Effects of Plastic Waste in the Oceans

The future of our nature is in our hands. If no one will throw their trash properly, then who will?

We feel thirsty, we buy a bottle of water and after that we throw it. In today's generation, throwing plastic wastes anywhere is just a normal thing. People seem to be more irresponsible when it comes to managing their garbage. They mostly throw it in the bodies of water, thinking that those wastes will just vanished. They just simply leave it there and didn't even think about its effects.

Plastic is a synthetic organic polymer made from petroleum with properties ideally suited for a wide variety of applications, including packaging, building and construction, household and sports equipment, vehicles, electronics and agriculture. Plastic is cheap, lightweight, strong and malleable. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, half of which is used to design single-use items such as shopping bags, cups and straws.

According to Michelle Bender, plastic pollution is emerging as a top threat to ocean ecosystems. By 2025, there could be 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish in the ocean. Plastic debris affects nearly 700 species worldwide through entanglement and ingestion, alters natural biological and chemical processes, provides a means for the introduction of toxins into the food web, and costs the U.S. economy millions of dollars annually. The majority of this debris comes from land-based sources (e.g., plastic manufacturers, processors, landfills, sewage overflows, litter). With only 14% of plastic packaging and containers recycled in the U.S., 75% of leakage is due to uncollected waste.

As the years passed by, our ocean will become not habitable for the marine animals anymore and we, humans will be affected too. What will happen in the future if we ruin the present? What would look like our world after 100 years if we dissemble it today? Think before you throw. The future of our nature is in our hands. If no one will throw their trash properly, then who will?

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