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https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastikmüll_in_den_Ozeanen

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Beim Weltwirtschaftsforum in Davos sorgte eine Studie für Aufsehen, laut der es 2050 mehr Plastik als Fische im Ozean geben könnte.
[ The New Plastics EconomyRethinking the future of plastics
[ http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf

Die Meere unseres Planeten gleichen einer Müllkippe :
150 Millionen Tonnen Plastikabfall schwimmen Schätzungen zufolge in den Ozeanen.
Eine Langzeitstudie kam Ende 2014 zu dem Ergebnis, dass sich mindestens 5,25 Billionen Plastikteilchen in den Weltmeeren befinden.
In Zahlen : 5.250.000.000.000 – und inzwischen höchstwahrscheinlich noch mehr.
Damit kämen auf jeden Weltbürger derzeit rund 700 Kunststoffteile, die im Meer umhertreiben.
Ein Großteil davon, so die Forscher, ist Mikroplastik: Partikel die kleiner als 5 Millimeter sind.
Jährlich landen über 8 Millionen Tonnen Plastik in den Meeren, hat die Initiative Plastic Oceans errechnet.

Kunststoffe stecken in Einkaufstüten und Verpackungen ebenso wie in Kleidung, Spielzeug, technischen Geräten und Kosmetik - ein Leben ohne sie scheint heute kaum mehr vorstellbar. Zwischen 1950 und 2015 wurden weltweit insgesamt 8,3 Milliarden Tonnen Kunststoffe produziert. Gemessen an der heutigen Weltbevölkerung entspricht das mehr als einer Tonne pro Mensch. Mittlerweile ist die Kunststoffproduktion bei rund 300 bis 400 Millionen Tonnen jährlich angelangt - Tendenz steigend.

Die ursprünglichen Vorteile des Materials werden in diesem Zusammenhang zum Fluch
 Denn die Kunststoffe sind so robust und widerstandsfähig, dass sie nicht verrotten.
Anstatt biologisch abgebaut zu werden, zerfallen Plastiktüten und Co lediglich unglaublich langsam in immer kleinere Teile. Das Plastik, das wir entsorgen, verschmutzt somit Jahrzehnte bis Jahrhunderte die Umwelt und ist auch dann noch ein Problem, wenn es kaum mehr sichtbar ist: in Form von Mikroplastik.

Die fatalen Folgen der Vermüllung sind hinlänglich bekannt: Immer wieder verenden Meerestiere, weil sie sich in Plastikschnüren verfangen oder der Kunststoff in ihrem Verdauungstrakt landet. Auch vom Mikroplastik wird vermutet, dass es Lebewesen - den Menschen eingeschlossen - schadet. Doch die Plastikflut ist nicht nur eine Gesundheitsgefahr für Mensch und Tier. Sie verändert auch die Zusammensetzung ganzer Ökosysteme.

Ernsthafte Bemühungen, die Meere zu säubern, gibt es trotz vieler Gipfeltreffen, Beschlüsse und Beteuerungen der Politik bisher nur wenige, denn so richtig zuständig fühlt sich keiner – bis auf einige NGOS und private Initiativen wie beispielweise Healthy Seas, Plastic Oceans, der NABU, der BUND oder Ocean Conservancy. Zwei Initiativen (The Ocean Cleanup und das Pacific Garbage Screening) haben sogar Techniken entwickelt, um die Meere – insbesondere den „Müllstrudel“ im Pazifik – im großen Stil von Müll zu befreien.

Mit einer umfangreichen Strategie reagiert die EU-Kommission auf steigende Mengen von Plastikabfall, die in der Natur landen.
„Wenn wir nicht die Art und Weise ändern, wie wir Kunststoffe herstellen und verwenden, wird 2050 in unseren Ozeanen mehr Plastik schwimmen als Fische“, sagte Kommissionsvizepräsident Frans Timmermans bei der Vorstellung der Plastikstrategie.
Bis 2030 soll deshalb das gesamte Verpackungsmaterial in der EU wiederverwertbar sein.

Regierungen, Hersteller und Recyclingunternehmen sollen gemeinsam an folgenden Punkten arbeiten :
Die Recyclingfähigkeit von Produkten verbessern, die Rate des separat gesammelten Plastiks erhöhen, die Kapazität der Sortier- und Recyclinganlagen ausbauen und modernisieren sowie einen größeren Markt für recyceltes Plastik schaffen.

Verbot von Einwegplastik: Was ändert sich?

Das Verbot zielt darauf ab die Produktion von Plastiktellern, Trinkhalmen und anderen Wegwerfprodukten aus Kunststoff zu eliminieren und bessere, nachhaltige Alternativen in den Vordergrund zu stellen. Das soll die Menge an Kunststoffabfällen reduzieren und unsere Umwelt entlasten. Ein Sprecher der EU-Kommission unterstrich dabei, dass sich das Verbot ausschließlich auf Produkte beziehe, für die es eine preislich vergleichbare Alternative gäbe.

Aus wirtschaftlicher Perspektive ist dieses in ca. 2 Jahren einzutretende Verbot ein bedeutender Einschnitt, wo die Kunststoffbranche 2015 noch einen Umsatz von über 340 Milliarden Euro erzielte und 1,5 Millionen Menschen beschäftigt hat.
Die Versprechen des Plastik-Verbotes scheinen in erster Linie aber zu wichtig, denn es ist 5 vor 12.
Bei einem Verbot von Einwegplastik rechnet man mit einer Reduzierung von Kohlenstoffdioxid um 3,4 Millionen Tonnen.
Bis 2030, so wird geschätzt, könnten Umweltschäden im Wert von 22 Milliarden Euro vermieden werden.

Die Deutschen zählen dabei zu den Spitzenreitern :
Sie haben pro Kopf 37 Kilo Kunststoffverpackungen verbraucht, im Jahr 2015 waren das insgesamt rund drei Millionen Tonnen.

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Weltweit gelangen jährlich fünf bis 13 Millionen Tonnen Plastikmüll in die Natur.

Das Hauptproblem sind Verpackungen aus Kunststoff.
In der EU machen sie 60 Prozent des Plastikmülls aus.
Der Statistikbehörde Eurostat zufolge sind allein 2015 EU-weit fast 16 Millionen Tonnen Verpackungsmüll aus Plastik und insgesamt 25 Millionen Tonnen Kunststoffabfälle angefallen.
Im Schnitt hat jeder Bürger der Europäischen Union im Jahr 31 Kilogramm Kunststoffverpackungen entsorgt.

Wie unser Plastik-Konsum die Weltmeere verschmutzt und was die EU dagegen unternehmen möchte

Die Europäische Kommission hat letzte Woche das Verbot für zehn Einwegprodukte aus Plastik beschlossen. Darunter Strohhalme, Wattestäbchen, Luftballonstäbchen, Besteck, Teller und Rührstäbchen – alles Dinge, die leicht durch umweltfreundlichere Materialien ersetzt werden können. Die Mehrheit der Mitgliedsstaaten und das Europäische Parlament haben diesem Verbot zugestimmt. Doch bekämpft man damit wirklich das Grundproblem? Oder ist es nur eine kurzfristige Lösung, um das Gewissen zu beruhigen? 1)
Die EU verbietet Plastikprodukte und zieht sowohl Hersteller wie auch Mitgliedsstaaten verschärft in die Plicht

„Unsere Richtlinie deckt 70 Prozent des Plastikmülls ab, der an Europas Stränden zu finden ist“, so der Vizepräsident der EU-Kommision Frans Timmermans. „Wir zielen auf die zehn meistverbreiteten Einwegprodukte, die in der Umwelt landen und die sich nur sehr schwer recyceln lassen.“ Der Entwurf der Kommission nimmt dabei die Hersteller solcher Produkte verstärkt in die Pflicht. Für sie soll es finanzielle Anreize geben, weniger der praktischen, aber umweltschädlichen Plastikprodukte zu produzieren. Für all die Plastikwaren, die oben nicht aufgezählt sind und für die deshalb kein ausschließliches Verbot besteht, setzt Brüssel auf eine sogenannte Plastiksteuer. Die Hersteller werden so gezwungen, die Verwendung von Lebensmittelverpackungen und Getränkebecher aus Kunststoff zu reduzieren. Einwegprodukte aus Plastik sollen beispielsweise nicht mehr kostenlos ausgegeben werden. Durch die Plastiksteuer werden die billigen Produkte teurer und nähern sich den Preisen der nachhaltigen Produkte (mit recyclebarer Verpackung). Damit werden jene teuren und grünen Produkte konkurrenzfähiger – und irgendwann vielleicht sogar günstiger. 2) Neben der Kunststoffindustrie sollen sich aber auch die Mitgliedsstaaten an den Kosten beteiligen, etwa für die Säuberung der Natur oder für Aufklärungskampagnen. Auf lange Sicht, so der für Wachstum und Beschäftigung zuständige EU-Kommissar Jyrki Katainen, spare die EU nicht nur geschätzte 6,5 Milliarden Euro, sie tue auch etwas für ihr gutes Gewissen und verschaffe sich international einen Wettbewerbsvorteil. Die Idee dahinter sei, „das Problem in eine Chance zu verwandeln“. Als erste wichtige Zielmarke nennen die EU-Kommissare das Jahr 2025. Bis dahin sollten mindestens 90 Prozent aller Getränkeflaschen aus Plastik in der EU recycelt werden. Beispielsweise mit Hilfe eines Pfandsystems, wie man es seit 2003 aus Deutschland kennt. Im Jahr 2030 soll die Quote dann bei 100 Prozent liegen.

Trotz allem gibt es an der Richtlinie schon jetzt viel Kritik: So bemängeln Umweltschützer und Grüne im Parlament, die vorgeschlagenen Maßnahmen reichen nicht weit genug. Der grüne EU-Abgeordneten Martin Häusling spricht von „Symbolpolitik“. Man solle lieber gegen Plastikverpackungen von Lebensmitteln vorgehen, als Strohhalme oder Ballonhalter aus Kunststoff zu verbieten. Er rät zudem, das Recycling in allen Bereichen systematischer als bisher zu betreiben. 3) Doch nicht nur einige Umweltschützer sind gegen das neue Gesetz. Mit diesem Verbotserlass legt sich die Europäische Union zudem mit einer sehr mächtigen Branche an: den Kunststoffproduzenten Europas. Laut SRF setzen diese jährlich 340 Milliarden Euro um und um die 1,5 Millionen Menschen haben dort einen sicheren Arbeitsplatz. 4)
Die Plastikflut in unseren Meeren ist schädlich für ihre Meeresbewohner, die Umwelt und uns Menschen

„Genau die Eigenschaften, die Plastik zu einem so fantastischen Material für uns Menschen machen – Leichtigkeit, Festigkeit, Haltbarkeit, machen es auch zu so einem Desaster, wenn es in die Natur gelangt“ (Aus „Plastic – A toxic love story“ von Susan Freinkel). Plastik ist aus unserem Leben nicht mehr wegzudenken. Ein „Weiter so“ ist aber auch keine Option. Sonst leben wir bald auf einer Müllhalde. Die Misere ist offensichtlich: Gerade weil Plastik so praktisch und billig ist, häufen wir immer mehr davon an. Das sorgt dafür, dass es mittlerweile in den entlegensten Winkeln der Erde zu finden ist.

Der Müllberg der Welt wächst jährlich immer weiter an. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 – flickr

Jährlich verursacht allein jeder Deutsche schätzungsweise 37 Kilogramm Plastikmüll. EU-weit ist der Müllberg gut 26 Millionen Tonnen schwer. Jede Minute landen deshalb auf der Welt eine Millionen Plastikflaschen im Müll. Viele davon tuckern in Schiffen nach Asien, purzeln von den Müllbergen in die Flüsse und strömen weiter ins Meer. Von den 8 Millionen Tonnen Plastik, die jedes Jahr in die Ozeane gelangen, stammen 95 Prozent aus den zehn größten Flüssen Asiens. Aber auch andere Ursachen haben zu der heutigen Situation geführt. Ein Teil entsteht natürlich durch Touristen oder die Küstenbewohner selbst, die sorglos mit ihrer Umwelt umgehen. Der größte Verursacher ist allerdings die Kunststoffindustrie. Mit mehr als 800 Milliarden Euro Umsatz pro Jahr ist Plastik aus der Weltwirtschaft kaum wegzudenken. Europa ist sowohl als Produzent als auch als Konsument ein wichtiger Akteur. Ungefähr ein Viertel des Plastikverbrauchs geht auf das europäische Konto. Unter den Top Ten der Müllerzeugerfirmen sind bekannte Namen wie Unilever mit 5869, Procter & Gamble mit 3899 und der Spitzenreiter Nestlé mit 9084 Plastikteilchen. 5) PlasticsEurope ist ebenfalls einer der führenden europäischen Wirtschaftsverbände. Der Konzern produziert ungefähr 90 Prozent der Kunststoffe in Europa und der Türkei und erwirtschaftet damit über 300 Milliarden Euro im Jahr. Laut PlasticsEurope ist die europäische Kunststoff-Industrie ein wesentlicher Faktor des Wohlstandes in Europa und notwendig, um den europäischen Lebensstandard aufrecht zu erhalten. 6)

