SHOCKER: RECYCLING PLASTIC
IS MAKING OCEAN LITTER WORSE
.................................................................................................................................................................
Most of the plastic waste comes from just a few countries, mostly in Asia and Africa.
25% is “leakage” from Asian waste management processes — the rest is waste that has never been collected, but is simply thrown into rivers.
But European countries ship inject huge quantities of waste into Asian waste management streams, ostensibly for recycling. As much as 20% — millions of tons every year — ends up in the oceans and will continue to do so.
Since the Chinese banned waste imports at the start of the year, shipments have been diverted to other Asian countries with even weaker environmental controls (Figure 1).
EU recycling is therefore a major contributor to marine waste and increasing recycling will therefore simply increase marine litter.
Oddly enough...I don't notice a whole lot of litter where I live. We tend to pick up after ourselves. I dunno where the trash goes after that. Possibly to a government approved facility. If there's a problem then it's a problem caused by government.
- the EU is trying to redouble recycling efforts and to close down the incineration route, mistakenly believing that this will reduce carbon emissions.
A shortage of bottled pollution means Brits face beer, coke, bacon shortage
What goes around...comes around.
Didn’t realize incineration was actually practiced. Why don’t we use more of that? Or maybe we quit using so much plastic to begin with.
are you old enough to remember what it was like before plastic?
do you LIKE house fires caused by poorly insulated electric wiring?
Nope, I’m sure not! What was electrical wire like before plastic even? I’m not against all plastic; there are some really great uses for it.
the wires were insulated with cotton and paper.
(they don't insulate very well)
The 'evils' of plastic are WAY over blown.
Thanku for upvoting me and supporting me i am new on steemit
All that talk about "peak oil" ten years ago had me more concerned about what'll happen if we hit "peak plastics." (Since plastic is a petroleum derivative.) We might be able to get our energy from alternative sources but we'd be up the creek if we couldn't manufacture the stuff we rely on.
Of course neither situation has come to pass yet.
There is so much plastic produced and even more single use items than ever before and it's not going away. Not all plastic is bad of course, just need to find a more sustainable way to dispose of it!