Why Plastic Is Bad for the Earth

As people across the globe begin making a greater effort to reverse the effects of climate change, there is more information out there about how exactly we as human beings are harming our planet.

While you’ve probably heard that plastic is bad for our environment, you may not know why. Read on to find out….

Why is plastic bad for our oceans?

It is estimated that 8 million tons of discarded plastic from coastal nations ends up in the ocean each year. Some of this trash will end up washing up on the shore, and some will find its way to the bottom of the ocean, where it can take up to 400 years to decompose.

The plastic in the ocean kills millions of creatures every year. Microplastics, which are the result of plastic being broken down into tiny particles by sunlight, wind, and waves, have been found in 100 aquatic species, and animals such as seals, turtles, and whales are often found strangled by plastic items that we’ve thrown away.

Once it’s in the sea, plastic waste is very difficult to retrieve.

Why is plastic harmful to our land?

Very little of the plastic we use is recycled, and when it doesn’t end up in the ocean, most of it ends up in landfills, where it can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. While it’s busy breaking down, it also causes toxic stuff to leak out into our soil and our air.

Many land-based mammals, such as elephants, camels, tiger, cattle, hyenas, and rhinos, have been known to consume plastics, which can cause illness or even death.

Why is the amount of plastic we use increasing?

Plastic may be creating massive problems for our environment, but this problem is relatively new. In fact, we’ve only been making plastics from fossil fuels for the last 100 years or so. The problem is that production of plastics seems to increase exponentially. Half of the plastic littering our earth has been produced in the last 15 years, and it’s predicted that plastic production could double by 2050. 

What can we do about plastic harming our environment? 

Try and buy stuff which is made from materials other than plastic. Particularly, it’s best to avoid single-use plastics, which are things made to be used once and thrown away, ending up in our oceans and landfills. Where possible, buy stuff that you can use again and again. All Two Pillars products are made from food-grade silicone rather than plastic — check out one of our products, Duo Cover, here. We’ve even taken an eco-pledge, committing to do our bit to reduce the harmful effects of plastics on our world.

Conclusion

If we keep going at this rate, we may end up living on a pile of trash like the little robot in Wall-E. The good news, however, is that we are becoming aware of how much of a problem plastics can be for the earth, which means we can all do our bit to stem the tide of plastic pollution.

By refusing to buy single-use plastic products, we can all do our bit to help save our planet.