{"id":1119,"date":"2018-05-30T12:32:34","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T12:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.alliedpumps.com.au\/?p=1119"},"modified":"2021-11-01T06:01:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-01T06:01:00","slug":"world-oceans-day-the-war-on-plastic-has-commenced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.alliedpumps.com.au\/?p=1119","title":{"rendered":"World Oceans Day: The War on Plastic has Commenced"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent\u00a0World Health Organization<\/a>\u00a0study detailing elevated levels of micro-plastics in bottled water shows we may be witnessing a poetic justice for our oceans. An upward of 90% of bottled water may contain micro-plastics that could damage human health, so while we have spent half a decade polluting the waterways with plastic, those water supplies may now be polluting us.<\/p>\n

From Bakelite Radio to the Bottle Top<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 1907, a Belgian-born American named Leo Hendrik Baekeland made a startling discovery: If you mix a phenol and formaldehyde,\u00a0you end up with a synthetic material with which you can use to make all sorts of exciting objects<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It did not take long for the invention to find its way into the everyday goods. These include telephones, snooker balls and radios.\u00a0During the 1940s, the industry kicked off the modest production of plastic bottles. These were\u00a0expensive to produce due to constraints in the manufacturing capabilities at the time<\/a>. This rapidly expanded into a global enterprise, producing more than\u00a0one-hundred million metric tons of plastic by 1989<\/a>.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

Image: http:\/\/www.darrinqualman.com\/global-plastics-production\/<\/small><\/p>\n

While plastic consumption stabilized in Europe at the turn of the millennium, we have witnessed the\u00a0rise of plastic production by a staggering 67.5 percent across the globe<\/a>\u00a0since 2002. Moreover, where\u00a0Europe has experienced modest population growth<\/a>\u00a0in the last fifteen years,\u00a0population expansion at a global level\u00a0remains on a steep upward trajectory.\u00a0As the global population grows and plastic consumption increases per capita, these two trends suggest the problem will only intensify.<\/p>\n

Seas of Plastic: What\u2019s to Blame?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Did you know we have\u00a0produced\u00a0a cumulative total of more than\u00a09 billion tons of plastic in the last 67 years<\/a>;\u00a0producing more plastic in the last ten years than during the whole previous century<\/a>.Just 9 percent of all plastic has ever been recycled; 12 percent incinerated<\/a>\u00a0and the remainder has made its way to landfill \u2013 or worse, the ocean. If we look for a primary suspect, most indicators point back to one thing: the invention of the plastic bottle, which is now used to excess and has resulted in the suspended islands of rubbish that now plague the globe.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

Image: http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-42264788<\/small><\/p>\n

In a recent discovery,\u00a0Captain Charles Moore drifted into a garbage patch<\/a>\u00a0greater in size than Mexico, which is yet another reminder of just how grave and under-estimated the current crisis is. The fact that such extensive wastelands have accumulated at sea with little-to-no realization\u00a0should sound the alarm.<\/p>\n

Even more arresting is an estimation that the seas contain a\u00a0plastic-to-plankton ratio of 1:2<\/a>. Given the importance of this tiny foodstuff in sustaining broader populations of marine life, there are significant grounds for concerns around micro-plastics entering the waterways.<\/p>\n

By many estimates,\u00a0most of the plastic ever produced is still in existence<\/a>. Most of plastics never biodegrade in a meaningful manner, instead break down into ever-smaller particles. The long-standing effect on the ocean is beyond comprehension.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s clear the plastic bottle has a lot to answer for, an equally disturbing fact points the finger in only a handful of directions.\u00a0Just\u00a0ten rivers across the globe contribute upwards of 90 percent of plastic pollution<\/a>. While such a concentration highlights that the few must take significant action to redress the imbalance, everyone has a pivotal role to play in reducing unnecessary consumption.<\/p>\n

How to Turn the Tide on Ocean Pollution<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Several Australian stores have already taken measures to ban plastic bags. Others have removed plastic from produce lines,\u00a0which could save as much as 25 ton of packaging annually<\/a>. A\u00a0store in Amsterdam recently unveiled the first plastic-free aisle<\/a>\u00a0in what could be a watershed moment for the world. Should such an initiative prove to be successful,\u00a0others could soon follow suit.<\/p>\n

There are many simpler ways you can contribute to reducing plastic pollution.<\/p>\n

Say No to Single Use:<\/strong>If you\u2019re offered a single-use item such as straws, bottles, cutlery, coffee cups or plastic bags, just say no.\u00a0Australians go through as many as 13 million new bags a day<\/a>. Carry your own reusable version such as reusable metal straws, invest in refillable bottles and\u00a0bottleless water coolers<\/a>\u00a0to stay hydrated, cloth bags for your groceries and refillable coffee cups. You can also join\u00a0The Last Straw campaign<\/a>\u00a0and help end single-use for good.<\/p>\n