Schon 1997 stieß Charles Moore, Meereskundler und Kapitän, mitten im Pazifik auf eine zuvor unbekannte Insel. Eine Insel aus Plastik: „Als ich den Blick von Deck über die Oberfläche dessen schweifen ließ, was ein klarer Ozean sein sollte, war ich mit dem Anblick von Plastik konfrontiert, soweit das Auge reichte. Es war unglaublich, aber ich konnte keinen unbedeckten Flecken finden. In den Wochen, die es dauerte, die Subtropenfront zu überqueren, schwamm Plastikabfall an der Oberfläche, egal zu welcher Zeit ich schaute: Flaschen, Deckel, Verpackungen, Fragmente“, berichtete er. Seine Entdeckung nennt man heute den pazifischen Müllstrudel (Great Pacific Garbage Pac). 7) Inzwischen ist dieser Plastikstrudel rund vier-mal so groß wie Deutschland. Was der Amerikaner beschreibt, ist nur die Oberfläche des eigentlichen Problems, denn ca. 70 Prozent des Plastiks sinken auf den Grund der Ozeane. Die Dokumentation »A Plastic Ocean« gilt wohl als eine der wichtigsten im Jahre 2017. Ein Forscherteam macht sich hierbei auf den Weg zum Meeresgrund in vielen Kilometern Tiefe. Die Bilder unter Wasser sind paradiesisch – bis nach wenigen Augenblicken die erste Plastikflasche vor der Kamera erscheint. Auf jede Flasche, jeden Deckel und jeden alten Kanister, der im Wasser treibt, kommen zahllose Kleinstpartikel, die sich von den größeren Gegenständen lösen oder aus Lecks in der Plastikproduktion direkt in die Gewässer gelangen. 8)

Der Auflösungsprozess von Plastik braucht Jahre, wenn nicht sogar Jahrhunderte. Eine PET-Flasche benötigt zum Beispiel 450 Jahre, um komplett zu zerfallen, ein Styroporbecher etwa 50 Jahre. Dabei zerteilt sich das Plastik mit der Zeit in winzige Partikel. Und weil die Ozeane kein abgeschlossenes System sind, ist der Plastikmüll mittlerweile auch in Form dieser kleinsten Partikel in unserem Leitungswasser und abgefüllten Wasserflaschen angekommen. Sie stecken in den Böden, auf denen unsere Nahrungsmittel wachsen, und fliegen durch die Luft, die wir atmen. Seevögel oder Fische essen die Plastikteile, weil sie aussehen und riechen wie ihre Nahrung (beispielsweise Plankton). Bei einer Untersuchung wurden in 90 Prozent der Vögel Plastikteile gefunden. In manchen Gegenden verenden die Vögel reihenweise, weil ihre Mägen zum Bersten mit Plastik gefüllt sind, teilweise mit Mengen, die auf die Größe eines Menschen umgerechnet acht Kilogramm Plastik entsprechen würden. 9) Auch in 73 Prozent aller untersuchten Fische im Nordwest-Atlantik wurden Plastikteile gefunden. Fische sind für Milliarden Menschen Nahrungsgrundlage und über sie gelangt das Plastik auch in unsere Körper. Die genauen Konsequenzen von Plastik im Körper sind noch nicht erforscht, einen Großteil der Partikel stoßen wir einfach direkt wieder aus. Klar ist aber: An Plastikpartikel heften sich Gift- und Schadstoffe, die mit den Partikeln in unseren Körper gelangen. Einige Plastikarten haben eine hormonähnliche Wirkung auf uns und verändern so unseren Biohaushalt. Plastik ist mittlerweile also wirklich überall. 10)
Globaler Plastikverbauch raubt vielen Menschen die Lebensgrundlage

Dies alles hat horrende Folgen – vor allem für Fischer in Entwicklungsländern. Es geht ihnen mehr Plastikmüll als Fische ins Netz. Die Fischbestände schrumpfen zudem Jahr für Jahr. Die Tiere fressen den Müll und sterben daran. Jetzt haben nicht nur die Anwohner der Küstenregionen weniger zu essen, sondern sie können die wenigen Fische nun auch nicht mehr verkaufen, da sie sie selber zum überleben benötigen. Die Nahrungsmittelknappheit und Arbeitslosigkeit sind Auslöser für Flucht. Die fehlenden Einkommensmöglichkeiten zwingen Familien, in andere Regionen abzuwandern, um ihr Überleben zu sichern. Und auch der Tourismus leidet unter den wachsenden Müllbergen an den Stränden und Städten zahlreicher beliebter Urlaubsziele, wie zum Beispiel auch in Manila. Für viele Entwicklungsländer stellt der Tourismus eine der Haupteinnahmequellen dar. So wird die Ökonomie dieser Staaten nachhaltig durch die Vergiftung durch Plastik geschädigt. Besucherzahlen gehen zurück und wichtige Arbeitsplätze für zahlreiche Einheimische gehen verloren. Investitionen, beispielsweise in die Infrastruktur oder das Gesundheitswesen, die aus Einnahmen aus dem Tourismus gespeist werden, können nicht mehr getätigt werden. 11) 12)

In 20 Jahren werden die Plastikfabriken auf der Welt voraussichtlich doppelt so viele Tüten, Flaschen etc. produzieren wie heute. Wie verhindern wir, dass sich unsere Körper und unser Planet dabei in eine totale Müllkippe verwandeln? Ist das Verbot von zehn Einweg-Plastikprodukten ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung oder ein kläglicher Versuch sein Gewissen zu reinigen, wobei es aber eigentlich keine wirklichen Auswirkungen hat? Langwierig kann man damit das Problem wohl nicht lösen und den armen Fischern ihre Existenzgrundlage zurückgeben. Kurzfristig ergibt das Verbot aber auf jeden Fall Sinn. Irgendwo muss man anfangen: “Change is possible and it starts with us !

[ http://www.fluchtgrund.de/2018/06/wie-unser-plastik-konsum-die-weltmeere-verschmutzt-und-was-die-eu-dagegen-unternehmen-moechte

