plastic

The Effects of Plastic Pollution

You knew it was bad, but this global health crisis is worse than you most likely imagined

Plastic was invented in 1907 and use took off during the 1950s. A convenient, versatile, and cheap product, it has becomes so integral and commonplace in our lives that it is just about impossible to completely avoid. Plastic pollution has become one of the most concerning environmental issues today, contributing to climate change and endangering the health of wildlife, humans, and ecosystems.

Why is plastic bad for the environment?

The environmental impact of plastic is complicated, starting from production, continuing throughout its entire lifecycle, which never really ends since plastic is not biodegradable.

Plastic production

The world produces around 400 million tons of plastic each year, and its resulting emissions are four times more than that of the airline industry, equivalent to those of roughly 600 coal plants, nearly three times the total number currently operating in the U.S.

Beyond Plastics reports that the plastics industry’s contribution to climate change is on track to exceed that of coal-fired power in this country by 2030. and is expected to double by 2050. According to a 2024 study performed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, that level of plastic manufacturing could account for between 21%-31% of the global carbon emission budget required to prevent global temperature increase by no more than 1.5℃ (as outlined by the Paris Agreement).

Why does plastic production create such high emissions? Plastic is almost exclusively based on fossil fuels. Researchers in the aforementioned study discovered that over 75% of the greenhouse gases from plastics are emitted during the processes preceding the creation of plastic compounds, namely the extraction, refining, and conversion of petroleum products into monomers, the building blocks of polymers like polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

As the world moves toward clean, renewable energy, the fossil fuel industry has turned its eye on ramping up plastic production as its ‘Plan B’ to maintain its all-important profit margins. The International Energy Association (IEA) projects that plastic will create half of global oil demand by 2050.

Single-use products

About half of annual plastic production is intended for single-use products which are discarded within the same year they are produced. Only about 30% of all plastic ever made is currently being used.

Without the rapid turnover and short-term use of single-use plastic products, the demand for fossil fuel extraction and the energy needed for manufacturing would decrease, leading to a smaller carbon footprint from the plastics industry​. The amount of plastic waste in landfills and the environment would also fall.

Poor recycling rates

Why can’t we just recycle the plastic? Contrary to popular belief instilled by big oil, plastic was never designed or intended to be recycled. As it is, a mere 5-9% of plastic is recycled per year while production continues to quickly climb. Because plastic is often made of multiple polymers and chemicals, recycling is often complicated, inaccessible, and expensive–it can cost companies twice as much to create a plastic bottle from recycled plastic instead of virgin materials. If not recycled, plastic waste piles up in landfills, taking hundreds of years to decompose.

Recycling plastic still creates pollution as well as microplastics.

The Plastic Pollution Coalition lists numerous reasons why plastic recycling is not the answer to the plastic crisis. These include:

  • Recycled plastic is toxic
  • Plastic is not ‘circular’ — it cannot be recycled indefinitely
  • Recycled plastic is often simply downcycled by being used to make inferior products
  • Recycled plastic isn’t suitable for food or beverage packaging
  • Recycling plastic contributes to environmental injustice, and much of this material is processed in lower income areas and communities of color.

A significant amout of plastic undergoes “chemical recycling,” which is really a fancy greenwashing term for incineration.

In my area, all plastic resins are accepted for recycling, but plastic numbers 3, 6, and 7 are sold to a local cement plant who burns these plastics as a fuel source for their kiln. This is actually a very common practice. According to Beyond Plastics, the burning of plastics made in the U.S. releases an estimated 15 million tons of greenhouse gases each year.

The cement industry is responsible for 7% of global greenhouse emissions. Burning plastics can release harmful toxins like dioxins into the air, but proponents deny this is an issue. I contacted the cement facility that burns plastics in my state and was assured that burning plastic is cleaner than coal, and that the cement plant “does have pollution control equipment and very strict permit for air pollution.” Somehow I don’t feel comforted.

I have mixed feelings about this process. The burning of non-recyclable plastic results in less plastic in landfills, and less virgin fossil fuels required for fuel, but I’m not confident about the filtration of toxic chemicals being released into the air. It leaves me wondering if I should just throw certain plastic items into the trash. It’s a classic battle of picking the lesser of two evils.

