| Where Does All the Plastic Go? |
| Written by Rebecca Odenkirk | |
| Tuesday, 17 March 2009 | |
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Every year, the United States throws away millions of tons of trash. Of every ten tons of plastic waste, only one ton is recycled. What happens to the other nine tons? It goes to a landfill, where a large amount blows away. Eventually, most plastic trash enters the ocean. Plastic nurdles are a large part of that floating plastic. Nurdles are the little plastic pellets used in manufacturing. Some nurdles are lost in transport, from trains, trucks, and ships. When they escape on the wind and rain, they float down storm drains and rivers, into the ocean. There they join water bottles, gas cans and even kayaks. The sun begins to break the plastic into smaller pieces and dust size particles. Currents deposit the particles on our beaches and carry the rest out to a rotational dead zone, known as a gyre. The plastic debris and it's absorbed chemicals are trapped there, where it poisons the water. This floating garbage dump causes the water temperature to rise worsening global warming. Some estimates are that the debris, in the North Pacific Gyre, covers a space twice the size of Texas and weighs three million tons.
Every year, the United States throws away millions of tons of trash. Of every ten tons of plastic waste, only one ton is recycled. What happens to the other nine tons? It goes to a landfill, where a large amount blows away. Eventually, most plastic trash enters the ocean. Plastic nurdles are a large part of that floating plastic. Nurdles are the little plastic pellets used in manufacturing. Some nurdles are lost in transport, from trains, trucks, and ships. When they escape on the wind and rain, they float down storm drains and rivers, into the ocean. There they join water bottles, gas cans and even kayaks. The sun begins to break the plastic into smaller pieces and dust size particles. Currents deposit the particles on our beaches and carry the rest out to a rotational dead zone, known as a gyre. The plastic debris and it's absorbed chemicals are trapped there, where it poisons the water. This floating garbage dump causes the water temperature to rise worsening global warming. Some estimates are that the debris, in the North Pacific Gyre, covers a space twice the size of Texas and weighs three million tons. Turtles and other marine animals mistake the bits of plastic for food or get tangled in the debris. Most will die from choking, poisoning, or starvation. Tests show that plastic to plankton ratios are six to one. Although the EPA has known about this problem for years, they have done nothing about it. All five gyres in the world are polluted to some degree. The EPA has been studying the problem for more than a decade and we still have no regulations to control it. Keep in mind that there are five gyres in the world. A new technology called plasma gasification is on the horizon. Plasma gasification is a process that uses a plasma torch to burn trash, leaving no hazardous waste. This process produces hydrogen, which could be used for energy in the future. Testing, permits, and financing have to be completed, first. Recycling should be a way of life for all of us. Making new things from old trash is simply eco-smart. We can begin today to repair this planet by recycling our plastic trash. The Article Author: Rebecca Odenkirk is the webmaster for reducereuserecycle.biz and participates in several ecological organizations. To read other articles go to reducereuserecycle.biz |
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