How bad is single-use plastic?
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From up in the mountains to down on the seabed, plastic waste is everywhere. If we’re to end plastic pollution, the biggest contributors need to take responsibility and minimise the waste they’re creating. Find out why single-use plastic is such a problem and how to hold polluters to account.
What is single-use plastic?
Single-use plastic is plastic we use once and throw away, often as quickly as minutes, such as disposable cups at parties. Half of the plastic produced each year is single use, which is nearly the same weight as the entire human population. A lot of single-use plastic ends up in our oceans, and by 2050, there will be more plastic in our ocean than fish.
The plastic problem
Plastic pollution is any plastic which ends up in the environment. It’s incredibly harmful to all living things, as well as their habitats. It’s important to remember that plastic sticks around in the environment for ages, threatening wildlife and spreading toxins.
As much as 12 million tonnes of p...
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