Landfill areas are constantly being piled high with many different types of plastics. Biodegradable plastics are broken down and produce methane which is released into the air. Methane is 21 times more potent than gasoline. In landfills, there are many microorganisms which speed up the biodegradation of plastics.
Plastic waste, once thrown away can be buried deep in landfills. This can leach harmful chemicals that can spread into groundwater. Plastic that was not recycled often gets washed into streams, rivers, or lakes, which can then empty into the oceans and pollute the wildlife.
Plastic waste, which is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, often ends up in our landfills to decompose over thousands of years.
The large majority of plastic waste is destined for landfill which is widely thought to limit the impact through containment, however does not solve the problem.
In 2010, approximately 92% of all plastic waste ended up in landfills.
Global plastic consumption in the USA has gone from 5.5 million tons in the 1950s to 110 million tons in 2009. Today Americans discard about 33.6 million tons of plastic each year, but only 6.5% of it is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills where it takes up to thousands of years to decompose. Potential leakage of plastic products can pollute the soil and water.
Every piece of plastic ever disposed of into a landfill still exists. This is because plastic is not a natural product meaning that nature has no possible way to break it down. More plastic was manufactured in the last 10 years than through all of last century.
Plastic waste, once thrown away can be buried deep in landfills. This can leach harmful chemicals that can spread into groundwater. Plastic that was not recycled often gets washed into streams, rivers, or lakes, which can then empty into the oceans and pollute the wildlife.
Plastic waste, which is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, often ends up in our landfills to decompose over thousands of years.
The large majority of plastic waste is destined for landfill which is widely thought to limit the impact through containment, however does not solve the problem.
In 2010, approximately 92% of all plastic waste ended up in landfills.
Global plastic consumption in the USA has gone from 5.5 million tons in the 1950s to 110 million tons in 2009. Today Americans discard about 33.6 million tons of plastic each year, but only 6.5% of it is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills where it takes up to thousands of years to decompose. Potential leakage of plastic products can pollute the soil and water.
Every piece of plastic ever disposed of into a landfill still exists. This is because plastic is not a natural product meaning that nature has no possible way to break it down. More plastic was manufactured in the last 10 years than through all of last century.
Wikipedia, 18 of October 2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_pollution
Techno Kids, 2014 http://www.technokids.com/documents/intermediate/environment-plastic-pollution-fact-sheet.pdf
Plastic Waste Solutions, october 2014 http://plasticwastesolutions.com/plastic-litter/
Meat Free Designs, 2010 http://www.plasticoceans.net/the-facts/a-global-issue/
Plastic2oil, 2014 http://www.plastic2oil.com/site/problem
Columbia, 2014 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/31/what-happens-to-all-that-plastic/
Plastic Waste Solutions, October 2014 http://plasticwastesolutions.com
Techno Kids, 2014 http://www.technokids.com/documents/intermediate/environment-plastic-pollution-fact-sheet.pdf
Plastic Waste Solutions, october 2014 http://plasticwastesolutions.com/plastic-litter/
Meat Free Designs, 2010 http://www.plasticoceans.net/the-facts/a-global-issue/
Plastic2oil, 2014 http://www.plastic2oil.com/site/problem
Columbia, 2014 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/31/what-happens-to-all-that-plastic/
Plastic Waste Solutions, October 2014 http://plasticwastesolutions.com