Waste Management Problems: Plastic Seas

WASTE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS: Plastic seas

What a revolution meant in its day for its resistance, durability and lightness is, today, almost 150 years after its invention, a serious threat to our planet: we talk about plastic, and more specifically, of its waste.

Plastic production worldwide has gone from 2.3 million tons in 1950, to 359 million tons in 2018;57% ends in waste material. And it is that in the world less than fifth of the plastic material is recycled.

The story of the imperishable

In 1872 Alexander Parkes, professor of natural sciences at Birmingham University, patented Parkesina. From this firm but flexible substance, resulting from mixing nitrocellulose and camphor in a certain proportion, the celluloid was born, a thermoplastic without which the film industry would not have been the same. Almost at the same time, traveling identical period in time, vinyl polychloride (PVC) was discovered by accident, the most versatile derivative of the plastic that is known. However, the definitive support that introduced the world in what is known as the era of plastic, would not occur until 1907, when Leo Baekeland invented the Bakelita, a non -flammable synthetic resin.

It is estimated that since then, there have been about 8.300 tons of plastic;which would be equivalent to the total weight of one million Eiffel towers. The UN warns that, to the current rhythm, by 2050 humanity will live on a hill of 12 plastic spills of 12.000 million tons.

A recent study reveals that the amount of waste material generated is of such magnitude, which is being recorded in the geological sediments of the planet, starting what has already been called the anthropocene.

Plastic seas, seas of tears

Plastic deposits in the natural environment have a dramatic impact on oceans. There is not a single square kilometer of marine waters that is not contaminated by plastic particles, killing millions of marine species and threatening extinction to 700 of them. The figures are chilling: every year between 8 and 12 million tons of waste is poured into the sea;Of these, 15% float to drift, another 15% reaches the coast, and the rest sinks into the seabed … a sea of plastic that will cost us a sea of tears. We talk about a bundle disaster equivalent by impact and proportion to climate change.

A joint solution for a global problem

The solution to a global drama like this goes through the cooperation of all sectors of society, sensitizing, aware and implying:

• Citizens: generating awareness of the problem, promoting responsible consumption and promoting reuse, reduction and recycling.
• The scientific community: developing harmless and material formulas with the environment.
• Institutions: promoting prevention policies, favoring the circular economy and promoting waste management measures.

The evidence promises to devastate us in the form of plastic tsunami. We are all part of the problem;We must all be part of the solution.