For more information about burning plastics, read these articles by National Geographic and Greenpeace.

The fossil fuels industry would have us believe that recycling is all we need to mitigate the effects of increased plastic production, but this is far from the truth.

Learn all about recycling existing plastic here.

Harmful chemicals in plastic

Plastics contain a myriad of additives such as plasticizers, antioxidants, pigments, flame-retardants that pose a hazard to both the environment and animal/human health. There are currently around 16,000 chemicals associated with plastic, and of these, 4,200 are considered highly hazardous to human health & the environment, but only 980 of them are regulated across the globe. The number of dangerous chemicals is probably much higher, considering detailed hazard information is missing for more than 10,000 of the 16,000 chemicals.

These chemicals can lead to health concerns such as endocrine disruption, reproductive harm, cancer, organ dysfunction, and obesity.

As we know, plastics can take hundreds of years to break down, and in the process they can leach these toxic chemicals into the soil and water. Existing environmental pollutants can bind with these chemicals, forming more harmful compounds that can take even longer to break down. Some of these persist in the environment indefinitely, such as in the case of PFAS, appropriately nicknamed “forever chemicals.”

Non-biodegradability

Since plastic is petroleum-based and laden with chemicals, it is not biodegradable. It never fully breaks down. Wherever it ends up, it is there to stay.

Possibly the easiest example to envision is in the ocean. Plastic materials make up 92% of the ever-growing Great Pacific Garbage patch, which is now twice the size of Texas. (Speaking of Texas, every year we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap the entire Lone Star state). In the ocean, these particles cannot decompose and are frequently ingested by wildlife, piercing or blocking their digestive tracts, often leading to their demise–at least 1 million seabirds die per year as a result. Plastic has been found in more than 60% of all seabirds and in 100% of sea turtles species. By 2050, it is estimated that the amount of plastic in the ocean will outweigh the sea life.

In a landfill, common items persist for hundreds of years.

  1. Plastic Bags: 10 to 1,000 years
  2. Plastic Water Bottles: 450 years
  3. Plastic Straws: 200 years
  4. Plastic Cutlery: 500 to 1,000 years
  5. Six-Pack Rings: 400 years
  6. Plastic Cups: 450 years
  7. Styrofoam (Polystyrene) Cups: 500 years or more
  8. Disposable Diapers: 500 years
  9. Plastic Toothbrushes: 500 years
  10. Fishing Line: 600 years

What are microplastics?

Eventually plastic breaks down into tiny pieces less than 5mm in size, which we then refer to as microplastics. Even smaller microscopic particles, typically 1 nanometer (nm) to 1 micrometer (µm), are referred to as nanoplastics. It is possible for these to further break down into individual molecules with continued exposure to conditions such as heat, UV radiation, or mechanical forces, but they cannot degrade into individual atoms like carbon or hydrogen under natural conditions.

Where do microplastics come from?

Any plastic object can shed microplastics, or eventually break down into these small particles. Maybe plastic water bottles and containers are among the first items that come to your mind, and while those are significant, there are a couple other sources of microplastics to considerthat you probably didn’t know about: beauty & personal care products, and textiles.

Beauty & Personal Care Products

[Go to Beauty & Personal Care Products page.]

Most of the products you have on your bathroom shelf contain microbeads of tiny plastic spheres in the product itself. One study showed 87% of products from the ten best-selling cosmetics brands contain microplastics. These are used in nearly every type of product: cosmetics, exfoliating scrubs, moisturizers, toothpaste, deodorant, and hair care products. These microplastics are too small to be filtered out of water and end up polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Common plastics used are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nylon. Another common suspect is dimethicone, a silicone polymer (i.e. synthetic) that all sources seem to agree is safe for your skin, but differ on whether it contributes to the microplastic problem. From what I have read, I lean towards it being an environmental concern. Finding mainstream brand products without these ingredients, especially dimethicone, can be very difficult.

Beat the Microbead is a helpful resource with lots of information, including an online database and an app. I just went through everything in my bathroom and feel quite disgusted at what I found. This adds a whole new level to choosing products, as if it weren’t already complicated enough. Sigh.

app store
google play

Textiles

[Go to Textiles page.]

