Scientists have examined the impact that plastic pollution is having and have identified seabirds with more than 250 man made objects lodged in their stomachs.

TRASH TALK

Plastic pollution is currently at its highest level since records began and due to this growing issue, plastic waste can now be found on every beach in the world, whether that is a local tourist beach or a tropical island.

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Single use plastics

Single use plastic is everywhere. Plastic items such as straws, bottles, cups and cutlery are used and disposed of by millions of people every single day. It is estimated that across the world, 1 million single use plastic water bottles are bought every minute, over 90% of which are not recycled. Single use plastic has become more and more common over the years, due to the growing demand for convenience and take away food and drink.

Excess packaging

The UK produces around 400 million tonnes of waste annually, most of which ends up in landfill sites. As a nation we are beginning to take a stand against excess packaging, particularly in supermarkets. Consumers have protested by removing excess packaging and leaving it in supermarket trollies to highlight the volume of unnecessary waste.

Littering

Litter is becoming a serious problem. It is reported that nearly half of the population admit to dropping litter, with cigarette butts and food packaging among the most common forms of litter.

The amount of litter dropped in the UK has increased 500% since the 1960s, made possible by the increase in packaging and plastic waste. 30 million tonnes of litter is collected from the streets of England each year.

This is destroying our environment, wrecking our wildlife and harming us humans!

The environment:

It is estimated that it will take from 450 years to never, for plastic to completely biodegrade. (national geographic)
The majority of plastics are made from the production of planet-warming fuels. Meaning that plastic is a contributor to global warming. (friends of the earth)

Wildlife:

More than 1 million sea creatures are killed every year by plastic pollution. (Sea Turtle Conservancy)
More than 90% of all birds and fish are believed to have plastic particles in their stomach. (globalcitizen)
Plymouth university research has found that nearly 700 marine life species are facing extinction due to plastic. (global citizen)

Humans:

The average person eats 70,000 microplastics each year (Science news for students)
Over flowing waste causes air pollution and respiratory diseases (ecubelabs)
Plastic and litter clog up water ways which then block the drainage pipes which can cause the pipes to burst. (plumbing and drain services)