How Exactly Plastic Harms the Environment

The fact that plastic in all forms is harmful to the earth is widespread, with little to no opposition on the subject. Companies have launched campaigns to promote recycling in order to mitigate the damage being output by this ever-growing problem, and other organizations have made it their goal to create awareness regarding how the plastic corrodes the planet. However, there are many people who, despite knowing that the presences of plastic in the environment is indeed harmful, do not know exactly why it is considered to be so, or what causes the damages.

The main reason that plastic is so dangerous to the natural world is simply that it is not biodegradable. Plastic does indeed break down over time, but it does not dissolve back into the earth as many materials do. Instead, it first becomes a smaller, fragmented version of itself and eventually a sort of plastic powder, which can then easily be ingested by animals, mix with water, or combine with the soil used to grow food. All of these may cause grave health concerns for not only humans, but all creatures surrounding the plastic contamination zone.

Another concern is plastic’s ability to both create and take in toxins as it breaks down into its smaller parts. Many plastics contain chemicals such as BPA, phthalates and flame retardants which can be released into the ground as the plastic grows old. Water bottles can also absorb pesticides and other harmful chemicals, and hold them in the earth for an extended period of time, meaning that the surrounding soil will remain contaminated for a much longer time than it might otherwise have.

The very act of creating plastics can be just as damaging as the products themselves. It is estimated that three hundred and thirty one billion drums of oil are used in the production of plastic products on an annual basis, a number which accounts for five percent of the oil consumption within the United States. Because plastic calls for such copious amounts of energy during its creation, it may be considered wasteful as well as environmentally harmful.

While recycling cannot solve all of these problems in entirety, it can certainly begin to lessen the spread of the effects across the globe by lessening the necessity of creating new plastic goods. Because knowledge is half of the battle, it’s imperative for individuals to know how and why plastic hurts the earth, rather than just knowing the fact at a surface level. To learn more about CRV plastic recycling in Imperial Beach, visit this website.