The shocking truth about plastic and how it's killing usThe statement, "there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050", has taken centre stage in world media recently … and with good reason. Over the last 50 years alone, global plastic production has increased 20 times as shown in the graph below:(Global plastic production, megatonnes, 1917 to 2017) (Global plastic production, megatonnes, 1917 to 2017)As concerning as this explosive growth is, the projected growth curve for plastic production is even scarier, as the following graph shows:(Projected global plastics production to 2050)A critical attribute of plastic is that it cannot biodegrade. Microplastics are plastic particles measuring between 0.05mm and 5mm; and nanoplastics are particles 1 000 times smaller than an algal cell. Plastic impact on humansAlthough knowledge is limited with respect to the impacts of plastic on human health, the research conducted thus far is highly concerning. Plastic impact on landThe plastic waste situation is just as dire on land.

Source: News 24 April 26, 2018 12:45 UTC