Plastics pose one of the greatest threats to our environment. The chemicals used to produce plastics and the chemicals released are both harmful and have long term effects on humans, the environment and wildlife. Thousands of sea animals, birds and other marine mammals are killed each year after ingesting or getting entangled in plastic waste that we dispose of.
According to Sea Circular, an organization that inspires market-based solutions to solve marine pollution, more than 700 species of marine animals were discovered with traces of plastics in their digestive tracts.
How Plastics End Up in Our Bodies
It’s a fact that microplastics (1 – 5mm plastic diameter) and nanoplastics (200 nm in diameter) have been found in animals we eat. Microplastics enter an animal through its gills, nose or mouth and ultimately, they end up in our food and our bodies.
An estimated 4 – 12 million tons of plastics are disposed of in our oceans annually and 94.4% of tap water samples taken in North America were found to contain plastic fibers – the highest in the world. It seems to correlate with our excessive consumerism and our use of plastics in our everyday life.
It is predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastics in the ocean than fish. With that dark outlook, it’s definitely time to recognize the issues and make the right choices.