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The extent of plastic air pollution has reached a stage that’s inconceivable to disregard; now we have coated Earth in plastic — from the heights of Mount Everest to the depths of the Mariana Trench.
We produce round 335 million metric tons of plastic a yr. And about half of that plastic is for single-use merchandise, like water bottles. But it’s not simply plastic water bottles and luggage littering the panorama, although now we have loads of that. Every yr, 8 million tons of plastic wash into our oceans, harming wildlife and pure ecosystems. And tiny items of plastics, or microplastics, are discovered within the oceans, soil, and even the rainwater. It’s no shock that also they are contaminating our food and drinking water.
The following infographic from ClimaDoor explores the extent and impacts of the plastics with which people have polluted the Earth. It additionally reveals what sort of waste is exhibiting up and a number of the completely different species that it impacts — from our rivers and mountains to our seashores and oceans.
Although the considered cleansing up our plastic-covered Earth is daunting, we are able to cease including to the present mess. Replace single-use plastics with reusable items. Learn which plastics your native recycling supplier accepts, and keep away from buying plastic gadgets which you could’t recycle. And let companies know that you just anticipate their merchandise and packaging to be sustainable.
This article was initially printed on February 13, 2020.