The other significant items microplastics come from are synthetic fabrics. 69% of clothing is made with synthetic fibers, the majority of that being polyester. Other common synthetic fabrics include spandex, nylon, and acrylic. These are all derived from fossil fuels and their production uses more energy and produces more emissions than the processing of natural fibers. In addition, many chemicals are used in the process, some toxic.

Because they contain plastic, synthetic material is not biodegradable and can take up to 200 years to decompose, leaching the chemicals into the soil and water in the process. Just like other plastics, they eventually break down into smaller microplastics. These tiny fragments, along with the small fibers enter the water system as clothes are washed, contribute to the plastic pollution. It is estimated that up to 35% of microplastics in the ocean and 71% of microplastics in rivers come from synthetic clothing. In your own home, textile microplastics compose 33% of the dust floating around.

Read more about the environmental impacts of synthetic fibers.

Where are microplastics found?

In short, microplastics are found everywhere, a part of every ecosystem on the planet. They have been discovered on high mountain peaks like Mount Everest and the deepest parts of the ocean, including the Mariana Trench. They are found in oceans, glaciers, Antarctic snow, arctic sea ice, soil, food, indoor air, rainfall, and the clouds. One study determined that 94% of tap water in the US is tainted with microplastics, the highest contamination rate in the world.

Because these plastic particles are so pervasive, it is inevitable that are found in our bodies. Recent studies have shown microplastics in our bloodstream, organs, and even breast milk, human placentas, and semen. They have even been know to cross the blood-brain barrier. It is also estimated that we ingest 5 grams of plastic every week. That’s about the equivalent of a credit card. Yum.

Are microplastics bad for us?

As previously mentioned, plastics are laden with numerous chemicals, and with all the microplastics surrounding us, we risk chronic exposure to these substances.

In humans, many of these chemicals have been shown to be carcinogens, endocrine (hormone) disruptors, affect organ function and pregnancy outcomes, increase inflammation, and possibly carry pathogens. The presence of microplastics in semen may be related to decreased male fertility, and in the brain may cause dementia-like symptoms. A study published in the spring of 2024 showed that of 200 people undergoing surgery, found that nearly 60% had microplastics or nanoplastics in a main artery. Within 34 months aftery surgery, the occurrence of a postoperative heart attack, stroke, or death increased 4.5 times than in patients whose arteries were plastic-free.

In animals, chemicals from plastics accumulate in fats and tissues, and research has suggested that these chemicals may impact aquatic animals by contributing to liver issues, reduced feeding, reproduction issues, and compromised immunity.

The extent of microplastics impact on human health is not fully explored and requires more studies, which are emerging frequently.

No microplastics are good, but in case you are wondering if any types of plastic are worse than others regarding human health, that is a great question. The worst plastics are #3/PVC and #6/polystyrene. Read more about these specific types of plastic here.

Read more about the health hazards of plastics in the Washington Post.

You’ve noticed the recycling symbol and numbers on the underside of plastic bottles and containers, right? Does presence of that symbol indicate it is recyclable? Find the answer here.

Solutions to plastic pollution

The real solution to plastic pollution is to minimize use of it in our lives in every way possible. In reality, we cannot completely eliminate this material from our lives, but we can definitely decrease our use significantly by focusing on some key areas.

Learn how to reduce plastic consumption of common household items.

Stop using single use plastics

Stop buying or using items like plastic water bottles, straws, plastic bags such as shopping bags, produce bags and zip-top bags. Instead, purchase reusable replacements.

Buy products in plastic-free packaging

Look for items like beauty products, cleaners, and food packaged in materials like glass, metal, bamboo, or recycled paper. Recycled plastic is still plastic, but it is better than virgin plastic.

Use products that do not contain microbeads

Use the Beat the Microbead app, and check labels for the common offending ingredients.

Choose natural fabrics over synthetic

Instead of polyester, nylon, spandex, or acrylic, option for clothing, bedding, and other textiles made from sustainably-sourced, natural fibers, such as organic cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, wool, silk, cashmere, or Tencel (Lyocell and Modal). Learn more about sustainable clothing and which fabrics are the most eco-friendly.

Upcycle

Try to find other used for your plastic item after it has fulfilled its original purpose.

Get started on reducing plastic in your life and find eco-friendly plastic alternatives here.

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