TTHE BASICS OF PLASTIC WASTE
May 14, 2025
Plastic is unique—but for the wrong reason. Unlike paper, or food, or some other materials, plastic doesn’t just disappear—it decomposes into smaller and smaller pieces (microplastics).
In fact, most types of plastic stays with us (in some form) for decades or even centuries
. Plastic is present throughout the Earth, from the highest points of mountains to the bottom of the ocean. So, what does this have to do with climate change, and with us humans?
Plastic is produced for various purposes, from industrial to consumer goods; and, many of those goods are disposed soon after use (such are plastic shopping bags, straws, food containers, packaging, etc.).
Once disposed, many of them end up in the ocean (a dumping place for plastic), where they decompose into ever‑smaller pieces. These pieces remain there in physical form (oftentimes eaten by fish, as they inevitably mistake it for food), as well as causing the ocean water to become more acidic … the acidic water, in turn, affects all marine life (including fish and underwater plants) … some of which ends up on our plates as seafood.
But, compromised seafood from polluted waters is only a small part of the trouble with unrestrained production and use of plastic.
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THE ESSENCE
THE DETAILS
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A very large portion of the plastic waste in the ocean is generated by individual consumers. Literally, the ocean provides for life on Earth because: it produces oxygen, regulates the climate, and facilitates transportation and global trade for nearly all countries on Earth. Human life on the land would not be possible without the ocean.
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the nitty‑gritty
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THE LIFE OF PLASTIC, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
  • HOW LONG DOES PLASTIC LIVE, AND WHERE DOES IT GO?
    • Plastic takes about
      20‑600 years
      to decompose, and even then, much of it doesn’t fully disappear—it just gets smaller and smaller
      • On average, a plastic shopping bag takes 20 years, while a plastic bottle takes 450 years to decompose (as does a disposable diaper)
      • About one in three fish for human consumption contains plastic
      • Microplastics can be found in tap water, in salt, and in the air
      • It has been estimated that humans ingest a credit card worth of plastic per week (in other words, our actions come back to haunt us—just in an invisible way)
        So, where does disposed plastic go? Oftentimes, it comes back to us … into our bodies, quite literally.
  • INSIGHTS ON PLASTIC POLLUTION
    • Plastic production began in 1907, and increased to about 500 million tonnes per year, today
    • Just in the last two decades, plastic production has more than doubled
    • About 0.5% of plastic waste ends up in the ocean—and, even only that 0.5% amounts to approximately 33 billion pounds per year (that is about 8 million pieces disposed per day)
    • More than 1 million plastic bags end up in the trash every minute, worldwide
    • The very meaning of the word ‘plastic’ is: artificial, unnatural. Therefore, plastic contains chemicals that can interfere with the human body’s hormone system, reproductive system, and neurological system
  • THE EVERYDAY CONSEQUENCES OF A POLLUTED OCEAN
    (It doesn’t only affect our food and the air we breathe. It also affects the land under our feet and our homes.)
    • Plastic pollution ⟶ Contributes to Climate Change ⟹ Changes in qualities of the ocean: becomes more acidic, and warmer ⟹ Sea‑level rise ⟹ Flooding, shoreline erosion, increased frequency and strength of storms ⟹ The everyday life of populations in coastal areas are turned upside‑down
    • Aspects of everyday life of coastal populations affected by sea‑level rise: Roads, bridges, infrastructure, transportation, business, power plants, sewage systems, hospitals, stores, food supply, food quality
    • In the United States alone, 30% of the population lives in coastal areas
    • There are about 11,000 permanently inhabited islands in the world (as of 2024), with 730 million inhabitants (that’s nearly 10% of the world population). They are the first, and most at risk people to the consequences of oceanic climate change
    • There are many more uninhabited islands in the world
  • ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS & HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS
    • ENVIRONMENTAL: More than 1500 marine species ingest plastic (unavoidably from the water, or mistaking it for food), suffocating, or becoming entangled in plastic, and even die, consequently
    • ENVIRONMENTAL: In 2019, plastic products were responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with 90% of these emissions coming from the conversion of fossil fuels into new plastic products
      • Consumer demand for plastic products ⟶ Conversion of fossil fuels into new plastic products ⟹ Greenhouse gas emissions + New plastic in the world that never degenerates ⟶ Consumers dispose the plastic products ⟶ More plastic into the ocean ⟹ Growth of plastic pollution of the seas and marine life ⟹ More microplastics into the air through the oxygen that the ocean generates ⟹ Microplastics in the air we (humans) breathe and in the food we eat
    • HUMAN HEALTH: Microplastics have been found in human livers, kidneys, placentas
    • HUMAN HEALTH: Chemicals from plastic can leach into tap water ⟹ developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders
      • ⟶ next
      • ⟵ back
      • ⟹ consequently
      • ⟸ as said before
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WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
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Decreasing the use of plastic products in our everyday consumption is one of the most impactful habits that an individual or family can do in order to refrain from making climate change worse. The reason: plastic doesn’t degrade completely like food or paper—it only decomposes into smaller and smaller pieces. In fact, most types of plastic stay with us (in some form) for decades or even centuries.
USE LESS, OR USE PAPER OR OTHER MATERIAL PRODUCTS, INSTEAD OF PLASTIC
If available, use paper products (e.g. paper plates, straws, etc.). But still, only when there are no other options.
High‑quality products last longer, and most often also provide a more enjoyable benefit. If you must buy plastic, this will help cut down on plastic waste.
BUY HIGH‑QUALITY, LONG‑LASTING PLASTIC PRODUCTS
USE RE‑USABLE SHOPPING BAGS
One of the most frequent habits of plastic waste involve the use of plastic shopping bags. From store to home … a plastic bag’s average useful life is less than an hour. But afterwards, its polluting (and useless) life lasts for about 20 years.
Recycling means, giving a chance for the plastic to be reused for manufacturing other products; hence, cutting down on the ever‑growing amount of plastic produced, lurking around on Earth for decades or even centuries.

And yet, recycling is only a ‘less bad’ option, compared to not recycling. The ‘more good’ option is to not buy it, in the first place. Buy something else, other than plastic.
RECYCLE
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