Environmental Impact of Plastic Pollution

Plastic Pollution

• 8 million metric tons of plastic trash enter the sea from land every year, equivalent to five plastic bags filled with trash for every foot of coastline in the world.
• Plastic trash flows into ocean circulation, dispersing everywhere and concentrating in huge swathes in global currents.
• Plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, is ingested by species across the marine world, and sinks to the bottom of the sea.

Solutions to Plastic Pollution

• To solve the plastic packaging problem, we need to rethink the entire system from linear (take, make, dispose) to a circular economy where plastic can be recovered and fed back into the economy as a valuable material.
• The ultimate goal is to design an economy where plastic packaging never becomes waste, requiring every player in the chain to change their ways.

Marine Pollution

• Marine pollution comes in many forms, including industrial, agricultural, and urban waste.
• This waste fuels explosions of algae, robbing marine ecosystems of oxygen and creating dead zones.
• There are already over 400 dead zones across the globe.

Nutrient Pollution

• Nutrient pollution from agriculture can be managed through changes in major contributing systems.
• Soil health is critical for water quality, and improving soil organic matter is key to holding onto nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
• Organic matter keeps nutrients from leaching out of the soil, benefiting both farmers and water quality.

Changing Agricultural Practices

• For farmers to change their systems is tricky and requires a lot of work and learning new processes and practices.
• Improving soil health and reducing nutrient pollution require effective and sustained efforts from farmers and consumers alike.

Plastic Pollution

• 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year, equivalent to 5 plastic bags filled with trash for every foot of coastline globally.
• Plastic trash enters ocean circulation, dispersing globally and concentrating in huge areas in global currents.
• Plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, is ingested by marine species, and sinks to the ocean floor.

Solutions to Plastic Pollution

• A circular economy is needed to recover and reuse plastic, replacing the linear "take, make, dispose" approach.
• The ultimate goal is to design an economy where plastic packaging never becomes waste, requiring changes from all players in the chain.

Marine Pollution

• Marine pollution comes from industrial, agricultural, and urban waste.
• This waste fuels algae growth, depleting marine ecosystems of oxygen and creating dead zones.
• There are over 400 dead zones globally.

Nutrient Pollution

• Nutrient pollution from agriculture can be managed through changes in major contributing systems.
• Soil health is critical for water quality, and improving soil organic matter helps retain nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
• Organic matter prevents nutrient leaching from soil, benefiting farmers and water quality.

Changing Agricultural Practices

• Farmers need to change their systems, requiring significant work and learning new processes and practices.
• Improving soil health and reducing nutrient pollution require sustained efforts from farmers and consumers alike.

Learn about the devastating effects of plastic pollution on our oceans and the importance of finding solutions. From plastic trash to marine impact, test your knowledge on this critical issue.