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: D E ;
: Plastik im Meer: Fakten, Auswirkungen und neue EU-Regeln :
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/headlines/society/20181005STO15110/plastik-im-meer-fakten-auswirkungen-und-neue-eu-regeln
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/images/20181011PHT15765/20181011PHT15765_original.png
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/images/20181011PHT15766/20181011PHT15766_original.png
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/images/20181011PHT15767/20181011PHT15767_original.png
; EU-Strategie für weniger Plastikmüll in Europa - einfach erklärt -
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/headlines/society/20180830STO11347/eu-strategie-fur-weniger-plastikmull-in-europa
: Wegwerfprodukte aus Plastik : Parlament stimmt für Verbot ab 2021 :
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/press-room/20190321IPR32111/wegwerfprodukte-aus-plastik-parlament-stimmt-fur-verbot-ab-2021
: Mikroplastik : Ursachen, Auswirkungen und Lösungen :
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/headlines/society/20181116STO19217/mikroplastik-ursachen-auswirkungen-und-losungen
: VIDEO : Verschmutzung durch Mikroplastik :
[ https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/de/microplastic-pollution_N01-PUB-181119-MPLAS_ev
:  Transkript :
Winzige Plastikpartikel mit einem Durchmesser von weniger als 5 mm bezeichnet man als Mikroplastik.Die Verschmutzung durch Mikroplastik ist überall zu sehen :
In unseren Meeren, auf unseren Feldern, in unserer Nahrung und unserem Trinkwasser.
Jedes Jahr gelangen rund 5 bis 12 Millionen Tonnen Plastik ins Meer.
Wissenschaftler nehmen an, dass sich 150 Millionen Tonnen in den Weltmeeren angesammelt haben.
Bis 2050 wird ebenso viel Plastik im Meer sein wie Fische.
Mikroplastik entsteht durch die langsame Zersetzung von Plastikartikeln wie Tüten und Flaschen, Spielzeug und Lebensmittelverpackungen in immer kleinere Teile.
Sie bauen sich jedoch nicht vollständig ab.Wenn sie klein genug sind, werden sie von Meerestieren verschluckt und gelangen über die Nahrungskette in immer größere Fische und Säugetiere, wenn Raubfische zu Beute werden.
Die Auswirkungen auf den Menschen, der am Ende der Nahrungskette steht, sind noch ungewiss.Forscher nehmen jedoch an, dass die Verschmutzung durch Mikroplastik bei einigen Spezies zu Unfruchtbarkeit geführt hat.
Andere wiederum sterben infolge des Verzehrs großer Mengen Plastik anstelle von Nahrung.Das Parlament möchte die Verbraucher weniger abhängig von Kunststoffen machen.
Bis 2015 soll sich das Volumen an Plastik, für das es keine Alternativen gibt, um mindestens ein Viertel reduziert haben.
Es setzt sich zudem für ein europaweites Verbot von Plastik-Einwegartikeln sowie eine Finanzierung zur Entwicklung umweltfreundlicher und nachhaltiger Ersatzstoffe ein.
: Kunststoffabfälle : Eine europäische Strategie zum Schutz unseres Planeten und unserer Bürger und zur Stärkung unserer Industrie :
[ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/de/IP_18_5
: Einwegkunststoffprodukte : Neue EU-Vorschriften zur Verringerung der Meeresabfälle :
[ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/de/MEMO_18_3909

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: National Geographic “Planet or Plastic?” :
[ https://vimeo.com/271871608
To mark the launch of National Geographic’s new “Planet or Plastic?” campaign, the magazine partnered with Mexican artist Jorge Gamboa to release an instantly iconic piece of cover art.
Bringing that image to life for the video version with our friends at Motion 504 was a pleasure.
Learn more and take the pledge to reduce single-use plastics at natgeo.com/plasticpledge  
: Planet or Plastic :
[ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/planetorplastic
: Fast facts about plastic pollution :
[ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/05/plastics-facts-infographics-ocean-pollution
: Plastic : Sea to Source :
[ https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/plastic/?locale=en

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: Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made :
[ https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782
[ https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782/tab-pdf
: Abstract :
Plastics have outgrown most man-made materials and have long been under environmental scrutiny.
However, robust global information, particularly about their end-of-life fate, is lacking.
By identifying and synthesizing dispersed data on production, use, and end-of-life management of polymer resins, synthetic fibers, and additives, the study present the first global analysis of all mass-produced plastics ever manufactured.
The study estimate that 8300 million metric tons (Mt) as of virgin plastics have been produced to date.
As of 2015, approximately 6300 Mt of plastic waste had been generated, around 9% of which had been recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% was accumulated in landfills or the natural environment.
If current production and waste management trends continue, roughly 12,000 Mt of plastic waste will be in landfills or in the natural environment by 2050.

Humans have made 8.3bn tons of plastic since 1950.
This is the illustrated story of where it's gone ...
[ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/23/all-the-plastic-ever-made-study-comic

Humans have produced 18.2 trillion pounds of plastic since the 50s.
That's equal in size to 1 billion elephants.

"All the plastics that have ever been made are already enough to wrap the whole world in plastic film."
— Paleobiologist Jan Zalasiewicz in New Scientist —

What a waste !

Humans have created more than 18.2 trillion pounds of plastics since large-scale production began in the early 1950s a new study suggests.

And we've put most of it in the trash..

That weight is equivalent to 1 billion elephants or 25,000 Empire State Buildings. Nearly 80% of that plastic now resides in landfills or the natural environment, according to a study published Wednesday.

And we’re just getting started: Scientists say that by 2050, another 26.5 trillion pounds will be produced worldwide.

The largest market for plastic is packaging, which increased worldwide as consumers shifted from reusable to single-use containers.

Overall, the share of plastics in municipal solid waste increased from less than 1% in 1960 to more than 10% by 2005 in middle- and high-income countries. Plastic debris has been found in all major ocean basins in the world.

The scientists say they know that plastic production isn't going to stop or even slow down.

: Plastic Buildup Infographic :
[ https://we-sea-waste.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/plastic-buildup-infographic.pdf

: How We Eat, Drink and Breathe Microplastics  :
[ https://www.statista.com/chart/18299/how-we-eat-drink-and-breathe-microplastics
[ https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/18299.jpeg
The average person eats, drinks and breathes between 74,000 and 121,000 microplastic particles every year - and that is considered an underestimate.
; Abstract :
Microplastics are ubiquitous across ecosystems, yet the exposure risk to humans is unresolved.
Focusing on the American diet, we evaluated the number of microplastic particles in commonly consumed foods in relation to their recommended daily intake.
The potential for microplastic inhalation and how the source of drinking water may affect microplastic consumption were also explored.
The analysis used 402 data points from 26 studies, which represents over 3600 processed samples.
Evaluating approximately 15% of Americans’ caloric intake, we estimate that annual microplastics consumption ranges from 39000 to 52000 particles depending on age and sex.
These estimates increase to 74000 and 121000 when inhalation is considered.
Additionally, individuals who meet their recommended water intake through only bottled sources may be ingesting an additional 90000 microplastics annually, compared to 4000 microplastics for those who consume only tap water.
These estimates are subject to large amounts of variation; however, given methodological and data limitations, these values are likely underestimates.
[ https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517
: Where Do the Oceans' Microplastics Come From ? :
[ https://www.statista.com/chart/17957/where-the-oceans-microplastics-come-from
[ https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/17957.jpeg
: Laundry's Contribution to the World's Microplastic Problem :
[ https://www.statista.com/chart/17937/laundry-contribution-to-world-microplastic-problem
[ https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/17937.jpeg
: Plastic Can Take 500 Years To Bio-Degrade In The Ocean :
[ https://www.statista.com/chart/15905/the-estimated-number-of-years-for-selected-items-to-bio-degrade
[ https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/15905.jpeg
: Great Pacific Garbage Patch Floats On :
[ https://www.statista.com/chart/15421/great-pacific-garbage-patch-floats-on
[ https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/15421.jpeg

: Love The Oceans :  
[ https://lovetheoceans.org/plastic-ocean-infographic
[ https://lovetheoceans.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Plastic-Ocean-Infographic.jpg

: The Ugly Journey of Trash - Project AWARE -
[ https://ceningandivers.com/the-ugly-journey-of-trash
[ https://www.projectaware.org/sites/www.projectaware.org/files/imce/UglyJourneyofTrash_Infographic_webfinal.png
: Marine Debris : The Ugly Journey of Our Trash :
> 2:54
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzFqELV3P3w

