How Does Plastic Impact the Environment?
Did you know that when you use a straw in a restaurant or throw away a plastic bag, there is a good chance it will end up in the ocean? Rain and/or strong winds can blow over trash cans and wash the trash into local waterways (streams, rivers, and storm drains). These waterways connect to the Chesapeake Bay and ultimately the ocean, where animals like sea turtles and birds mistake plastic trash for food.
Large pieces of plastic, like bags and straws, can cause obstructions in the airways and digestive systems of these animals, leading to death. Small pieces of plastic, called “microplastics,” can accumulate in their stomachs and lead to starvation and sickness as they become unable to store food. Animals can even transfer toxic chemicals from the plastic to their body.
Plastic also floats in the ocean, getting caught up in the currents and forming “trash islands” that transport invasive species. Throwing your trash away properly into trash cans and recycling are just a couple of the things you can do to stop plastic pollution. Reducing your plastic use in the first place is the key!
Life Cycle of Plastic
One of the biggest problems with plastic is that it does not degrade quickly. Making more and more plastic to meet consumer demand results in an accumulation of plastic that has nowhere to go and accumulates in our oceans!
The solution? Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! The life of a piece of plastic follows a six-stage process:
1) Getting the raw materials
2) Transporting to a factory
3) Manufacturing into a product
4) Packaging the product
5) Using the product
6) Disposing of the product.
For many plastics, the disposal portion of this lifecycle can take hundreds of years. For biodegradable plastics, this can be shortened to less than a year, but only if it is sent to the proper composting facility. If you properly recycle plastics, the disposal portion can be skipped and the plastics can be used to make new products, reducing negative impacts on the environment.