According to EPA, plastics can last from 100 to more than 1000 years to decompose. Therefore, filling up the landfills quickly, creating an issue of sites to bury and decompose waste that may affect future generations. Talking about statistics, plastic products were responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 90% of these emissions are coming from the production and conversion of fossil fuels into new plastic products.
According to Keep Britain Tidy, 100% of the animals washed up on the British shores had plastic in their stomachs, indicating that the spread of plastics is quick and broad. Furthermore, plastic every year kills 1 million sea birds and 100,000 sea mammals, turtles and fish. You might wonder, why is plastic killing all these animals? Well, birds or animals might accidentally eat plastic pieces which are small and extremely toxic for them. Additionally, the consumption of plastics can make those animals more fragile to disease.
According to UNDP, the spread of microplastics has transported it everywhere, from food to water, from water to beverages, such as beer and salt. This is an significant issue, since an average adult consumes approximately 2,000 microplastics per year through salt. Constant consumption of microplastics can result in health issues, such as, endocrine disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health, and even cancer.
