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THE BASICS OF PLASTIC WASTE
May 14, 2025
THE ESSENCE
Plastic is unique—but for the wrong reason. Unlike paper, or food, or some other materials, plastic never disappears—it just decomposes into smaller and smaller pieces (microplastics).
In fact, every piece of plastic that has ever been produced is still with us throughout the Earth:
from the highest point of Mount Everest to the bottom of the ocean. So, what does this have to do with climate change, and with us (humans)?
Plastic is produced for various consumption purposes; and, most of those plastic pieces are disposed soon after use (such are plastic shopping bags, straws, food containers, packaging, etc.).
Once disposed, much of the plastic ends up in the ocean (a dumping place for plastic), where it decomposes into small pieces. This makes the ocean water more acidic … which, in turn, compromises marine life (such as fish and underwater plants) … which in turn compromises our food that comes from the sea.
In fact, oftentimes, fish eat quite a lot of microplastics, mistaking it for food.
At this point, you might say you don’t eat fish, so you should be OK. But, not! Because even if you don’t eat fish, you breathe oxygen.
T
he ocean serves another essential purpose: it provides about half of the oxygen on Earth, produced by plankton (i.e. marine plants and organisms). That means, plastic is present even in the air we breathe
because compromised marine plants results in compromised oxygen production. And, there is more to the plastics and ocean issue than meets the eye …
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THE DETAILS
A very large portion of the plastic waste in the ocean is generated by individual consumers. Literally, the ocean provides for life on Earth because: it produces oxygen, regulates the climate, and facilitates the economies of all the countries on Earth (through the shipping industry). Human life on the land of the Earth would not be possible without the ocean.
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THE LIFE OF PLASTIC, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
  • HOW LONG DOES PLASTIC LIVE, AND WHERE DOES IT GO?
    • Plastic takes about
      20‑600 years
      to decompose, and even then, it doesn’t fully disappear—it just gets smaller and smaller
      • On average, a plastic shopping bag takes 20 years, while a plastic bottle takes 450 years to decompose (as does a disposable diaper)
      • Every piece of plastic ever produced is still with us in some form
      • About one in three fish for human consumption contains plastic
      • Microplastics can be found in tap water, in salt, and in the air
      • It has been estimated that humans ingest a credit card worth of plastic per week (in other words, our actions come back to haunt us—just in an invisible way)
        • So, where does disposed plastic go? Ultimately, it comes back to us … into our bodies, literally.
  • INSIGHTS ON PLASTIC POLLUTION
    • Plastic production began in 1907, and increased to about 500 million tonnes per year, today
    • Just in the last two decades, plastic production has more than doubled
    • About 0.5% of plastic waste ends up in the ocean—and, even only that 0.5% amounts to approximately 33 billion pounds per year (that is about 8 million pieces disposed per day)
    • More than 1 million plastic bags end up in the trash every minute, worldwide
    • The very meaning of the word ‘plastic’ is: artificial, unnatural. Therefore, plastic contains chemicals that can interfere with the human body’s hormone system, reproductive system, and neurological system
  • THE (literally) EVERYDAY CONSEQUENCES OF A POLLUTED OCEAN
    (It doesn’t only affect our food and the air we breathe. It also affects the land under our feet and our homes.)
    • Plastic pollution ⟶ Contributes to Climate Change ⟹ Changes in qualities of the ocean: becomes more acidic, and warmer ⟹ Sea‑level rise ⟹ Flooding, shoreline erosion, increased frequency and strength of storms ⟹ The everyday life of populations in coastal areas are turned upside‑down
    • Facets of everyday life of coastal populations, affected by sea‑level rise: Roads, bridges, infrastructure, transportation, business, power plants, sewage systems, hospitals, stores, food supply, food quality,
    • In the United States alone, 30% of the population lives in coastal areas
    • There are about 11,000 permanently inhabited islands in the world (as of 2024), with 730 million inhabitants (that’s nearly 10% of the world population). They are the first, and most at risk people to the consequences of oceanic climate change
    • There are many more uninhabited islands in the world
  • ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS & HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS
    • ENVIRONMENTAL: More than 1500 marine species ingest plastic (unavoidably from the water, or mistaking it for food), suffocating, or becoming entangled in plastic, and even die, consequently
    • ENVIRONMENTAL: In 2019, plastic products were responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with 90% of these emissions coming from the conversion of fossil fuels into new plastic products
      • Consumer demand for plastic products ⟶ Conversion of fossil fuels into new plastic products ⟹ Greenhouse gas emissions + New plastic in the world that never degenerates ⟶ Consumers dispose the plastic products ⟶ More plastic into the ocean ⟹ Growth of plastic pollution of the seas and marine life ⟹ More microplastics into the air through the oxygen that the ocean generates ⟹ Microplastics in the air we (humans) breathe and in the food we eat
    • HUMAN HEALTH: Microplastics have been found in human livers, kidneys, placentas
    • HUMAN HEALTH: Chemicals from plastic can leach into tap water ⟹ developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders
      • ⟶ next
      • ⟵ back
      • ⟹ consequently
      • ⟸ as said before
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WHAT CAN
YOU
DO ABOUT IT?
Decreasing the use of plastic products in our everyday consumption is one of the most impactful habits that an individual or family can do in order to refrain from making climate change worse. The reason: plastic never actually disappears. Plastic doesn’t degrade completely, like food or paper—it only decomposes into smaller and smaller pieces. To this day, every piece of plastic that was ever produced is still with us, on Earth, in one form or another.
USE LESS, OR USE PAPER OR OTHER MATERIAL PRODUCTS, INSTEAD OF PLASTIC
If available, use paper products (e.g. paper plates, straws, etc.). But still, only when there are no other options.
High‑quality products last longer, and most often also provide a more enjoyable benefit. If you must buy plastic, this will help cut down on plastic waste.
BUY HIGH‑QUALITY, LONG‑LASTING PLASTIC PRODUCTS
USE REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS
One of the most frequent habits of plastic waste involve the use of plastic shopping bags. From store to home … the plastic bag’s average useful life is less than an hour. Afterwards, its polluting life: forever (because plastic never actually disappears; it only decomposes into ever-smaller particles).
Recycling means, giving a chance for the plastic to be reused for manufacturing other products; hence, cutting down on the ever‑growing amount of plastic produced, which then never disappears from the Earth.
RECYCLE
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We don’t advocate zero household waste.
We advocate being mindful about waste.
What actions will YOU take?
For your present & future
For the children’s future
For the grandchildren’s future, and so on
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