April 04, 2023
Listen Green Technology is devoted to fighting the global plastic pollution crisis and developing and promoting the soundest ways to combat it. This is a fight we have been in for decades, and it is one that is needed to be fought urgently. Plastic pollution is a global issue that can no longer be ignored.
There has been some progress recently dealing with plastic reduction and the recycling and discarding of plastic, however plastic production continues to increase in most countries of the world.
What is the Issue?
Plastic waste is a behemoth of a problem. The exact number in unclear, but experts agree that upwards of 300 million tons of plastic is produced annually, and of that 14 million tons of plastic in up in the oceans. On top of that, there are tons of plastic that end up in landfills or out in the environment. This can lead to the contamination of both land and water with plastic debris. To make matters worse, plastic does not degrade easily and can stay in the environment for generation.
Causes and Effects of Plastic Pollution
One of the main cause of plastic pollution is the use of single use plastics. Common single use plastics include water bottles, straws, food containers, plastic bags and plastic packaging. As the name suggests this type of plastic is designed to be used once and then disposed of. This has the potential to cause a number of issues. While single-use plastics have made our lives convenient, this has come at a cost.
One of the big problem relates to the improper disposal of plastic. Much of the plastic waste comes from the single-use plastic types which are not always recycled. As a result, these plastics build up in the environment and ultimately cause plastic pollution. Nearly 55% of these plastics will end up in landfills, and 25% are destined for incineration. It is estimated that burning plastic in a single year will add 850 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Carbon emissions also occur when the plastic industry produces new plastics since they use fossil fuels in their construction. This means that when plastic is disposed of through incineration the harmful effects are duplicated at the start and end of its life cycle. When this life cycle consists of just a single use it means the plastic material has a high cost in terms of environmental impact and for climate change.
Outside of recycling or incinerating, some plastics are just thrown away and left to decompose. One of the problems of this is leachate, a chemical leakage in to the Earth. Plastics that are not disposed off correctly can also enter the waterways and in turn, the world’s oceans. Plastic waste accumulates in the oceans, lakes, and rivers, and can wipe off sea life. While fishing equipment and lines are a big source of plastic pollution in the ocean, other forms of plastic such as single use plastics are also major contributors. In fact, 20% of ocean plastics is from sea-based sources while 80% of the plastics found in the ocean are from land based sources.
As mentioned, plastic also contains various toxins, which can leach into the environment and contaminate water sources. This can cause serious health problems for animals and humans.
The Microplastics Problem
In addition to the plastic waste problem, there is also the problem of microplastics. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic, which are smaller than 5mm in size. These microplastics come from the breakdown of larger plastic materials, such as bottles and bags, and can accumulate in the environment. Animals can ingest plastic, and micro plastics have been found in the stomachs of marine life. The ingestion of plastics can cause the death of the animal, disrupting the lifecycle, food chains and the ecosystem that the animal is a part of. When this is disrupted, biodiversity can also be impacted and the environmental impact can be huge. In the marine environment all creatures are affected by plastic pollution. From fish, plankton to seabirds. Over 900 species of marine megafauna (birds, turtles, whales and dolphins) have been found to ingest or get entangled in marine debris
Recently, microplastic particles have even been found in human blood and they have been found to hide a neurological toxin in our food supply. The long term effects of this are still to be understood fully.
Once microplastics enter the environment they can be extremely difficult to deal with. Ultimately the best way to tackle issues surrounding microplastics is to address the tons of plastic that enter the environment in the first place through proper waste management, before they get a chance to break down into microplastics and cause environmental harm.
Reducing Plastic Usage
If a business wants to lighten its carbon footprint, or if it needs to meet mandated plastic reduction, it is not as simple as switching to a new material. The manufacturer of aluminium cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles all have a cost on the environment. Switching from plastic to one of the other materials may have some environmental benefits (plastic being a potential pollutant) but the real gains are found in terms of the products recyclability and the ability to recycle the material in the first place. Since in many locations all rubbish will end up being disposed of together and is not recycled at all, any material will likely have some negative environmental impact, especially if its primary purpose is single use only.
GEX eggshell bio-calcium can answer this issue beautifully. Not only can it reduce up to 50% of plastic for most plastic products, the end product made with GEX is 100% recyclable. AND, GEX can be used with PCR plastic, reducing total carbon by over 70%.
GEX is also a much simpler and cheaper solution. If a cosmetic brand has a face cream currently being packaging in a plastic needs to reduce plastic or meet their own sustainability goals or to meet an upcoming mandate, they can either reduce packaging size or find a new material. both options will take a long time and will cost lots of money. Moreover, the entire chain from production, decoration, testing, shipping, and even shelving will need to be changed.
With GEX, the product can pretty much keep the same form, but will just have, perhaps, 35% less plastic. Nothing else needs to be changed or disrupted.
Listen Green Technology will continue developing new technologies and materials to fight the plastic crisis, and we are ready to work with you to reach your sustainability goals.
