In a study published this month in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers estimated that more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic weighing 268,940 tons are afloat in the world’s oceans. This plastic is a serious threat to wildlife, who often mistake the floating plastic as food or become entangled in plastic debris. The chemicals in these plastics also accumulate in the tissues of wild animals and the predators who eat them. Although this problem is enormous—quantifying its full extent will require additional studies, according to researchers—the solutions are easy: recycle plastic containers, discard plastic debris securely so that it cannot blow or wash into waterways, reuse plastics thoroughly before discarding and drastically reduce the consumption of plastic bags by using canvas shopping bags.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 00:30:03 +0000
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