: INFOGRAPHIC : Main causes of marine pollution ;
[ https://www.iberdrola.com/wcorp/gc/prod/en_US/comunicacion/docs/Infographic_Marine_Pollution.pdf

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: E N :
: Plastic in the ocean : the facts, effects and new EU rules ;
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20181005STO15110/plastic-in-the-ocean-the-facts-effects-and-new-eu-rules
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/images/20181011PHT15768/20181011PHT15768_original.png
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/images/20181011PHT15771/20181011PHT15771_original.png
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/images/20181011PHT15769/20181011PHT15769_original.png
: How to reduce plastic waste : EU strategy explained :
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20180830STO11347/how-to-reduce-plastic-waste-eu-strategy-explained
: Parliament seals ban on throwaway plastics by 2021 :
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190321IPR32111/parliament-seals-ban-on-throwaway-plastics-by-2021
: Plastic Oceans : MEPs back EU ban on throwaway plastics by 2021 :
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20181018IPR16524/plastic-oceans-meps-back-eu-ban-on-throwaway-plastics-by-2021
: Microplastics : sources, effects and solutions :
[ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20181116STO19217/microplastics-sources-effects-and-solutions
: VIDEO : Microplastic pollution :
[ https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/microplastic-pollution_N01-PUB-181119-MPLAS_ev
: Transcript :
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic, less than 5mm in diameter.And microplastic pollution is everywhere :
From our oceans and fields, to our food and drinking water.
Every year between 5 and 12 million tonnes of plastic waste are washed into the seas.
Scientists believe that 150 million tonnes have accumulated in the world's oceans.
By 2050 there could be as much plastic as there are fish.
Microplastics form over time as plastic objects, like bags and bottles, toys and food packets, are broken down into increasingly smaller pieces.
But they don't disappear.Once small enough, they are consumed by marine animals and passed up the food chain to larger fish and mammals, as predators become prey.
The impact on humans at the top of the food chain remains unclear.
But research suggests that microplastic pollution has led to infertility in some animal species.
Others die from malnutrition as they swallow huge quantities of plastic instead of food.
Parliament is committed to reducing our reliance on plastics for which no alternatives exist by at least a quarter by 2025.
It is also backing a Europe-wide ban on single-use plastics and funding research into greener, sustainable replacement materials.
: Plastic Waste : A European strategy to protect the planet, defend our citizens and empower our industries :
[ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_18_5
: Single-use plastics : New EU rules to reduce marine litter :
[ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/MEMO_18_3909

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February 20, 2019
: Report: Plastic Threatens Human Health at a Global Scale :
= Plastic & Health
= The hidden costs  of a Plastic Planet
[ https://www.ciel.org/plasticandhealth
: Full report here :
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-February-2019.pdf
: Executive Summary:
    English US Letter | English A4
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY-February-2019.pdf
    المواد البلاستيكية والصحة [Arabic]
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Plastic-Health-Arabic.pdf
    塑料与健康 [Chinese]
[ https://www.dropbox.com/s/hk8aqrol6nvd31p/Plastic%20Health%20Chinese.pdf?dl=0
    Plastique et santé [French]
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Plastic-Health-French.pdf
    Plastik & Gesundheit [German]
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Plastic-Health-German.pdf
    Пластик и здоровье [Russian]
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Plastic-Health-Russian.pdf
    El plástico y la salud [Spanish]
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Plastic-Health-Spanish.pdf
: Key Graphics :
    Figure 2 : Plastic & Health: The Hidden Cost of a Plastic Planet :
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ciel-rpt-HE-Fig2-path.png
    Figure 6 : Main Plastic Resin Types and Applications in Food Packaging :
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ciel-rpt-HE-Fig6-path.png
    Figure 7 : Toxic Exposure from Incineration :
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ciel-rpt-HE-Fig7-path.png
    Figure 8 : Multiple Pathways for Human Exposure to Microplastics Through Seafood :
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ciel-rpt-HE-Fig8-path.png

Since 1989, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) has used the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society.

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February 20, 2019
: Report: Plastic Threatens Human Health at a Global Scale :
= Plastic & Health
= The hidden costs  of a Plastic Planet
[ https://www.ciel.org/plasticandhealth
: Full report here :
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-February-2019.pdf
: Executive summary here :
[ https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY-February-2019.pdf

A new report reveals that plastic is a human health crisis hiding in plain sight. Plastic & Health: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet, authored by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Earthworks, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), IPEN, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.), University of Exeter, and UPSTREAM, brings together research that exposes the distinct toxic risks plastic poses to human health at every stage of the plastic lifecycle, from extraction of fossil fuels, to consumer use, to disposal and beyond.

To date, research into the human health impacts of plastic have focused narrowly on specific moments in the plastic lifecycle, often on single products, processes, or exposure pathways. This approach fails to recognize that significant, complex, and intersecting human health impacts occur at every stage of the plastic lifecycle: from wellhead to refinery, from store shelves to human bodies, and from waste management to ongoing impacts of microplastics in the air, water, and soil. Plastic & Health presents the full panorama of human health impacts of plastic and counsels that any solution to the plastic crisis must address the full lifecycle.

According to the report, uncertainties and knowledge gaps often impede regulation and the ability of consumers, communities, and policymakers to make informed decisions. However, the full scale of health impacts throughout plastic’s lifecycle are overwhelming and warrant a precautionary approach.

KEY FINDINGS

Plastic requires a lifecycle approach. The narrow approaches to assessing and addressing plastic impacts to date are inadequate and inappropriate. Making informed decisions that address plastic risks demands a full lifecycle approach to understand the full scope of its toxic impacts on human health. Likewise, reducing toxic exposure to plastic will require a variety of solutions and options because plastic has a complex lifecycle with a diverse universe of actors.

At every stage of its lifecycle, plastic poses distinct risks to human health, arising from both exposure to plastic particles themselves and associated chemicals. People worldwide are exposed at multiple stages of this lifecycle.

    Extraction and transportation of fossil feedstocks for plastic, which releases an array of toxic substances into the air and water, including those with known health impacts like cancer, neurotoxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, and impairment of the immune system;

    Refining and production of plastic resins and additives, which releases carcinogenic and other highly toxic substances into the air, with effects including impairment of the nervous system, reproductive and developmental problems, cancer, leukemia, and genetic impacts like low birth weight;

    Consumer products and packaging, which can lead to ingestion and/or inhalation of microplastic particles and hundreds of toxic substances;

    Plastic waste management, especially “waste-to-energy” and other forms of incineration, releases toxic substances including heavy metals such as lead and mercury, acid gases and particulate matter, which can enter air, water, and soil causing both direct and indirect health risks for workers and nearby communities;

    Fragmenting and microplastics, which enter the human body directly and lead to an array of health impacts (including inflammation, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and necrosis) that are linked to negative health outcomes ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer and autoimmune conditions;

    Cascading exposure as plastic degrades, which further leach toxic chemicals concentrated in plastic into the environment and human bodies; and

    Ongoing environmental exposures as plastic contaminates and accumulates in food chains through agricultural soils, terrestrial and aquatic food chains, and the water supply, creating new opportunities for human exposure.

