Question: What is plastic pollution?
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Plastic is polluting to you and your environment in ways you may never have fathomed.
Due to its composition, it never disappears, at least not on any documented time scale. Upon reaching the sea, exposure to sunlight and wave action cause it to fragment into smaller and smaller pieces, becoming microplastic and further into nanoplastic.
That plastic-lined coffee cup discarded 20 years ago is still sitting in a drain somewhere, or washed into the sea. Plastic is being ingested at an increasing rate by an alarming number of marine species, including about 170 different types of seafood commonly consumed by humans. Microplastic has been found in plankton, table salt, beer and honey. It may be in your food chain, whether you eat seafood or not.
A further problem is that plastic acts like a sponge for other water-borne contaminants, such as DDT and PCBs, which are probable and known human carcinogens respectively.
Scientists are investigating the extent to which these transfer into the blood stream of fish and ultimately humans.
Plastic threatens to contaminate food, but let's not forget many foods are also packaged in plastic. Potentially harmful compounds found in plastic packaging, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates (plastic softeners) have been found to leach into food and drink. Most scientists agree BPA concentrations are too low to be harmful to our health. However, in response to concerns, Australia began a phase-out of BPA in baby bottles in 2010.
Phthalates have recently been found in some popular foods in quantities exceeding international safety limits, triggering more research. Single-use disposable plastics are not only polluting your body, your ocean, your beach and other public spaces but are also causing havoc in shire waste management, costing you dollars.
Darryn Westman, manager of Handybins Waste Services Coffs Harbour, says: "Plastic bags are the single biggest problem in the efficient processing of household waste in NSW."
All this is compounded by the volume of disposable plastic being discarded. It amounts to hundreds of millions of tonnes per annum. This is why countries and cities worldwide are banning plastic bags, bottles, cups, straws, cutlery and styrofoam.
.Response by: Anthony Hill, plasticpollution solutions.com.au
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