Plastic Pollution

The invention of plastic has brought a revolution in the very development of our civilization; we wouldn't have achieved so much if it hadn't been for this “wonder” material. Yet, there was a price to pay, that of environment imbalances triggered by the improper disposal of used plastic materials. Though recycling centers focus on the reuse of plastic, the phenomenon known as “plastic pollution”is far from being kept under control. The major issue that contributes to the accumulation of plastic waste is the incredible consume rate mankind has reached, therefore it is for a very good reason that we are called a consume society.

The plastic we may carelessly dump in the sea will be here in a few hundreds years too as it cannot break down in nature: it will get caught in boat propellers, it will tarnish the beauty of beaches, forests and pastures. Plastic is inescapable unless we recycle it! Moreover, the plastic pollution of our oceans has dramatic consequences for the marine life; a plastic bag that resembles a jelly fish will be swallowed by a predator and it will kill the animal slowly by blocking it's intestines. And this is probably the simplest of thousands of examples that could be given under the circumstances.

Everyone can contribute to reducing the plastic pollution level by the careful sorting of domestic garbage for instance. Always place PET bottles in separate containers as this type of plastic is recycled separately. The big issue with plastic recycling is that there are several kinds of materials that are incompatible with each other in terms of recycling specificity. This means that the PET cannot go together with some plastic boxes for instance or with bags. Hence, here we have the explanation for the difficulties encountered in the fight against plastic pollution.

No matter how fantastic and cheap plastic may be, without proper disposal we are doomed to have it turn on us, heaps of plastic are already mingled with the rest of domestic garbage at the outskirts of cities, what are we going to do will all of that waste? If drastic measures are not taken at the international level, at a certain moment, plastic pollution will have reached such an extent that one will hardly be able to do anything against it. Damaged ecosystems, a desolate perspective in the natural habitats and a dirty look of all inhabited and non-inhabited areas! Take a little time to think about how you can contribute to make this bleak perspective as harmless as possible.

Pledge to Plug Plastic Pollution with the Plastiki - Treehugger
21 Jul 2010 at 10:25am

Treehugger

Pledge to Plug Plastic Pollution with the Plastiki
Treehugger
by Guest on 07.21.10 The Plastiki is nearing the end of it's voyage from San Francisco, California to Sydney, Australia after several months on the water. ...

and more »


Organic Compound Promising for Plastics Production - Softpedia
22 Jul 2010 at 11:08am

Organic Compound Promising for Plastics Production
Softpedia
One of the most important sources of plastic pollution are soft drinks and water bottles. Fleece blankets and other similar ...



Group collects over 1800 support letters for LA County Bag Ban - Environment America
22 Jul 2010 at 11:12am

Group collects over 1800 support letters for LA County Bag Ban
Environment America
Los Angeles County is all too familiar with the negative effects of plastic pollution. Plastic bags comprise as much as 25 percent of the litter stream; ...



Fishing for pollution in the Atlantic - Boston Globe
14 Jul 2010 at 1:50am

Fishing for pollution in the Atlantic
Boston Globe
Materials caught in the Sargasso Sea are not likely to make their way back to the East Coast any time soon, Law said, but plastic pollution is still very ...



The Plastiki on mission to Australia - istockAnalyst.com (press release)
19 Jul 2010 at 5:04am

The Plastiki on mission to Australia
istockAnalyst.com (press release)
... the United Kingdom, embarked on the Plastiki voyage to highlight the issue of plastic pollution in the world's oceans by showcasing waste as a resource. ...

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Banning plastic bags: good for California - Los Angeles Times
10 Jul 2010 at 3:02am

Banning plastic bags: good for California
Los Angeles Times
The North Pacific garbage patch, an area roughly twice the size of the US, is a prime example of plastic pollution causing catastrophic impacts on our ...

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Plastiki: 100 days at sea to highlight plastic pollution and overfishing - Greenfudge.org (blog)
13 Jul 2010 at 6:11am

Greenfudge.org (blog)

Plastiki: 100 days at sea to highlight plastic pollution and overfishing
Greenfudge.org (blog)
Eco-warrior and youngest air to a banking fortune, David de Rothschild set out in April on a well-publicized trip from California to Australia aboard a ...

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Jackson Browne: I Blame bottled water for the oil spill! - Daily Mail
12 Jul 2010 at 3:46am

Daily Mail

Jackson Browne: I Blame bottled water for the oil spill!
Daily Mail
Please read the websites of 5 Gyres (5gyres.org), and Plastic Pollution Coalition (plasticpollutioncoalition.org), and go online and read Martin Hickman's ...

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Stop using plastic bags, consumers told - Manila Bulletin
3 Jul 2010 at 1:04am

GMA news.tv

Stop using plastic bags, consumers told
Manila Bulletin
Based on the United States-based 5 Gyres, a global research on plastic pollution in the marine environment, only five percent of the plastics produced are ...
Eco group mounts drive vs use of plastic bagsGMA news.tv

all 6 news article...


No more free plastic bags in California? - iTWire
27 Jun 2010 at 8:58am

No more free plastic bags in California?
iTWire
Plastic already outweighs plankton in the North Pacific Gyre Plastic pollution costs California families hundreds of dollars annually in hidden litter ...

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Banning plastic bags: The ocean shouldn't be a garbage patch - OregonLive.com
16 Jul 2010 at 12:04pm

Banning plastic bags: The ocean shouldn't be a garbage patch
OregonLive.com
Because plastic never biodegrades but only breaks into smaller and smaller bits, our plastic pollution problem will exist for hundreds, if not thousands, ...



Dead Plastic Filled Birds (Video): Artist Chris Jordan's New Mission to Midway ... - Huffington P...
9 Jul 2010 at 12:06pm

Dead Plastic Filled Birds (Video): Artist Chris Jordan's New Mission to Midway ...
Huffington Post (blog)
Last year, artist Chris Jordan journeyed to Midway Atoll, one of the most remote wildlife refuges on earth to document plastic pollution and it's affects on ...



'Plastiki' bottle ship to complete Pacific voyage - AFP
6 Jul 2010 at 3:47am

AFP

'Plastiki' bottle ship to complete Pacific voyage
AFP
The voyage, to highlight the dangers of plastic pollution, over-fishing and climate change to the world's oceans, is expected to start its last and most ...

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Electrolux aims to clean up the oceans (a little bit) - TG Daily
29 Jun 2010 at 8:40am

Pocket-lint.com

Electrolux aims to clean up the oceans (a little bit)
TG Daily
Its 'Vac from the Sea' project, it says, aims to bring attention to the issue of plastic pollution, as well as to highlight the lack of recycled plastic. ...
Electrolux starts Vac from the Sea programTECH.BLORGE.com
Electro...


Pristine Antarctic Waters Polluted by Ocean Plastic - Earthweek - A Diary of the Planet
2 Jul 2010 at 2:26am

Earthweek - A Diary of the Planet

Pristine Antarctic Waters Polluted by Ocean Plastic
Earthweek - A Diary of the Planet
Humankind's throw-away culture has now caused plastic pollution to reach the last unspoiled region of Earth. A joint study by The British Antarctic Survey ...