FROM THE AUTHORS

David Azoulay, Director of Environmental Health, CIEL:
“Both the supply chains and the impacts of plastic cross and re-cross borders, continents, and oceans. No country can effectively protect its citizens from those impacts on its own, and no global instrument exists today to fully address the toxic life cycle of plastics. Countries must seize the opportunity of current global discussions to develop a holistic response to the plastic health crisis that involves reducing the production, use, and disposal of plastic worldwide. There is no silver bullet to solve this health crisis, but all solutions must ultimately reduce the production and use of plastic if they are serious about protecting human health.”

Priscilla Villa, Earthworks:
“Plastics poison people before they’re ever used because they’re produced at polluting petrochemical plants. And those plastics are made from fracking byproducts. This is a problem because oil and gas extraction and transport releases carcinogens like benzene. Any solution to our plastics problem must prioritize people’s health ahead of Big Oil’s profits.”

Doun Moon, Research Associate, GAIA:
“Plastic waste does not only  pollute our oceans. Burning plastic in incinerators turns one form of pollution into another, whether it be air emissions, toxic ash, or wastewater. People living nearby incinerators are primarily low income communities and people of color, and  bear the brunt of this toxic pollution. We can’t burn our plastic problem away, leaving certain communities to suffer the consequences. We desperately need to turn off the plastic tap and build a more just and equitable society in the process.”

Dr. Mariann Lloyd-Smith, Senior Policy Advisor, IPEN:
“The twin crises of chemical and plastics pollution are decimating our oceans and its inhabitants. Plastics are not just unsightly litter, they are made with many toxic ingredients and collect many more persistent poisons over their incredibly long life time. Microplastics provide a pathway for hazardous chemicals into the marine foodchain on which humans depend. We can’t dump, burn, or recycle our way out of this problem; it’s time for industry and governments to turn off this toxic tap and for all of us to make deep changes in the way we live.”

Lauren Moore, UPSTREAM:
“What’s toxic for the planet is just as toxic for human health. Why risk exposing our bodies to the thousands of chemicals found in plastic packaging when we have reusable options that do not pollute our health or the environment? When it comes to the safety of our families and our planet, reuse wins every time.”

Von Hernandez, Global Coordinator, Break Free From Plastic Movement (BFFP):
“The heavy toxic burdens associated with plastic – at every stage of its life cycle – offers another convincing argument why reducing and not increasing production of plastics is the only way forward. It is shocking how the existing regulatory regime continues to give the whole plastic industrial complex, the license to play Russian roulette with our lives and our health. Plastic is lethal, and this report shows us why.”
WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT PLASTIC & HEALTH

Ruthann Rudel, Director of Research, Silent Spring Institute: “Plastics are made of a complex mix of chemicals, many of them are endocrine disruptors or are of concern for other health effects. A recent National Academy of Sciences report found that the important vinyl ingredient DEHP is “a presumed hazard to human reproduction” at current exposures, and that’s just one plastics ingredient! Plastics also contain many toxic additives, such as flame retardants, metals, anti-microbials, non-stick coatings, and more. The fantasy that plastics are an inexpensive material is just that – a fantasy that fails to acknowledge the tremendous costs we all pay.”

Erica Jackson, Community Outreach & Communications Specialist, FracTracker Alliance: “The pervasiveness of plastic is a problem that spans space and time- it’s all around us and it lasts for centuries. Therefore, the importance of this assessment of plastic’s cumulative health impact cannot be understated. We know enough to justify taking immediate action to reduce our dependence on plastic, and that starts by keeping plastic feedstocks – oil and gas – in the ground.”

Graham Forbes, Greenpeace Global Plastics Project Leader: “The health risks of the plastic pollution crisis have been ignored for far too long, and must be at the forefront of all decisions on plastics moving forward. Corporations and governments are risking our health to maintain the status quo and keep profits flowing. It’s not just our oceans and marine animals that are suffering from this addiction to plastics, it’s all of us. While there is still much to learn about all of the impacts of plastics on human health, we know enough to adopt a precautionary principle and start to phase out these throwaway plastics for good.”

Mike Schade, Mind the Store Campaign Director, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families: “The plastics industry is polluting the planet with poisonous chemicals like phthalates and halogenated flame retardants, which are commonly found in products like food packaging and electronics. Even babies are being born pre-polluted with these unnecessary dangerous chemicals. At a time when we are learning more about the dangers of chemicals such as these in plastics, the US federal government is rolling back critical environmental and public health safeguards. Big retailers must step up to drive toxic chemicals out of plastics and act swiftly to phase out the worst plastics of concern like PVC, the poison plastic.”

Julie Teel Simmonds, Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity: “It is alarming that the fossil fuel industry plans to increase plastic production by 40 percent over the next decade. Making plastic pollutes communities, and plastic trash is filling our oceans. It is clear that curbing plastic pollution and protecting public health cannot be achieved without curbing plastic production.”

Stiv Wilson, Campaigns Director, Story of Stuff Project: “For years the petrochemical industry has ignored the upstream human health impacts in the extraction and refining process. Instead, they’ve chosen to frame the human health question narrowly, after plastic gets to the ocean where the science is a bit less smoking gun. Finally, we have a baseline for understanding the whole pollution matrix that surrounds this ubiquitous material called plastic.”

Jacqueline Savitz, Chief Policy Officer for North America, Oceana: “Plastic has now permeated our air, our soil, our water and our bodies, and the consequences cannot be ignored. Companies cannot continue hiding behind waste-management solutions like recycling, when none of that will be enough unless they also dramatically reduce plastic use by using alternatives to single-use plastics.”

Sandra Curtis, Plastic Pollution Coalition: “The health consequences of the endocrine disrupting chemicals in plastic are little known to the public, yet are contributing to a global health crisis. More than 80% of the exposure to these harmful chemicals come through food preparation and storage. CIEL’s groundbreaking report puts the issue directly in the public eye throughout the lifecycle of plastic materials upon which we’ve become so dependent. Systemic change is necessary to stem the global rise of non-communicable diseases, which are correlated to these same chemicals. Like the extraction of fossil fuels from which single-use plastic are made, this report will help educate the public and encourage us all to extract ourselves from our dependence on single-use plastic.”

Join our global Coalition. 

