What’s the deal with the Plastic Soup again?
March 15 2024 That’s what readers of news site nu.nl on their comment platform Nujij were wondering. In a recent […]
3 June 2021
The Earth is groaning under the weight of the increasing destruction of ecosystems. If the boundaries are reached of what the Earth can bear, ecological restoration is no longer possible. Nine planetary boundaries have been defined. They include climate change, overfishing and large scale deforestation.
There is now enough evidence to recognise plastic pollution as the tenth planetary boundary, assert researchers in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
The Stockholm Resilience Centre has recognised nine planetary boundaries for the Earth. Plastic pollution must meet three criteria to be recognised as a planetary boundary. There is great consensus about two of the three: plastic in the environment is irreversible (it cannot be or can hardly be cleaned); and plastic is pervasive. Over the last couple of years, the scientific discussion has centred around the question of whether it meets the third criterion of having a disruptive effect on the Earth’s system.
In the article that has now been published, the authors assert that there is enough evidence to show that plastic does have a disruptive effect on ecosystems. They point to two phenomena: the fragmentation processes and the leakage of chemical substances into the environment. As, at the same time, the amount of plastic in the sea is increasing, these phenomena could lead to the critical boundaries being exceeded in the future.
Plastic is subject to all sorts of fragmentation mechanisms. For example, plastic breaks up in sunlight, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces that can never be removed from the ecosystem. This process can go remarkably quickly. The authors refer to research that determined that by releasing millions of micro and nanoparticles, a 4 mm thick piece of Styrofoam lost 5% of its weight within one month.
While the authors say that it is essential to define the boundary’s criteria, they recognise that this is a huge challenge given that the mechanisms are so complex. Research in natural conditions is extremely difficult to carry out. Furthermore, there is no agreement about measuring and monitoring methods. This makes the outcomes of research very hard to compare. The implication is that the boundaries may be exceeded before they are even defined.
But we should not delay taking action until there is complete consensus about the boundaries. The world should take preventive action as quickly as possible to avoid further plastic pollution. This message is close to Plastic Soup Foundation’s heart.
March 15 2024 That’s what readers of news site nu.nl on their comment platform Nujij were wondering. In a recent […]
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The waste-export to countries outside of the EU has been restricted The Netherlands is against a carpet ban on shipping of plastic waste.
The waste-export to countries outside of the EU has been restricted The Netherlands is against a carpet ban on shipping of plastic waste.