A blog set out to explore, archive & relate plastic pollution happening world-wide, while learning about on-going efforts and solutions to help break free of our addiction to single-use plastics & sharing this awareness with a community of clean water lovers everywhere!

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

These 27 Powerful Photos Will Make You Swear Off Plastic Forever

Published on Distractify

Over the last ten years, humans produced and consumed more plastic than during the entire 20th century. Fifty percent of these plastic products and packages are used just once before we throw them away. Of course, there is no away. Except for the small percentage that is incinerated (mmm, air pollution) virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form.
 
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Plastic accounts for around 10 percent of the total waste we generate.

Plastic%20accounts%20for%20around%2010%20percent%20of%20the%20total%20waste%20we%20generate.
bloomberg.comPlastics at a Japanese recycling facility.

The average American throws away approximately 185 pounds of plastic per year.

The%20average%20American%20throws%20away%20approximately%20185%20pounds%20of%20plastic%20per%20year.
dw.deA Chinese worker labors in front of a big pile of waste plastic bottles at a recycling station in Zhengzhou city, central Chinas Henan province, 2010.

A big portion of that is in the form of plastic bags.

A%20big%20portion%20of%20that%20is%20in%20the%20form%20of%20plastic%20bags.
artnak.net"Plastic Bag Monster," a public installation by Slovenian artist Miha Artnak.

The world consumes more than one million bags per minute.

The%20world%20consumes%20more%20than%20one%20million%20bags%20per%20minute.
artnak.comThe monster is made from 40,000 used plastic bags and 7,500 used plastic cups.

centralasianThe Recycling Labyrinth--an art installation made from 8,000 plastic bottles and placed near UN building in Geneva, 2011.

That works out to about 1,500 plastic bottles per second.

That%20works%20out%20to%20about%201%2C500%20plastic%20bottles%20per%20second.
MSLK DesignLast year, MSLK Design hung 1,500 plastic water bottles strung together to visualize 1 second of US consumption (Governor's Island, NYC).

If you think all that plastic waste just ends up in landfills, far away from where you live, think again.

If%20you%20think%20all%20that%20plastic%20waste%20just%20ends%20up%20in%20landfills%2C%20far%20away%20from%20where%20you%20live%2C%20think%20again.
plasticpollutionPlastic waste being skimmed from the mouth of the Los Angeles River in Long Beach, California.

Plastic constitutes approximately 90 percent of all trash floating on the ocean’s surface, with 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile.

Plastic%20constitutes%20approximately%2090%20percent%20of%20all%20trash%20floating%20on%20the%20ocean%u2019s%20surface%2C%20with%2046%2C000%20pieces%20of%20plastic%20per%20square%20mile.

That enough to cover 40 percent of the world's ocean surfaces.

That%20enough%20to%20cover%2040%20percent%20of%20the%20world%27s%20ocean%20surfaces.
thebigdurianNariman Point, Mumbai (2007)

This floating plastic breaks down into such small segments that the pieces from just ONE liter bottle could end up on every mile of beach in the world.

This%20floating%20plastic%20breaks%20down%20into%20such%20small%20segments%20that%20the%20pieces%20from%20just%20ONE%20liter%20bottle%20could%20end%20up%20on%20every%20mile%20of%20beach%20in%20the%20world.%20
telegraph.co.ukOn certain Hawaiian beaches, these plastic particles outnumber sand grains until you dig down about a foot.

All this microscopic plastic debris has given birth to a new type of rock: Plastiglomerate.

All%20this%20microscopic%20plastic%20debris%20has%20given%20birth%20to%20a%20new%20type%20of%20rock%3A%20Plastiglomerate.
livescience.comThe rock is the result of melted plastic trash on beaches mixing with sediment, basaltic lava fragments and organic debris, such as shells.

Centuries from now, plastiglomerate is how our generation will be remembered in the geological record.

Centuries%20from%20now%2C%20plastiglomerate%20is%20how%20our%20generation%20will%20be%20remembered%20in%20the%20geological%20record.
livescience.com

One million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans.

One%20million%20sea%20birds%20and%20100%2C000%20marine%20mammals%20are%20killed%20annually%20from%20plastic%20in%20our%20oceans.
algalitaShark carcass on Kamilo Beach, Hawaii.

44 percent of all seabird species, 22 percent of cetaceans, all sea turtle species, and a growing list of fish species have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies.

44%20percent%20of%20all%20seabird%20species%2C%2022%20percent%20of%20cetaceans%2C%20all%20sea%20turtle%20species%2C%20and%20a%20growing%20list%20of%20fish%20species%20have%20been%20documented%20with%20plastic%20in%20or%20around%20their%20bodies.
coastalcare.orgMidway atoll, bird corpse.
zoo.org.au A wild Australian Bowerbird with a milk bottle ring tightly wedged around its neck.

The only way to end this madness is to seek out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on.

The%20only%20way%20to%20end%20this%20madness%20is%20to%20seek%20out%20alternatives%20to%20the%20plastic%20items%20that%20you%20rely%20on.
takepart.comHuman sized bottles filled with bottles collected by one man, over the course of one year, on the beach at Point Reyes, California.

When absolutely necessary (or unavoidable) to use plastic, choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE). They're the easiest to recycle.

When%20absolutely%20necessary%20%28or%20unavoidable%29%20to%20use%20plastic%2C%20choose%20%231%20%28PETE%29%20or%20%232%20%28HDPE%29.%20They%27re%20the%20easiest%20to%20recycle.
thegreendivas.com

Look around you. How much plastic waste do you see?

Look%20around%20you.%20How%20much%20plastic%20waste%20do%20you%20see%3F
surfinggreen.com.auPlastic pollution will be an ecological disaster in years to come if we don’t act. "We are using more plastic now than ever before and we’re not managing it properly," said Tim Silverwood, founder of the not-for-profit organisation Take 3, which asks every person to simply take three pieces of rubbish with them when they leave the beach, waterway or…anywhere.
For more info on how to take your home, office, campus, or church plastic-free, visit plasticpollutioncoalition.org.
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2 comments:

  1. JayAugust 7, 2014 at 3:05 AM

    Hi Melanie, good pics. Here's some info re what we're doing about the plastic soup...and all the other crap humans toss.

    Best from Montana,

    Jay

    http://www.biorootenergy.com/
    http://www.fb.com/biorootenergy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dr Purva PiusSeptember 19, 2016 at 12:06 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

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