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Plastic Pollution HotSpots are the most plastic-polluted locations on Earth. It shows how destructive plastic is to nature and how much plastic pollution has reached the Earth. The statistics on plastic pollution are horrifying. A study published in 2017 estimated that between 1.15 million and 2.41 million tons of plastic enter the oceans through rivers each year, with the peak months being between May and October. The top 20 rivers, which, according to the report, are mostly in Asia, account for up to 67 percent of all plastics entering the ocean from rivers around the world. The main "depot" of plastic waste is the world's oceans - there are entire garbage islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The circulation of currents in the Pacific Ocean has created the Big Garbage Patch. As it drifts, plastic waste finds its way to the most remote corners of the planet. Soil contamination by plastic is felt less than Water contamination by plastic. However, this problem also exists. Plastic is also found in the soil, where it not only comes from human contamination but also from agricultural plastic.
The harm from garbage is much greater than it may seem at first glance. Suffice it to recall that plastic takes 500 to 1,000 years to decompose, which means that all the products that were made of it are now on Earth and around us. At the same time, more and more plastic is being produced every year, and more plastic has been produced in the last decade than in the last hundred years. This is creating a huge problem affecting the planet from all sides. Here's how plastic is affecting different areas: ● Most plastic products are stored in landfills, there are all kinds of materials, and some of them can be quite dangerous. For example, chlorinated plastic is capable of releasing chemicals that go into the soil, into groundwater, and then into the wells from which water is taken for drinking. Biodegradable plastic releases methane, a gas that enters the atmosphere and contributes to the greenhouse effect, which accelerates global warming; ● A huge amount of plastic is found in the waters of the oceans, and during prolonged decomposition, the material also releases toxic substances. In addition, with the tide, some of the garbage is thrown onto the shore, polluting the beaches. Real garbage spots collect in the water, which is quite difficult to clean up; ● Plastic hurts animals as well. Harmful substances can enter their bodies and poison them. Most plastic waste is microplastics: particles of plastic ranging in size from 5 micrometers to 5 millimeters. Water treatment plants cannot filter out such particles. They end up in the surface water and eventually in the sea, where they are eaten by all kinds of marine animals. Huge numbers of marine life are killed by microplastic pollution. Fish, whales, and turtles die from poisoning or becoming entangled in the trash. The same applies to seabirds. If animals accidentally ingest plastic, their digestive tract becomes clogged and they starve to death because they can no longer eat; ● Plastic is also harmful to humans; chemicals in some toxic plastics can cause skin diseases and poisoning.
The problem of plastic pollution on the planet has never been more urgent, already existing hotspots of plastic pollution are quite difficult to remove, but mankind should strive to do so. In addition, it is very important to prevent the formation of new plastic pollution locations. Everyone can contribute to solving this problem, because of all the causes of plastic pollution, the main one is the excessive use of plastic in the modern world. . To do this, it is enough to adhere to simple at first glance, but very effective rules: ● try not to use plastic bags. You can go to the store with a cloth grocery bag and wrap food in paper bags; ● Do not use disposable plastic containers; ● do not buy water in plastic bottles, have a reusable container and carry it with you or take a thermos with hot drinks; ● you can participate in litter-picking events that help clean forests and parks from plastic soil contamination; ● It is also worthwhile to start sorting your trash if your city has a recycling program. In addition, large companies that use plastic in their production should also contribute to solving this problem. At the production level, the use of plastics can be reduced in the following ways: use alternative, recycled, and biodegradable materials; Improve product designs to reduce the amount of plastic, increase product life, repair and reuse; Increase the recyclability of materials by limiting the number of polymers, additives, and blends; prohibit certain types of disposable plastic, Evaluate the life cycle of products and packaging - this helps identify ways to improve the environmental performance of products at different stages of their use. In addition, on the side of companies, it is very important to implement and develop an environmentally friendly design of their product, which includes the following: packaging of goods with the possibility of reuse and recycling; the use of less energy-intensive materials; development of efficient configurations for convenient delivery, i.e. it is necessary to come up with a form of product that will allow transporting as many units of goods as possible in one transportation.