Plastic pollution is altering Earth system processes, exacerbating climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification and massive water and land use, according to a recent analysis.
Plastic should not be treated only as a waste problem, but as a product that harms ecosystems and human health, the authors stressed.
In 2022, at least 506 million tons of plastic were produced globally, but only 9% was recycled. The rest was burned, landfilled or dumped, allowing it to seep into the environment. Microplastics are now present everywhere, from the summit of Everest to the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth.
Only 9% of the total amount of plastic recycled in 2022
The authors of the research call on UN delegates to address the problem of plastic through its entire trajectory, from raw material extraction, production and use, to disposal and effects on the planetary system.
“It is necessary to consider the entire life cycle of plastic, starting with the extraction of fossil fuels and the production of primary plastic polymers,” said Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez, the paper’s lead author, from the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
Plastic, not as harmless as it seems
The research team demonstrated that plastic pollution alters the processes of the entire Earth system, affecting all major global environmental issues, including climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and freshwater and land use, according to The Guardian.
“Plastics are seen as inert products that protect our favorite possessions or make our lives easier, easily disposed of as waste. But the reality is different. Plastics contain thousands of chemicals, many of which, like endocrine disruptors, are toxic and harmful to ecosystems and human health,” said Villarrubia-Gómez.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