[ https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/the-coalition

[ https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2019/2/20/report-plastic-threatens-human-health-at-a-global-scale


Potential health effects resulting from the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics and chemical contaminants in the human body.
[ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Potential-health-effects-resulting-from-the-bioaccumulation-and-biomagnification-of_fig2_324420845

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: The Plastic Health Coalition :
[ https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/what-we-do/health/the-plastic-health-coalitio
Does plastic make us sick ?
Plastic is not only a serious threat to the environment, but perhaps also to our health. We eat, drink and breathe plastic, allowing tiny particles of plastic to penetrate our body. We already know that the chemicals added to plastic are most likely harmful to our body.
There seems to be a connection with fertility problems, language development disorders, cancer, obesity and ADHD. But we cannot say this for sure. Hardly anything is known about the possible health effects of microplastics. Therefore: how dangerous is plastic? And what are the possible consequences for our health?
We are seriously concerned.
[ https://ericseleky.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Baby_Landscape-1030x685.jpg

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It’s time to break up capitalism’s love affair with plastic
Posted on November 9, 2018

A valuable invention is massively misused in the service of profit, producing unprecedented waste and pollution. How can we stop the plastic plague?

 by Amy Leather

Plastic is bad, isn’t it? That is certainly the new consensus. And no wonder there has been a public outcry. Many of us have been shocked by images like those on Blue Planet of a sperm whale with a stomach full of plastic waste, albatrosses feeding their young plastic or turtles trapped in plastic bags.

A report prepared in 2016 for the billionaires attending the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, estimates that there are more than 150 million tonnes of plastics in the oceans already, with another 8 million tonnes being added each year. That’s 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean and counting. If we carry on at this rate, by 2050 plastics in the ocean will outweigh all the fish.

But there is a contradiction. Plastic is causing great harm to the environment, and yet it is a fantastic material that has allowed for advances in medicine, hygiene, food preservation, water transportation and much more.

Our starting point should be that plastic does not exist in isolation, separate from the world in which it is produced.

In many ways the story of plastics gets to the heart of what’s wrong with capitalism. It is a by-product of the fossil fuel industry — 99 percent of all plastics are produced from chemicals sourced from oil and gas. Its production was driven by the relentless drive for profit at the heart of the system. War further fuelled its development, while state investment helped increase production, and from the outset vested interests have encouraged us to use more plastic.

Even today, when millions of people would like to cut down our plastic use, production of new virgin plastic is actually increasing. Far from being driven by “consumer demand” — and therefore the fault of individual consumers — plastic production is locked into the fossil fuel-based economy of modern industrial capitalism. That is where we must look for the root of the climate crisis.

Plastic production began in the mid-19th century, when celluloid, derived from the natural cellulose polymer in plants, was developed as a substitute for ivory. The first truly synthetic plastic was Bakelite, introduced in 1907 as a substitute for shellac. It paved the way for mass production, as scientists were no longer trying to emulate nature but instead seeking to “rearrange nature in new and imaginative ways”. The 1920s and 1930s saw an outpouring of new materials from labs around the world.

Petroleum roots

Meanwhile, the many uses of oil were being discovered.

As Ian Angus shows in Facing the Anthropocene (Monthly Review Press, 2016), while oil companies were busy building markets for petroleum as fuel, paving the way for the mass production of cars, the chemical industry was developing entirely new materials made from the by-products of oil refining.

Legend has it, according to Susan Freinkel Plastic: A Love Story, that John D Rockefeller was looking out over one of his oil refineries when he noticed flames flaring from some smokestacks. When he asked what was burning, he was told that the company was burning off ethylene gas, a by-product of the refining process. “I don’t believe in wasting anything,” Rockefeller supposedly snapped, “figure out something to do with it.”

True or not, that story sums up the origins of the modern petrochemical industry – the principle that every hydrocarbon taken from the ground can be used to make a profit.

The “something” that could be produced from burning ethylene was polyethylene, discovered in 1933. It was so unlike any other known polymer that no one could envisage a use for it. But inexpensive, durable and pliable polyethylene became the most commonly used polymer.

In the early 20th century, petroleum and chemical companies began to develop alliances and form vertically integrated companies. Today the largest players — DowDuPont, ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP and Sinopec — are integrated companies that produce both fossil fuels and plastics.

Plastic production took off in the 1930s,but it was the Second World War that transformed production and paved the way for the widespread use of plastics in everyday life in the post-war period.

War allowed plastic to showcase its versatility. The major plastics we know today — polyethylene, nylon, acrylic, polystyrene — were put to use during the war. The US government spent over $3 billion on building or expanding petrochemical plants during the war, quadrupling plastic production by 1945.

When hostilities ended US oil and chemical companies were able to buy these factories at bargain basement prices. As early as 1943 DuPont had devoted a whole division to prepare prototypes of housewares that could be made of the plastics which at that point were being commandeered for the war, and such products became the basis of the postwar plastic explosion.

The buoyant and insulating polystyrene, used by the US Coast Guard for life rafts, was now used for picnic cups and coolers. Polyethylene’s extraordinary capacity to insulate at high frequencies was side lined for a new career bagging sandwiches and dry cleaning. As one early plastics executive recalled, by the war’s end it was obvious that “virtually nothing was made from plastic and anything could be.” It was also clear that by expanding products made of plastic vast profits could be made.

And so plastics entered our homes, our cars, our clothes, our playthings, our workplaces, even our bodies.

Is throwaway culture to blame?

In discussions about plastic use it is common to blame mass consumerism and a throwaway culture for the environmental problem of plastic. However, rather than being demand led, the throwaway culture was created and driven by the corporations who profit from it.

The amazing materials created from the waste products of the oil and gas industry had to first be turned into new products and then a demand created for that new use. But the industry faced a big problem. Plastic is characterized by its strength and durability. A plastic product can last a long time, negating the need to buy another. So the industry had to come up with new ways to make us want and need more plastic.

It was this drive for profit that led to single use plastic and thus created the era of disposability. As a speaker at a 1956 conference told an audience of plastics manufacturers, “Your future is in the garbage wagon.”

Disposable products were initially a hard sell to a generation that had come through the Depression and war-time, when a “make do and mend” mantra meant nothing was wasted. People initially kept the new plastic goods rather than throwing them away after one use.

Massive media campaigns were launched to change attitudes, epitomized by an article in Life magazine that celebrated what it dubbed “Throwaway Living.” It was illustrated with a photo of a young couple and child with their arms raised in exultation amid a downpour of disposable items — plates, cutlery, bags, ashtrays, dog dishes, pails, BBQ grills and more. It calculated that cleaning all the items would take 40 hours but now “no housewife need bother.”

Similarly, plastic bags, the epitome of single use plastic, were unpopular when they were first introduced in the mid-1970s — shoppers did not like the fact that the cashier had to lick their fingers to get them free. But in the end the big stores were won over by economics. Paper bags cost three to four times as much, and once one or two big chains introduced them, all switched to plastic.

Products were redesigned to be used only once, from lighters to pens, razors to straws. Today half of all plastics produced go into single use applications, and at the heart of this is packaging, which accounts for 26 percent of all production.

Perhaps nothing sums up the irrationality of capitalism more than this — materials that can last practically forever are used to make products designed to be thrown away.

Profits versus recycling

And so this brings us to where we are today — swimming in plastic. According to a recent study published in Science Advances, 8.3 billion tonnes of the stuff has been produced since the early 20th century. And production keeps on rising, with approximately 400 million tonnes of plastic being produced globally each year.

