Plastic.

Sometimes, it is hard to believe that the problems with plastic are as drastic as some people say. So just how big a problem do we have?

Below is a fantastic graphic by CustomMade in Partnership with Ghergich & Co, which gives a great visual on the scale of the problem we face. Take a look and see what you think.

Above the Sea

– Almost 50% of all plastic is single-use
– 500,000,000,000 (That’s billion!) plastic bags are used every year or 16,000 every second of the day
– It takes 1/4 litre of oil to make a 1l plastic bottle
– Over 8% of all oil is used for plastic production

Under The Sea

– Every year 6.4 million tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean
– An estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the oceans.
– 100,000 marine creatures die every year from entanglement
– 1,000,000 birds die every year too.
– Once plastic breaks down, it is ingested by marine life. Humans then eat the marine life along with the plastic.

The 5 Gyres

– 80% of the garbage in this patch is from North America and Asia

– 20% comes from shipping and especially fishing boats who are responsible for 750,000 tonnes a year
– No-one will take responsibility for cleaning this area as it lies in International Waters.
– The plastic here will remain forever until it is either eaten by marine life or settles on the seabed, polluting that too.

What Are We Doing About It 

– Bio-plastics now account for 10% of the market but are not ideal as they take many years to bio-degrade and release methane gases.
– Plastic bag bans are starting – Ireland, UK, Italy and more. Reduces bag consumption by up to 90%
– By being aware of the impact of single-use plastic you can make a big difference in the fight against pollution.
– Say no to single-use bags, straws and take away containers.
– Try to make intelligent decisions about all your purchases and consider the waste product you have at the end.
– Go organic, go green, go crazy!
– But, just as importantly, spread the word. Tell your friends and help to create a movement to reduce this global issue we have.

One Brown Planet thanks, CustomMade in Partnership with Ghergich & Co.for the graphics

#plasticpollution, #oceancrusaders, #plasticoceans