Garbage, the most common product in our daily life, is made and discarded every day without exception - where do these discarded garbage end up? How to dispose of the massive garbage produced by millions or even hundreds of millions of people in many cities across the country?
The survey shows that part of the massive garbage produced by human beings flows into the ocean. The largest amount of marine garbage in the world is plastic. Although the exact amount is unknown, it is reported that "almost all the garbage accumulated in the open sea is plastic garbage".
It is estimated that 640000 tons of fishing nets and other equipment are discarded in rivers, lakes, oceans and other waters every year.
The ocean is the "largest public property on earth", including the high seas. With the continuous accumulation of plastics as synthetic materials in the ocean, the harmful effects on the environment, society, economy and other fields are also increasing.
The world's first synthetic resin into plastic was in 1907. After that, plastics have greatly changed people's lives.
Looking back on the history of plastics, we are surprised to find that the reason for the production of plastics is actually environmental protection.
Specifically, it is mainly reflected in two aspects:
01
First, to protect wild animals. Replacing decorations made of ivory and tortoise shells with plastic materials can reduce the killing of elephants and turtles.
02
Second, the waste produced in the refinery is made into plastic particles to make it have economic value, that is, waste utilization.
After World War II, with the rise of the middle class, plastic became a symbol of "democratization in the cultural field".
From 1940s to 1950s, the output of plastics increased sharply, which promoted social development.
Although the birth of plastic is only a few decades ago, it has become a "waste" thing in people's daily life. As the raw material of plastic products, the output of plastic particles has expanded from 1.5 million tons in the 1950s to more than 300 million tons today, equivalent to an average annual increase of 4%. Among them, the raw material of fiber products is synthetic fiber of 37.2 million tons, and the synthetic rubber used for automobile tires is 6.4 million tons. It is said that this year's production will consume about 4% of global oil production.
There are regional differences in the use of plastics. For example, in 2015, the per capita consumption of plastics in North America and Western Europe was 140 kg; The per capita consumption of Asian countries is much lower than this figure; Africa is even lower, only 16 kg.
There is no denying that plastic is a revolutionary material with a wide range of applications. It is light and durable, has the characteristics of bending and extension, and can be produced cheaply; Moreover, adding additives to plastics can make them have the special properties of "arbitrary use". For example, after adding additives such as bisphenol A and phthalate, plastics have the characteristics of water resistance and non flammability.
Although plastic waste can be completely treated by incineration, it is extremely dangerous if professional technology and corresponding conditions are not adopted.
It is reported that about 270000 people die from respiratory diseases caused by waste incineration every year.
The European Commission said that we are facing a tragedy caused by inadequate management of plastics. Plastics discarded due to endless overproduction, consumption and inappropriate waste management system have become the worst environmental problem in the 21st century. It has caused serious consequences not only for fisheries, tourism and shipping, but also for ecosystem and human happiness.
How much plastic waste is polluting the ocean? It is not clear. Nowadays, marine plastic pollution has become a global problem, and is deteriorating year by year.
According to the Research Report of Professor Gaya of the University of California in the United States, by 2015, the global output of pure plastic had reached 8.3 billion tons. It is estimated that the cumulative amount of plastic waste and recycled plastic waste reached 6.3 billion tons, of which 12% of plastic waste was incinerated, about 9% was recycled, and the remaining 79% (about 4.9 billion tons) were discarded at will and stored in waste landfills or natural environment.
According to the current production and waste management, it is estimated that by 2050, about 12 billion tons of plastic waste will be accumulated in landfills and natural environment. By that time, the plastic industry will consume 20% of the global oil production.
According to the report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2018, the global annual use of plastic bags is 1 trillion to 5 trillion.
If calculated according to 5 trillion, 10 million plastic bags are discarded every minute. If these plastic bags are sewn up, they can wrap the whole earth seven times.
People use a lot of plastic products, but also produce a lot of plastic waste, which is closely related to the pollution of marine plastic waste. According to the report of the International Union for the conservation of nature (IUCN) in 2017, 9.5 million tons of plastic waste flow into the sea every year.
What do these numbers mean?
What are the consequences of the garbage we throw away every day?
How terrible is "marine plastic pollution"?
Do you choose to "turn a blind eye" or "go all out"?
"70% of the world is covered by oceans. Our planet is a blue planet..."
People are familiar with this sentence,
But I have to admit that the underwater world has long been full of problems,
When people pay attention to the flexibility of underwater creatures and the beauty of the underwater world,
Often overlooked——
The sea that can heal people also needs our protection.
Contact Person: Mr. Fan
Tel: 86-13764171617
Fax: 86-0512-82770555
