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Plastic Is Killing Us
How the plastic revolution threatens our species.
Plastic Planet
Since the invention of plastics in the 1950s, humanity has produced an estimated 8 billion tonnes, with only around 10% being recycled.
Most goes to landfills where it gradually breaks down into so-called ‘microplastics’ and ‘nanoplastics,’ tiny pieces of material (often the size of dust particles) which then seep into the surrounding land and river systems to be consumed by plant or animal life, and then consumed by us.
This means that the entire food chain becomes contaminated with the chemicals within. This is so widespread that it is likely that every species on the planet has been exposed to some variety of plastic contamination. For instance, there are numerous species of the deep ocean which we have only recently discovered that have been shown to be totally contaminated with microplastic.
Alongside animal life, microplastic has reached to the very ends of the Earth. A National Geographic study concludes that microplastics are now present on every surface of the Earth.
Why is this? It’s because these plastics are composed of a cocktail of chemicals which make them durable and resistant to environmental stress.
