“EF. Conserve Energy Future. Plastic pollution is when plastic has gathered in an area and has begun to negatively impact the natural environment and create problems for plants, wildlife and even human population.”
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Note from author: Plastic pollution has become a serious problem around the globe, so serious that some countries, including Bangladesh, many countries in the African continent and so on, have either COMPLETELY banned the use of plastic or the use of plastic bags. It takes decades for a plastic bag to decay, and up to 450 years for a plastic bottle. It is devastating to see plastic items being thrown into nature e.g. here in Finland, and hear about the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans each year. It is incomprehensible that many people lack the understanding about why throwing plastic waste into nature, much of which ends up in our oceans, is so damaging for our ecosystem.
Each year, thousands, or even millions of birds/sea animals DIE because of the plastic that human beings throw into nature, and if they do not die, they end up consuming our plastic waste, which ultimately ends up on our food plates. The next time you personally consume a portion of fish for example, take a moment to think about the fact that the fish you eat might have been polluted by toxic plastic waste that people throw into nature, and into our oceans, all the time. All chemicals and toxins are not visible to the human eye.
There are many efforts around the world to decrease plastic waste, including the complete ban of plastic waste in many countries, followed by the effort to minimize plastic waste e.g. by restricting the use of plastic bags and replace those with other options, recycling plastic (excellent!) so that consumers can bring their plastic waste to recycling to clear their conscience. There are even serious efforts to clean up our oceans from plastic waste, such as The Ocean CleanUp Project:
This young man has come up with a very brave idea, but he is smart enough to turn this idea into reality. Very impressive. Of course we have to thank everyone who is smart enough to minimize their plastic use, everyone who makes an effort to recycle plastic, everyone who cleans up the beaches, the lakes, the oceans and the nature from plastic waste. It is just devastating that some people take the freedom to pollute the environment carelessly, while others take the time to (mostly on a voluntary basis) clean up the mess caused by thoughtless individuals.
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Anne-Maria Yritys 