Reducing Plastic Pollution

This is an image of a sea turtle by some fish.

This is an image of a sea turtle by some fish.

Lillian Rhudy, Contributor

Have you ever wondered how much plastic you have used in your life so far? What about the ways it has impacted our earth? Plastic pollution is a very big issue right now, it needs to be lowered. Some researchers say that by 2050, plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish. Believe it or not, animals mistake plastic for food. Not only is plastic taking over the earth, but it takes a long time to decompose.
My first reason why plastic pollution needs to be lowered is the amount of plastic that is already here on earth. Ourworldindata.org says, “By 2015, the world had produced 7.8 billion tonnes of plastic — more than one tonne of plastic for every person alive today.” This means the human race has created 7.8 billion metric tons, which is 8,598,028,225.21 US tons, of plastic in just 100 years. Remember, that was in 2015.
Another reason is how many animals pass away due to plastic. According to conserveturtles.org, “1 million marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean.” Can you believe it? 1 million animals that we need to survive die every year from plastics that have been dumped in the ocean. How do we plan on solving this issue?
As stated by wwf.org.au, “3.5 billion toothbrushes are sold worldwide each year. Most get lost in the recycling process and end up in landfill or make their way into rivers and oceans. These toothbrushes are made from polypropylene plastic and nylon and can take up to 500 years or more to decompose.” Meaning the plastic we use now decomposes very slowly, taking up to hundreds of years. Luckily, there are many alternatives for some types of plastics.
Now that I have explained why plastic pollution should be produced at a smaller pace due to the amount of plastic that is already here, animal deaths, and the timeline of plastic, let’s save the earth together! The following links provide information on how to reduce plastic and minimize your carbon footprint. This website, greeneducationfoundation.org, gives you tips on how to use less plastic while iberdrola.com shows you how to reduce your plastic use.