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IS POISONOUS PLASTIC BAGS of 2008, approximately 100 million tons of plas- tic waste circulated in this trash vortex. 70% , such as (PVC) and In the USA, approximately 380 billion plastic of it sinks to the ocean floor, which is why the polyurethane (PU), consist of poisonous sub- bags are used every year, which is the equivalent dramatic extent of the pollution is not visible stances and a high percentage of chloride, a of more than 1,200 plastic bags per American on the surface. highly toxic chemical element. Even though the citizen. About 2 billion liters of crude oil are production of (PS) requires less ad- needed for this. Worldwide, more than 600 billion LASTIC ONTENT OF THE CEANS ditives than PVC , the carcinogenic benzene plastic bags are produced each year. P C O is employed. Almost every synthetic material Plastic garbage is not only found in those trash contains toxic substances. Those substances, THE OCEAN – vortexes but is increasingly polluting all the such as hardeners, softeners, flame retardants A WASTE DISPOSAL SITE world‘s oceans. Estimates from the UN Envi- or stabilizers, are problematic not only during ronment Programme showed that in 2006 each the production process but also in daily use be- According to the UN, of the 300 million tons of square mile of the ocean contained 46,000 cause plastic – contrary to popular belief – does plastic produced in the world each year about floating plastic pieces. The latest research interact with other chemical substances. Usage, 6 million tons end up in the oceans. 80% of the shows that there is six times more plastic than abrasion or exposure to heat detectably cause waste is washed into the sea by rivers or carried vital plankton in the Earth’s oceans. In the trash those poisonous substances to dissolve out out to the ocean from garbage dumps by the vortexes, the ratio between plastic and plank- the plastic and to enter our organism and the wind. The remainder is carelessly or intentionally ton is even 40:1. environment. (PC) , for example, thrown overboard from big passenger ships, cargo vessels or fish trawlers. This plastic waste only contains the hardener (BPA), a syn- POISONING OF THE FOOD CHAIN thetic hormone that acts as an artificial estrogen slowly decomposes into small parts. Depending causing our bodies to feminize. The disruption on their constitution and the environmental con- Plastic pieces are synthetic (chemical of the hormone system caused by hormonally ditions, it can take centuries until they dissolve. compounds of chain molecules or branched effective substances is associated with prema- The duration and the extent of the concomitant molecules), which are extremely long-lasting. ture puberty in girls, adiposis in adults and teen- chemical pollution however are hardly assess- Characteristically, they also sequester danger- agers, type 2 , an increase in prostate able. We need to anticipate long-term and per- ous environmental pollutants such as DDT and breast cancer, as well as with low sperm count manent damage to our entire ecosystem. (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, an insecticide) and deformities of the sexual organs. BPA can and PCB (). Due to Estimated duration of the physical environmental influences, the plastic decom- be found in water bottles, comforters, micro- decomposition of plastic waste in the sea: wave dishes and in the internal coating of bev- poses into small particles (micro plastic) and erage and tin cans. Plastic bags: 20 Years releases dangerous chemicals into the oceans. These substances are then ingested by marine Thus the omnipresence of plastic has – from its Plastic cups: 50 Years production, use and disposal – harmful effects creatures. The toxic concentration in the food Plastic bottles: 450 Years on humanity and the environment. Considering chain increases with the size of the animal and the gigantic amounts of plastic produced and Fishing nets: 600 Years finally ends up on our plates. Marine animals and consumed worldwide each year, the issues de- birds perish by eating small plastic pieces mis- taking them for food. They feel full but finally scribed above become even more dramatic. RASH ORTEXES IN THE CEANS T V O starve to death with a trash-filled stomach. Sea Ocean currents create vortexes in which the waste turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, their MOUNTAINS OF PLASTIC products of civilization are accumulating. The principal food, and suffocate. In Hawaii alone, Worldwide, an unbelievable 300 million tons of biggest floating garbage dump – the “Great Pa- 200,000 albatrosses eat themselves to death plastic is produced each year. The majority of it cific Garbage Patch” – rotates between the North every year. All in all, 267 different animal spe- is made into disposable products, which end up American West Coast and Japan. It extends over cies worldwide fall victim to the waste. An es- at the waste or in the oceans after being a surface area of about 1.4 million km2, which is timated 100,000 marine animals get killed by used for just a short time. about twice the size of Texas. At the beginning plastic each year. – A REAL ALTERNATIVE ? SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION Plastics that are produced with renewable re- For a long-term and sustainable solution of the sources are classified as bioplastic. They can issues associated with plastic a fundamental UT consist of various starchy materials such as change in values and awareness is necessary. Plastic corn or potatoes. Biodegradable plastics are not On the one hand, scientists are called on to necessarily the same as because search for solutions which feature the conven- they may also be made from non-renewable iences of plastic without doing any harm to life. PROBLEMATIC O resources such as crude oil. Today, the share Following nature’s example, where all elements of bioplastic is 0.2%. Bioplastic can be a non- serve one another, new materials should be de- MATERIAL toxic, biodegradable alternative to conventional veloped that can not only be produced and dis- plastic products. Yet its eco-balance is dimin- posed of without harming the environment, but CH ished by the necessary intensive cultivation of also nourish another part of life or flow into the resources such as corn, wheat, potatoes and production process of new materials. sugar beet. Additionally, there is the danger In turn, the manufacturing industry must finally EA emanating from the use of pesticides, genetic assume its responsibility and put the well-being AT engineering and climate-damaging emissions of man and nature above short-term profits. S caused by long transportation routes. There- But first and foremost, every single person is fore, bioplastic is not necessarily an environ- asked to honor nature’s resources and all her mentally sustainable solution; more so as this gifts, to cherish and treat them with care so that W kind of plastic may contain softeners too. all life is preserved, nurtured and refined … and let’s not forget: HAT OU AN O AT RESENT W Y C D P THE TRULY IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE • As a rule of thumb: Reduce, reuse, recycle! ARE NOT MADE OF PLASTIC ! – • Reduce the use of disposable articles. • Shop with more awareness; favor natural materials and long-lasting products. Don’t follow every trend. • Buy second-hand articles. • Choose products with little packaging. Leave big wrapping in the shop in order

to sensitize the sales personnel. LASTIC • Use glass containers instead of plastic ones. The World Foundation for Natural Science Our world, our daily lives P • Choose reusable bags made of cloth or World Headquarters without plastic – it’s unimaginable. paper instead of disposable plastic bags. P.O. Drawer 16900, Washington, DC 20041, U.S.A. Plastic is light, unbreakable, durable Phone +1 (703) 631 1408  Fax +1 (703) 631 1919 • Avoid PVC and PC because of their and inexpensive, at least at first sight. high toxicity. European Headquarters Yet plastic is also poisonous and very P.O. Box 7995, CH-6000 Lucerne 7, Switzerland hazardous to our health and it is • Don’t drink bottled water and don’t eat Phone +41 (0)41 798 03 98 Fax +41 (0)41 798 03 99 mainly made of crude oil, which is meals from plastic containers. [email protected] www.naturalscience.org a non-renewable resource.

1st edition 10/12