Unfortunately, they also look just like food to some marine animals. The world has a plastic pollution problem and it’s snowballing—but so is public awareness and action. Dutch artist Thijs Biersteker’s kinetic installation puts the “I” in plastic pollution. Effective solutions to the global plastic-waste problem require a detailed understanding of the sources, sinks, and transport-pathway impacts of plastic waste. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors. Each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash. Seabin. ; A slide-deck summary of global plastics is available here. Around 80 percent of marine litter actually originates on land—either swept in from the coastline or carried to rivers from the streets during heavy rain via storm drains and sewer overflows. Ninety percent of the plastic items in our daily lives are used once and then chucked: grocery bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, straws, coffee-cup lids. Animals can get tangled up in this trash or ingest it—either because they mistake it as prey or because the plastic has been broken down into tiny particles by seawater. Cook more. There are many small ways you can have a big impact. Researchers in the US and Britain have accidentally engineered an enzyme which eats plastic and may eventually help solve the growing problem of plastic pollution, a study said Monday. Write a letter, send a tweet, or hit them where it really hurts: Give your money to a more sustainable competitor. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and update email soon. Here is the real story: There is no island of trash (it’s more of a trashy soup), and the solution is to stop our trash – mostly made of plastic – from getting to the middle of the ocean. Opt for products with natural exfoliants, like oatmeal or salt, instead. Stop buying water. Waste plastic can be recycled through granulating and used for raw material of new plastic. An Oregon community is making spectacular statues out of ocean plastic to raise awareness about a crisis at sea. Purchase items secondhand. We will keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. Jazz pianist Fabian Almazan started Biophilia Records to make great music—and environmental change. New toys and electronic gadgets, especially, come with all kinds of plastic packaging—from those frustrating hard-to-crack shells to twisty ties. Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into micro-, meso-, or macro debris, based on size. This constant barrage (the equivalent of 136 billion milk jugs each year, estimates a study published in the journal Science) poses a serious danger to marine life. Here's how you can take recycling to the next level—at home, at work, and in your community. State Disclosures. Search the shelves of thrift stores, neighborhood garage sales, or online postings for items that are just as good when previously used. Invest in a zippered fabric bag and request that your cleaned items be returned in it instead of sheathed in plastic. And in response to the problem of waste plastic pollution, China has taken numerous actions. 5. The world is drowning in plastic. Plastic production rates have exceeded our capacity to responsibly handle plastic waste, and knowledge gaps remain about the transport, fate, and impacts of plastic in the environment. The media reports on the efforts of some to capture larger pieces of plastic from the ocean (the earth is 71% blue and no effort, no matter how herculean, could make a dent in cleaning plastic pollution once it has entered the oceans) and promotes products made with token amounts of plastic recovered from the environment as solutions. 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. It only takes a few times of bringing your own bags to the store, silverware to the office, or travel mug to Starbucks before it becomes habit. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. Plastic pollution is among today’s most highly visible environmental issues. You’ll save yourself a few bucks, too. In Landlocked Vienna, a Humpback Spreads a Powerful Message, A Single Discarded Fishing Net Can Keep Killing for Centuries. 12, 2014 From plastic rocks to plastic nests, our use of plastics can have unintended effects Plastic, of course, is uniquely problematic because it’s nonbiodegradable and therefore sticks around for a lot longer (like up to 1,000 years longer) than other forms of trash. Is shopping online or in-store better for the environment? Plastic pollution - Plastic pollution - Plastic pollution in oceans and on land: Since the ocean is downstream from nearly every terrestrial location, it is the receiving body for much of the plastic waste generated on land. Five ways to indulge your sweet tooth and your spooky side without a whole lot of waste or frightful chemicals. Tires: An Emerging Threat to Our Waterways, Our Seafood, and Ourselves? Take note of how often you rely on these products and replace them with reusable versions. Plastic pollution and potential solutions Sci Prog. The United States produces two million tons of tire particles each year, and we know very little about what they do to the environment. They are using satellite imaging and machine learning to help clean up and capture the 5 trillion pieces of plastic trash they have observed in the world’s “ocean garbage patches.”. The Gulf of Mexico Is Sending Out an S.O.S.—a Message in a Plastic Bottle. Pollution Chemistry may have solutions to our plastic trash problem ... says chemically recyclable polymers are the best solution to the problem of plastic trash. 10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution. Lizzie Carr is shining a light on what is floating through the world’s waterways, and breaking athletic records along the way. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. Science-Based Solutions to Plastic Pollution, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.01.004. A new United Nations treaty is bringing a once-in-a-generation chance to save our open oceans and all the life that depends on them. National Geographic magazine devoted a special cover package to plastic in June 2018 . Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. Scientists say the species could be functionally extinct in as little as 20 years—but there are some solutions within reach. Make food packaging safe, healthy and green. When you use single-use plastic and other types of plastics which … In the Future, Jellyfish Slime May Be the Solution to Microplastic Pollution Slimy, sticky jellyfish mucus can extract gold nanoparticles from water—now scientists are working to see if its adhesive properties extend to plastics, too. Those little plastic scrubbers found in so many beauty products—facial scrubs, toothpaste, body washes—might look harmless, but their tiny size allows them to slip through water-treatment plants. For example, less than 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. NRDC’s Eric Goldstein gives the scoop on the latest environmental villain and explains why plastic straws really are a big menace to our oceans. Now they’re using it to bring international attention to the issue of ocean pollution. This Voices asks: how can research inform swift and effective solutions to plastic pollution? What Does the Plastic Bag Ban Mean for New Yorkers? Trending: How plastic is changing the world By Meghna Sachdev Jun. By continuing you agree to the use of cookies. Wean yourself off disposable plastics. legislation that would make plastic-bag use less desirable, These Fanciful Sea Creatures Were Carried in on the Tide. The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization that is developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic litter. It seems obvious, but we’re not doing a great job of it. Plastic pollution solutions, is a solution to the problem of plastic pollution. For the specifics on your area, check out Earth911.org’s recycling directory. We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. Here’s everything you need to know about the most ubiquitous (and avoidable) kind of plastic waste: the kind made to be tossed in mere minutes. If you believe a company could be smarter about its packaging, make your voice heard. To efficiently reduce plastic pollution, there is an evident need of reducing our usage of plastic. Does It Actually Make Sense to Combine Different Types of Recyclables in One Bin? Here’s everything you need to know before plastic carryout bags disappear from the Empire State on March 1. But before using as the raw material, waste plastic should be sorted, cleaned, shredded and palletized. Though we can make a difference through our own habits, corporations obviously have a much bigger footprint. (And while you’re at it, make sure you’re frequenting a dry cleaner that skips the perc, a toxic chemical found in some cleaning solvents.). Plastic Pollution Bans on bags will not solve a global recycling failure By the Editors From the bags that find their way to the ocean and into the stomachs of whales to the straws that hurt turtles to the micro­ scopic shards and synthetic fibers that have been found in the re ­ mote Arctic, plastic … Reuse. Austrian students transformed trash into a giant whale sculpture. Thanks to the Mississippi River’s trash stream, the Gulf has some of the highest concentrations of plastic in the world. Even if you don’t live in the Golden State, you can still help wean your town off plastics. So the best thing we can do to protect our waterways is try to keep as much plastic as possible out of the waste stream in the first place. “Ultimately, we need producers to take responsibility for the plastic pollution caused by all their products, whether it’s bags, balloons, packets, containers or otherwise.