The problems with plastic

The world are generating more plastic trash than ever, and very little of it gets recycled. Plastics and their by-products are littering our cities, oceans, and water ways, and contributing to health problems in humans and animals. The Ecology Centre can help you use less plastic, recycle the plastic that you douse, and learn more about its hazards.

Plastic recycling

According to the EPA, plastics make up more than 12 percent of the municipal solid waste stream, “a dramatic increase from 1960, when plastics were less than one percent of the waste stream.” US residents are buying more plastic, and only about 8 percent of it gets recycled. The plastics industry rarely uses recycled plastics in the vast majority of their products, unlike the glass and metal industries. The recycling arrows stamped on plastic products and the cities that collect every type of plastic via their recycling programs lead people to believe that all plastic products are recyclable and being recycled, and that’s simply not true. Non-recyclable plastics are separated and landfilled. The Ecology Centre currently picks up clean, rigid plastic containers, but we encourage people to avoid buying plastics whenever possible, since most plastics are not recyclable in the same way that glass, metals, and fibres are. Plastics are typically turned into only one other product, which must be landfilled at the end of its life. As the plastics recycling infrastructure develops and viable new plastics markets emerge, the Ecology Centre will evaluate the collection of other plastics, based on operational, cost, and environmental concerns.

Is plastic safe?

Some plastics we know are toxic, such as #3, which is also known as PVC or vinyl.PVC contains phthalates and heavy metals, and creates dioxins when it burns.Other plastics contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been identified as a chemical that disrupts hormones. Plastics can contain thousands of possible additives, and manufacturers are not required to disclose what their recipes are. Any plastic can leach, depending on the conditions (light, heat) and what additives it includes. The Ecology Centre recommends avoiding plastics when possible, particularly in toys and products for children, and products that come in contact with food or drink.

Problems

Concerns of this issue of plastic pollution and the health and the environmental dangers of micro plastics are now firmly in the spotlight. So far, the emphasis has largely been on introducing greater regulation at an international and national level.

What you can do

You should start recycling instead of throwing plastic onto the floor or even throwing it into the sea. It could give us a better world and a better life for the sea and the living under the sea. You can also start re-using bottles instead of trashing them or getting rid of them and save money for your own good.