Ocean gyres
Gyres in the oceans contain a high concentration of plastic but are different from plastic floating islands. Learn more about gyres and oceans hotspots.
Cause of plastic pollution
In nature, there is no waste that does not decompose. Humans, however, have invented plastic which will always be ‘unnatural’ in the environment because of its properties. Making plastic is inexpensive and the applications of the material are endless. Because plastic is so widely used, it almost always ends up in the environment, causing more plastic pollution. And not just because someone leaves a piece of plastic on the street instead of putting it in a waste bin.
Single-use plastic
Of all the plastic we use, 40% is used just once. Every year we use several billion items such as bags, bottles, trays, and food packaging. Supermarkets are full of it. Some people are careless with packaging and leave it behind as litter. But there are also places where people can’t do otherwise because there is no waste collection system. It is without a doubt that even if most people do their best, much of that single-use plastic enters the environment, being one of the biggest cause of plastic pollution.
Other causes of plastic pollution
It is not just about single-use plastic. Often people do not realize that they pollute the environment with plastic. For example, car tires are made of rubber and plastic which wears out while driving. That means that through this friction, thousands of microplastics get released onto the road and in the air. In addition, machine washing and drying of synthetic clothes let loose millions of microfibers into the drainage system. Personal care products and paint can also contain microplastics that wash away in wastewater. In addition, there is a kind of plastic which is also incorporated into cigarette filters and even into chewing gums.
The pathways
Plastic carried by water flows downhill to the sea causes plastic pollution to reach the oceans. Rivers, for example, transport a lot of plastic to the sea. But that’s not the only way plastic moves around; it can also be transported by the wind. Even in gentle winds, plastic, which is very light, blows away – especially from landfill sites where it is dumped. Anyone who has launched a balloon can easily picture this. The plastic ribbons from balloons are often found on beaches – washed up, after landing in the water somewhere at sea.
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Plastic is everywhere
Plastic pollution is not just plastic floating in the oceans, it is also in the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Plastic is everywhere.
More plastic than fish
More plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050, dying coral reefs and increase of plastic production: this is why we need to stop plastic pollution. Read more
Single-use plastics
Single-use plastics are the main cause of plastic pollution wolrdwide. The problem comes mainly from single-use plastic bottles, but not only.
