnes of waste. Since the beginning of 2020 the country has put a
ban on plastic bags.
8. Canada
Recycling in Vancouver is really important, food scraps are banned
from the standard waste bins, and it is mandatory to have this waste in
the green compost bin. This benefits the country because when food
is disposed of properly it releases less carbon dioxide than in landfills.
7. Wales
Wales recycle around 65% of their total waste, they achieve this
through the use of their councils and their citizens. In 17 out of the 22
councils waste is sorted by residents and the remaining areas are
sorted by the council. By 2025 Wales plans to recycle 70% of waste
and the want to turn the remaining 30% processed by waste plants.
The country recycles paper, glass, card, metal cans, and plastic pots,
tubs and trays. This recycling program has led the way in the UK.
6. United States
San Francisco's recycling scheme has 3 different categories:
compost, recycle and landfill. Compost contains: food scraps, paper
and garden trimmings. Recycled contains: paper, card, glass,
aluminum, hard plastics and plastic bags. Not much waste belongs in
the Landfill category, some items that are included are broken glass,
cat litter and ceramics. The state plans on receding their use of
landfills to zero by 2030.
5. Switzerland
Across the city of Zürich in Switzerland there are around 12000
different recycling points. Recycling is either done through door to
door collection or at the recycling collection points. It is mandatory to
recycle in Switzerland and failure to do so can result in fines. 50% of
waste is recycled and the remaining waste is used to produce energy.
None of the waste created in the city or the country ends up in landfills
which reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Singapore
The city of Singapore has some of the lowest usage of landfills in the
world. Companies in this country are fully responsible for the waste
they produce and how they dispose of it. Waste is collected in
designated trucks and taken to centres where it is sorted into different
recycling streams. The country only has one landfill which is
predominantly used for un-recyclable plastics, the rest of the waste
which can not be recycled is incinerated.
3. South Korea
During 1995 South Korea food recycling rate was 2%, their rates have
now increased to an impressive 95%. The country was able to reduce
their food waste with the implication of a food waste fee, households
pay a small monthly fee for each bag of biodegradable food scraps. All
waste must be sorted into the specific categories, and must be
flattened or compressed before it can be recycled. Almost everything
can be recycled in South Korea for example: steel, fabric, TVs, Sofas,
and styrofoam.
2. England
Leeds in the UK is home to a large recycling scheme called Zero
Waste Leeds. Zero Waste Leeds not only recycles a wide range of
waste, it also reuses unwanted items and creates articles and tips for
recycling. Last year Leeds 12,000 tons of glass waste, this year there
are now 700 bottle banks located across the area. There is also a
project where the public can donate unneeded school uniform and
sports kit items which are then given to families and children that need
them, this not only helps the local community but also reduces the
amount of textile waste.
1. Germany
Germany is leading the way in waste management and recycling. With
the introduction of their recycling scheme the country has been able to
reduce their total waste by 1 million tons every year. Germany
recycles 70% of all waste produced, this is the most in the world. The
country achieved this through their policies regarding waste,
companies are held responsible to whether or not their packaging is
recyclable, when consumers purchase goods they are then
responsible for the disposal of them. As well as these policies the
country has implicated the Green Dot policy which means all recycled
packaging must be marked and need to be approved to use that mark.
Companies also have to pay a fee when more packaging is used, this
has led to not only less packaging but also thinner glass, paper and
metal. There are 5 different bins used to differentiate waste and
rubbish.
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