Our world currently produces 300 million tons of plastic each year. With an estimated 50% of it being used once and then thrown away. Approximately 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic pollution. Almost 34% of the leatherback turtles have ingested plastic, leading to 1,000 deaths per year. I think that it is safe to say that plastic is harmful to our environment and will continue to destroy our surroundings if left unmanaged.
About one trillion single-use plastic bags are used annually across the globe. That’s nearly 2 million bags every minute. More than half a billion plastic straws are used around the world. It would be unrealistic to hope that all of the plastic in our lives just disappear. This would be an enormous change in our lives, even if it is for the better. Plastic will have to be slowly taken away. The United Nations has pledged to reduce plastic by 2030. One hundred and seventy countries have pledged to “significantly reduce” the use of plastics by 2030. There have been other initiatives like the Canadian goal to ban single-use plastic by 2021. Peru’s ban on single-use plastic. San Diego’s ban on styrofoam containers, D.C’s plastic straw ban, etc. Even after all of these actions that have significant differences. Plastic pollution is still a major dilemma in our world today.
Scientists are actively working on finding replacements for plastic. Though it seems like a viable solution was found during the early 1920s by Maurice Lemoigne. In 1926, he discovered the first known bioplastic. Biodegradable plastic only takes three-six months to fully degrade, which is much faster than the original rate. This could be a potential replacement for plastic, and while it is not perfect, it is much easier to work with. Bioplastic can be made from agricultural by-product and from used plastic bottles and other containers using microorganisms.
While bioplastics are made from raw materials and are renewable and sustainable. They are non-toxic and compostable. Personally, I think that bio-plastic is great for a short-term solution. Scientists and engineers are constantly collaborating to work towards an environmentally-friendly future and I think that bio-plastic is a great start.
By Sarah Masih
Sources:
https://greenhome.co.za/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-bioplastics/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/10-technologies-most-likely-to-help-save-planet-earth/