Plastic to outweigh fish in oceans by 2050
The World Economic Forum
(WEF) has warned that increased plastic production and use, coupled with its
low recycling is fast flooding the world's oceans. Plastic will outweigh fish
in oceans by 2050, according to the WEF.
Plastic is fast being
used as a packaging material with estimates suggesting its use has risen by
20-fold over the last 50 years due to its low cost of production. If the trend
continues, plastic will continue to be used at the same rate if not more.
After conducting interviews with some 180 experts, the WEF said in a report:
"After a short first-use cycle, 95% of plastic packaging material value,
or $80b (£57b) to $120b (£85b) annually, is lost to the economy." The low
reuse rate of plastic in
comparison to other materials, like paper, along with its low recyclability, which
is estimated at 14 per cent, further adds to the growing plastic garbage
pollution.
The world is throwing the
equivalent of a rubbish truck of plastic waste into the oceans every minute and
the rate of pollution only likely to increase
It is estimated that by 2050 not only will plastic outweigh fish
in the world's oceans but
the material will also make up 15 per cent of the total carbon budget in the
world, as compared to one per cent in 2016, reported CNN.
While the global plastic production is expected to increase by three times in
2050, the WEF says there is still room to control the damage done by the
plastic economy. The pricing of plastic bags is one of the strategies to cut
down on plastic garbage.
If no action taken, four garbage truck-loads of plastic will be entering
the oceans every minute by 2050
Following the implementation of the minimum 5p ($0.08)charge for using a
plastic bag in supermarkets and other such major retailers in the UK,
Environment minister Rory Stewart said: "We're all guilty of taking a
carrier bag from a supermarket, storing it somewhere safe at home with the
intention of using it again, then forgetting to take it with us next time we go
to the shops.
"But the more bags
we take, the more plastic makes its way into our environment, blighting our
high streets, spoiling our enjoyment of the countryside, and damaging our
wildlife and marine environments. Simple changes to our shopping routines, such
as taking our own bags with us or using more bags for life, can make a huge difference
in reducing the amount of plastic in circulation meaning we can all enjoy a
cleaner, healthier country."
Post a Comment