If using straws for drinking is a habit, avoid plastic straws and use those made of glass, paper, bamboo or steel. There are many different choices. Besides, these alternatives are often very nice to see, as well as completely ecological. 8. Use fabric napkins and handkerchiefs The increase in plastic and microplastic pollution in soils can cause adverse impacts on plants and microorganisms in the soil, which can in turn affect soil fertility. Microplastics affect soil ecosystems that are important for plant growth. Plants are important for the environment and ecosystems so the plastics are damaging to plants and organisms living in these ecosystems. [96] Rainwater carries plastic materials into the ocean where they are eaten by aquatic animals like fish. This has caused harm to many aquatic animals. All oil-based plastic will outlive your grandchildren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Overall, the average life of plastic products can be up to a thousand years.

A 2022 study published in Environment International found microplastic in the blood of 80% of people tested in the study, and such microplastic has the potential to become embedded in human organs. [131] Clinical significance Reducing plastic waste could support recycling and is often taken together with recycling: the "3R" refer to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. [78] [201] [202] [203] Ocean cleanup The United States is the world leader in generating plastic waste, producing an annual 42 million metric tons of plastic waste. [57] [58] Per capita generation of plastic waste in the United States is higher than in any other country, with the average American producing 130.09 kilograms of plastic waste per year. Other high-income countries, such as those of the EU-28 (annual per capita generation 58.56kg), also have a high per capita plastic waste generation rate. Some high-income countries, such as Japan (annual per capital generation 38.44kg), produce far less plastic waste per capita. [59] [60] Plastic pollution According to an analysis of global trade data by the nonprofit Basel Action Network, violations of the Basel Convention, active since January 1, 2021, have been rampant during 2021. The U.S., Canada, and the European Union have sent hundreds of millions of tons of plastic to countries with insufficient waste management infrastructure, where much of it is landfilled, burned, or littered into the environment. [181] Circular economy policiesEffluent and sludge of wastewater contain large amounts of plastics. Wastewater treatment plants don't have a treatment process to remove microplastics which results in plastics being transferred into water and soil when effluent and sludge are applied to land for agricultural purposes. [98] Several researchers have found plastic microfibers that are released when fleece and other polyester textiles are cleaned in washing machines. [99] These fibers can be transferred through effluent to land which pollutes soil environments. [97] The government of India decided to ban single use plastics and take a number of measures to recycle and reuse plastic, from 2 October 2019 [235] Some researchers suggest that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by weight. [11] Living organisms, particularly marine animals, can be harmed either by mechanical effects such as entanglement in plastic objects, problems related to ingestion of plastic waste, or through exposure to chemicals within plastics that interfere with their physiology. Degraded plastic waste can directly affect humans through direct consumption (i.e. in tap water), indirect consumption (by eating plants and animals), and disruption of various hormonal mechanisms. [12] In case you don’t want to drink from your tap, you could buy glass water bottles. They’re easier to reuse and dispose of. 2. Avoid plastic bags Harmful to wildlife: Marine animals, birds, and other wildlife often mistake plastic for food, leading to injury, illness, and death.

Several studies have attempted to quantify plastic leakage into the environment at both national and global levels which have highlight the difficulty of determining the sources and amounts of all plastic leakage. One global study has estimated that between 60 and 99 million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste were produced in 2015. Borrelle et al. 2020 has estimated that 19–23 million tonnes of plastic waste entered aquatic ecosystems in 2016. while the Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ (2020) have estimated that 9–14 million tonnes of plastic waste ended up in the oceans the same year. Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. [1] [2] Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized by size into micro-, meso-, or macro debris. [3] Plastics are inexpensive and durable, making them very adaptable for different uses; as a result, manufacturers choose to use plastic over other materials. [4] However, the chemical structure of most plastics renders them resistant to many natural processes of degradation and as a result they are slow to degrade. [5] Together, these two factors allow large volumes of plastic to enter the environment as mismanaged waste which persists in the ecosystem and travels throughout food webs. [6] [7] Environmental justice: Plastic pollution often impacts low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately. Given the significant threat that oceans face, the European Investment Bank Group aims to increase its funding and advisory assistance for ocean cleanup. For example, the Clean Oceans Initiative (COI) was established in 2018. The European Investment Bank, the German Development Bank, and the French Development Agency (AFD) agreed to invest a total of €2 billion under the COI from October 2018 to October 2023 in initiatives aimed at reducing pollution discharge into the oceans, with a special focus on plastics. [152] [153] [154] In the year 2022 India has begun to implement a country wide ban on different sorts of plastic. This is necessary also for achieving the climate targets of the country as in plastic production are used more than 8,000 additives, part of them are thousands times more powerful greenhouse gases than CO 2. [248] Indonesia

Why You Should Say No to Plastic

Despite these complexities, people can make a real difference in how plastic is used, by sending the right messages to companies and governments, and joining with others to advocate for better policies. Use these plastic slogans to make a change. A real change! You can write them up on your own boards, protest with them or just shout them out of your car window. Once the oil is pumped out of the underground oilfield, it must be transported. This is done in many different ways. Sometimes it is put in barrels and shipped across the oceans in ships that can leak or spill. Other times it is pumped in gigantic pipelines across entire nations. Pipelines leak and poison groundwater, and sometimes encroach upon sovereign native land. Large companies that need plastic don’t care about any of this, as long as the supply doesn’t stop and demand stays level or increases. In 2009, the District of Columbia required all businesses that sell food or alcohol to charge an additional 5 cents for each carryout plastic or paper bag. [264] If you want a slogan (or in this case a plastic slogan) to be even more effective you can pair it with imagery. Here are plastic slogans on ready to print (or share) posters. You can post them on all the social media channels! Plastic Bag Slogan Posters

However, plastics do not decompose, which is the main concern. The decomposition process of a cotton shirt may require between one and five months. The decomposition of a tin can takes up to 50 years.Apart from reusable containers, there are new and improved biodegradable plastics derived from organic materials like: Plastic From Cactus There are also other types of degradable materials that are not considered to be biopolymers, because they are oil-based, similar to other conventional plastics. These plastics are made to be more degradable through the use of different additives, which help them degrade when exposed to UV rays or other physical stressors. [144] yet, biodegradation-promoting additives for polymers have been shown not to significantly increase biodegradation. [145] There have been restrictions on plastic bags all over the world in several nations. Additionally, many states in India have banned plastic bags.

In addition to causing land, air, and water pollution, plastic bags are a leading cause of pollution as humans try to decompose them.The use of alternatives to plastic materials that don’t harm the environment is becoming more popular. There is more plastic in your bottled water than in tap water. 11 major bottled water brands (internationally) were tested for microplastics.At least 93% of the bottlescontained levels twice that of tap water. Mismanaged plastic waste leads to plastic directly or indirectly entering terrestrial ecosystems. [95] There has been a significant increase of microplastic pollution due to the poor handling and disposal of plastic materials. [96] In particular, plastic pollution in the form of microplastics now can be found extensively in soil. It enters the soil by settling on the surface and eventually making its way into subsoils. [97] These microplastics find their way into plants and animals. [98]