Addressing the plastic problem
Excerpt
The problem with plastic materials is that many of them last forever. While some types are considered biodegradable, many require industrial-level processes to be recycled or broken down to harmless materials. Plastics are very useful for many industries. For example, up to a fourth of all packaging used globally are made of plastic. Plastic packaging helps food stay fresher, longer. Plastic containers also weigh less, contributing to fuel and transportation savings. Despite their usefulness, plastics are a serious problem. In a 2018 National Geographic article, the estimated amount of plastics used since the 1950s is estimated to be around 9.2 billion tons. Seventy-five percent of that — or some 6.9 billion tons — are already plastic waste material. Even worse, sixty-eight percent, or 6.3 billion tons, escaped into the environment, never making it to a waste basket or bin — let alone a proper waste disposal facility.
Citation
Angara, S. (2019, September 13). Addressing the plastic problem. Panay News, pp. 10, 14.
Associated content
Online versionSubject
Plastics; Waste disposal; Oceans; Fish; Animal welfare; Food chains; Litter; Marine debris; Environmental protection; Environmental restoration; Environmental legislation; Environmental degradation; National Geographic; Ocean Conservancy; McKinsey Center for Business and Environment; National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC); Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); Department of Science and Technology (DOST); Department of Agriculture (DA); Department of Health (DoH); Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); Board of Investment (BOI); Jambeck, Jenna; Sagan, Carl
Collections
- Panay News [1517]
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Duterte creates Manila Bay Task Force
(Manila Bulletin,February 22, 2019 , on page 1-6)President Duterte has ordered the creation of the Manila Bay Task Force that will expedite the rehabilitation, restoration, and conservation of the coastal and marine ecosystem of the Manila Bay. In Administrative Order ... -
Save Manila Bay
(Philippine Daily Inquirer,July 18, 2018 , on page A11)As a young boy, small pail in hand, I would gather mussels, shore crabs (which I knew as talangka), and fish along the breakwall of Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard, for my family’s meal. I imagined myself like the fishermen ... -
DENR yearend report 2019: Saving Manila Bay
(The Philippine Star,January 2, 2020 , on page B4)Early 2019 saw the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) rallying all concerned sectors to work together and support efforts to rehabilitate the heavily polluted Manila Bay. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu ...