plastic waste problem<\/a> needs a coordinated effort by national and international governments that includes investment and R&D into developing new biodegradable plastic alternatives.<\/p>\nRegulations and standards set by governments for businesses and consumers are also crucial to driving positive change. Together, this combination will deliver the all-important long-term changes necessary to reduce the volume of plastic waste polluting both land-based and marine ecosystems.<\/p>\n
How big is the plastic pollution problem?<\/h3>\n Plastic is convenient because it\u2019s cheap to produce and widely available, and its properties and versatility mean it\u2019s widely used for various purposes. But plastic is also a problem \u2013 how we produce it, how much we use it, and especially how we dispose of it afterwards. Recycling alone isn\u2019t enough to solve the global plastic waste problem.<\/p>\n
Plastic takes significant natural resources and takes hundreds of years to break down. In doing so, it leeches harmful chemicals into the air, soil, and water supplies. Plastic waste has even found its way into food chains, so particles are routinely found in wildlife and humans.<\/p>\n
Change the plastic lifecycle<\/h3>\n The challenge facing us is to find a solution to the plastic waste problem that changes from a linear to a circular approach where materials are reused, recycled, composted or biodegraded to produce little to no waste and avoid creating landfills.<\/p>\n
Kicking our addiction to plastic isn\u2019t going to be easy and will present challenges that require innovative approaches.<\/p>\n
In Europe and elsewhere, plastic recycling is widely accepted. Years of work by governments and environmental groups have changed our throwaway habits so that many people habitually \u2018recycle\u2019 their plastic waste.<\/p>\n\u00a9 shutterstock\/Rawpixel.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHowever, many plastics are unsuitable for continual recycling and can only be recycled two or three times before they become unusable and must be disposed of in another way. And all the while, we continue to manufacture vast amounts of new plastic.<\/p>\n
The problem with recycling begins after we put our unwanted plastics in the recycling bin. Currently, the recycling ecosystem in the UK is so complex that the rules on what can and cannot be recycled vary depending on the street, town or region where you live.<\/p>\n
In addition, each year, thousands of tonnes of supposedly \u201crecycled\u201d plastic either end up being incinerated or shipped to other countries, where we lose track of what happens to it. This plastic might still end up in landfill or being burned.<\/p>\n
The other major cause of concern is the plastic waste in the world\u2019s oceans. It\u2019s well-documented how plastic harms marine wildlife and pollutes undersea ecosystems. UNEP estimates that the world\u2019s oceans contain anywhere from 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic<\/a>. It predicts the amount of plastic waste entering seas and waterways could nearly triple from 9-14 million tonnes per year in 2016 to a projected 23-37 million tonnes per year by 2040.<\/p>\nPlans to encourage more careful sorting of recyclables are steps in the right direction; however, a comprehensive solution depends on making recycling more accessible and consistent through shared standards across all regions.<\/p>\n
A call for action to everyone<\/h3>\n To solve the global plastic pollution crisis, we need nothing less than a systemic transformation in the way we make, use, and then dispose of plastic.<\/p>\n
For consumers, this means the following:<\/p>\n
![\"plastic](\"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shutterstockRawpixel.com_731239045-300x169.jpg\"){kind=tracking}