Worldwide, people use somewhere between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags a year — more than a million a minute. So it is not surprising that plastic bags have become a primary target in our desire to cut down on single use plastic.

However, New Scientist recently calculated a cotton tote bag must be used 131 times before its environmental cost falls below that of a disposable plastic bag, mostly because of the impact of growing cotton. Similarly, purely in energy terms, because a steel water bottle takes so much energy to make, it needs to be used 500 times compared to a disposable bottle.

Another way to limit the amount of plastic ending up in our oceans is to recycle more of it. Just 14 percent of all plastic across the world is collected for recycling, and of that only one-third — 5 percent of all production — is actually recycled. The rest is either burned, sent to landfill or enters the environment as pollution.

According to experts, in theory all plastic could be recycled, but there are many barriers in practice.

The lack of uniform recycling facilities is a problem. The many different types of plastic need to be sorted and recycled separately. While many facilities still sort by hand and cannot process most plastic, a state of the art waste and recycling center in Southwark, south London, shines light onto discarded plastic travelling down a conveyor belt; the reflection indicates the type of plastic and air jets push each type into a different stream. The plant can even recycle plastic bags and black plastic food trays — which are the hardest to recycle.

However, even the most sophisticated processing centers still face the problem of mixed plastics in one product, favored by manufacturers. And in a capitalist economy, no recycling process is viable unless there is a market for the recycled product. Many manufacturers demand clear plastic packaging which is very difficult to produce from recycled.

Much of Britain’s plastic waste is sent abroad for recycling. However, recent exposés have shown that much of our exported plastic waste is just burnt or dumped in landfill sites from Turkey to Malaysia. China’s recent announcement that it will no longer take “foreign rubbish” means traders are looking for other countries to take their recycling waste.

All this doesn’t stop manufacturers cynically trying to exploit people’s concerns over plastic waste. Many realized early on that claiming their product was recyclable would help sales, even if the facilities to recycle it did not exist. In most cases, big business finds it cheaper to produce new plastic than to recycle.

And this is the crux of the issue — even if we can increase recycling rates, which of course we should fight for — it won’t be effective unless recycled plastics replace newly manufactured plastic in production. In reality, the giant multinationals of the fossil fuel and petro-chemical industries are right now increasing plastic production and planning for more.

Fracking and the so-called shale revolution in the US have helped fuel the plastic industry in recent years. US fracked natural gas is rich in ethane, needed to create ethylene, a primary feedstock for plastic. Fracking has led to a glut of cheap ethane that is even profitable for export.

Fracked gas first arrived in 2016 at the Grangemouth works in Scotland, owned by Ineos, amid much furor from anti-fracking campaigners. The fact that this fracked gas would be used to make more plastic was rather overlooked at the time. According to Plastic News in 2013 “shale based natural gas represents a once in a generation opportunity for the North American plastics market.”

As capitalism fails to break from its reliance on oil and gas, and instead expands upon the fossil fuel infrastructure already created, it continues to be logical — and highly profitable — to use the waste products to make more and more plastic.

Fighting back

So what do we do? Firstly, rather than take a moralistic approach to consumers, we need to push the blame upwards, to direct our anger at the producers of plastic and the oil and gas companies and at the governments that let them frack. They must be made responsible for what happens to waste plastic.

Public outcry has already won some changes. The European Union is preparing a ban on single use plastics including cutlery, straws and plates. The UK government is set to introduce a Plastics Pact, under which the companies responsible for 80 percent of plastic used in the UK pledge to make all  plastic packaging to be recyclable, reusable and compostable, and to eliminate all single use plastic packaging by 2025. This is a start, although limited by being voluntary rather than binding.

We should demand and fight for better recycling facilities, in our communities and workplaces.

But none of this goes far enough. To prevent catastrophic climate change we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground. To stop our oceans and natural world being clogged up with plastic we need to reduce plastic production.

The logic of capitalism — the pursuit of profit — dictates the opposite. It is quite possible to imagine a world with less or even no plastic — after all it has only come into widespread use since the 1950s! — but it would be anathema for capitalists to abandon their sunken investments in the fossil fuel infrastructure or to give up producing something so profitable.

So we will have to force them to act. Anti-fracking campaigns have been immensely important in Britain in stopping, or at least slowing down the spread of the fossil fuel landscape.

But we also have to look at where power lies in society to take on these mammoth corporations. When Ineos truck drivers walked out on strike in 2013, it threatened to cut off oil to half of Scotland, hitting Ineos’s profits hard.

When French energy workers went on strike against a new work law they blockaded fuel depots leading to a petrol shortage, while electricity production dropped and had to be imported.

These examples give a glimpse of the potential power of workers. They show a collective power that not only stops production and hits profits but could also transform society totally.

Plastic is an amazing material that has been distorted by capitalism. If we broke from fossil fuels we could develop plant-based plastics to replace synthetic ones and rational decisions could be made about how to use such strong and durable substances.

But this will require fundamental change. We must fight now to prevent further expansion of the fossil fuel landscape and to stop more plastic entering our environment. But we must link it to wider demands and a movement that can challenge all the priorities of capitalism.

Amy Leather is Joint National Secretary of the U.K. Socialist Workers Party.
[ https://climateandcapitalism.com/2018/11/09/break-up-capitalisms-love-affair-with-plastic/

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: A Clearer Picture Of Plastics :
[ https://plasticrecyclinglibrary.com/resource/a-clearer-picture-of-plastics
: Plastics in the Marine Environment :
[ https://plasticrecyclinglibrary.com/resource/plastics-in-the-marine-environment
: How to reduce your plastic pollution :
[ https://plasticrecyclinglibrary.com/resource/how-to-reduce-your-plastic-pollution

: How much plastic have humans made ? :
[ https://www.futurity.org/plastic-landfills-waste-pollution-1491822

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: ARTWORK by Emma Hartley :
[ https://cargocollective.com/emmahartley/Plastic-Ocean

: ARTWORK by Mandy Barker :
[ https://www.mandy-barker.com/work
[ https://www.mandy-barker.com/commissions
[ https://www.mandy-barker.com/gallery.php?gallNo=2&photoNo=67
: The virtual reality experience, ‘Ripple :
: The unintended life of plastics in the sea’ is now viewable at :
[ https://rippleplastic.com

: ARTWORK by Chris Jordan :
[ http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/midway/#about

: ARTWORK by Aurora Robson :
[ https://www.aurorarobson.com

: ARTWORK by Evelyn Rydz:
[ https://.com/artwork/3488876_Detail_from_Oceanfront.html

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The Ocean's Deadliest Predator :
Why We Need To Stop Plastic Pollution !
[ https://www.businessinsider.com.au/stop-plastic-pollution-in-oceans-2018-11

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: Suche im Web und rette die Ozeane :
[ https://oceanhero.today

OceanHero GmbH
Chausseestr. 108
c/o Burman
10115 Berlin
Germany

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