Since 1950, the world produced more than 9.1 billion tons of plastic, enough to bury Manhattan to a depth of over two miles.
This is evidenced by a new study published in the journal Science Advances.
«We are on the road to planetary disaster,» says Roland Geyer, the study’s lead author, industrial ecologist, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Plastic boom began after world war II, and now plastic is everywhere: bottles, mobile phones, refrigerators, cars, clothing, pipes — in short, everywhere.
The study authors calculated that of the 9.1 billion tons recycled only 9%, 12% is burned, in the end the 5.5 billion tons of plastic waste is in the water and on land. And plastic, as is known, practically does not decompose. Most plastic manufactures China, followed by European countries and then North America.
«Every year the growth of production is only increasing, and it is unlikely that in the near future something has changed,» says Geyer.
This is despite the fact that the plastic industry has recognized the problem and is working to increase recycling and reduce waste.
«Plastic is used because it is efficient, cost-effective,» says Steve Russell, a representative of the American Council on chemistry. «And if we didn’t have, a negative impact on the environment would be even worse.»
Russell added that the use of plastic alternatives — glass, paper or aluminum, requires high energy and, consequently, material costs.
According to Nancy Wallace, Director of the National office of oceanic and atmospheric researches of the USA, plastic waste in water damage to more than 600 species of sea creatures. Because of this, die whales, sea turtles, dolphins, fish and sea birds.
