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The National Geographic recently produced a video following the birth of plastic 500 years ago, education on micro-plastics, plastic manufacturing. They also talk in-depth on global plastic pollution, and the complexities around the planet's battle between economic need, the growing amount of waste. Solutions and everyday alternatives are also discussed.
Locally, it has been estimated that Vancouverites toss out 2 million plastic bags and 2.6 million single-use cups every week. (112 million bags and 145 million cups a year!) |
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Each year it is estimated that the United States alone discards more than 500 million plastic disposable straws. These tubes of plastic end up sitting in landfills, our parks and beaches, and our oceans. There is currently a garbage patch twice the size of Texas, floating in the North Pacific Ocean.
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In 2015, the video of the removal of a plastic straw from the nostril of a turtle went viral. This set off a movement within the restaurant and bar industry to reduce plastic straw waste.
From the numbers collected by Environmental Groups, around 44% of seabirds and 22% of cetaceans have ingested plastics. |
What does it all mean? It's time for a change.