What are the prime causes of plastic waste?

1. Plastic is cheap, readily available, and its use is widespread

Since plastic is an affordable and durable material, it can be found in everything from packaging materials to plastic bottles, straws to plastic bags, and much more.

Until businesses start to utilise more environmentally-friendly, alternative materials (such as paper), the cycle of producing and disposing of plastic will continue.

2. The world’s population is growing — and so is urbanisation

Put simply, the more of us there are in the world, the greater the demand for cheap materials and in turn, the more plastic we use to excess.

To illustrate this, in the first decade of this century, more plastic has been produced than ever due to rapid urbanisation and, in turn, demand.

3. We have a disposable mentality when it comes to plastic

Plastic items typically have a very short lifespan — think carrier bags, water bottles, straws, and food containers. And because they’re so cheap to make, we don’t value them enough to hang on to individual items.

Not only that, but the disposal of plastic is often mismanaged — so again, it ends up in landfills.

4. Plastic takes over 400 years to decompose

The chemical bonds that make-up plastic are strong and made to last. The decomposition rate of plastic can vary depending on the type, however, this typically ranges from 50 to 600 years.

In other words, according to the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency in the United States), almost every bit of plastic ever made and sent to landfill or dumped in the environment still exists — a sobering thought for us all.

As new plastic items are manufactured every day, the cycle repeats.

5. Marine shipping and fishing industries

The shipping and fishing industries are also responsible for contributing towards plastic waste and pollution, particularly in our oceans.

Plastic waste is often washed to shores from ships and nets used for fishing, which — you guessed it — are usually made from plastic.

Not only does this plastic pollute the water, but marine animals can become trapped in nets and/or swallow the toxic particles.

Overall, the shipping and fishing industries have a lot to answer for when it comes to plastic pollution.