What is plastic waste?

Plastic waste, or plastic pollution, is ‘the accumulation of plastic objects (e.g.: plastic bottles and much more) in the Earth’s environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, and humans.’

It also refers to the significant amount of plastic that isn’t recycled and ends up in landfill or, in the developing world, thrown into unregulated dump sites. In the UK, for example, over 5 million tonnes of plastic is consumed each year — and yet only 1 quarter of it is recycled.

The three quarters that isn’t recycled enters our environment, polluting our oceans and causing damage to our ecosystem. In less developed countries, the majority of plastic waste eventually ends up in the ocean, meaning that marine animals are especially at risk.

So much of what we consume is made of plastic (such as plastic bottles and food containers) because it’s inexpensive, yet durable. However, plastic is slow to degrade (taking over 400 years or more) due to its chemical structure, which presents a huge challenge.

Reducing plastic consumption and raising awareness about plastic recycling is crucial if we are to overcome the problem of plastic waste and pollution on our planet.

Why has plastic become a global problem?

Since the late 20th century, we have depended on plastic as an affordable, versatile and durable material.

However, since the majority of plastic materials take centuries to degrade, all of the plastic that has been sent to landfills in the UK still exists — and yet we’re still producing and consuming more of it.

That plastic has to go somewhere, and it’s frequently either dumped carelessly on land or in rivers in developing countries, before ending up in the ocean, where it threatens marine life.

The fact is, we simply can’t cope with the amount of plastic on our planet — nor the amount that continues to be produced. For this reason, our attitudes and behaviours towards plastic must change to ensure a safe and healthy future for our planet.

Plastic waste in the ocean

Plastic waste in our oceans is a global problem, but how does our rubbish enter the water in the first place?

In many cases, specifically in more developed countries, plastic waste is disposed of responsibly and sent to facilities to be sorted, recycled or recovered.

However, plastic waste generated in developing countries typically ends up in open unregulated dump sites, or is thrown into rivers and streams. Plastics from dump sites can be blown by winds into bodies of water, such as nearby rivers, before being carried out to sea.

Another problem is the volume of plastic that is exported to developing nations from Europe, the US, and Japan. Recycling standards in developing countries do not compare to standards deployed in the developed world and, as such, releasing plastics into the environment is causing significant environmental damage.

How much plastic goes into the ocean?

Each year, approximately eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans. Some researchers predict that this figure could double by 2025, while others suggest there could be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050.

Over time, ocean currents pull rubbish into the centre, resulting in huge gyres of plastic developing (the largest is in the North Pacific, between Hawaii and California, which contains 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic).

Eventually, this pulling motion in the gyre causes plastic objects to break down into multiple smaller pieces, polluting the environment and making plastic waste easily swallowed by marine animals.

How does plastic waste affect marine life?

According to the United Nations, ‘at least 800 species worldwide are affected by marine debris, and as much as 80 percent of that litter is plastic.’

Marine animals can either get caught in plastic objects (such as the plastic rings that hold drinks cans together), ingest the plastic, and/or be exposed to plastic chemicals, which can alter their physiology over time.

A recent study found that ‘sea turtles that ingest just 14 pieces of plastic have an increased risk of death.’ In particular, young turtles are at a higher risk because they tend to drift with the same currents that attract plastic waste, and they are less selective than their elders about what they eat.

The problem with plastic microbeads

Plastic microbeads, which are commonly found in toiletries such as facial scrubs, toothpastes, and shower gels can also wreak havoc on marine life. Most sewage treatment facilities cannot capture these beads from incoming sewage and so they are discharged directly into water courses. The BBC explains that ‘They do not degrade over time and can transport toxic chemicals into marine organisms.’

Fortunately, the UK banned the sale of products containing plastic microbeads in July 2018. However, the BBC also states that ‘Some countries and states have loopholes that allow microbeads made from biodegradable plastic to continue to be used’. In other words, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

How much plastic waste is there in the world?

Six decades ago, mass production of plastics began — accelerating so rapidly that it has created 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic — and over 90% of it isn’t recycled.

As of 2018, approximately 380 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide each year. Our planet can’t cope with this amount of plastic polluting the environment, and calls to reduce plastic pollution and consumption have increased in urgency in recent years.

Which country produces the most plastic waste?

Currently, China produces the largest amount of plastic waste by a significant margin, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka, which all make the top five.