Plastic in the sea: soon we will have more waste than fish

The production and waste of plastic are increasing at a dizzying rate. plastic bags, especially at sea. Despite Manzoni's cries of alarm, despite the many proclamations and empty promises from governments and public administrations, the reality is clear: plastic pollution is growing. And the three underlying phenomena continue unabated: growing production, low recycling rates, and improper disposal.

This continues a progress that began with the discovery of the polymer used to create this material. The progress is impressive. In the 1950s, when technology had not yet accelerated polymer transformation, global production was approximately 2 million tons per year. Today, it stands at around 400 million tons, and according to some estimates, global plastic production could reach approximately 1.1 billion tons per year by 2050. This figure is based on the current growth trend, which sees a continuous increase in demand for plastic, primarily due to its versatility and relatively low cost. The increase is fueled by various sectors such as packaging, construction, the mechanical and automotive industries in particular, and technology.

How much of this plastic is recycled? No more than 9 percent. The rest ends up in landfill or is incinerated with all the rest.damage that this causes, while a significant portion is not even collected or managed properly and ends up in the oceans.

The third link in this deadly and self-destructive chain of errors is ourselves, with our daily actions. We continue to throw plastic waste everywhere, especially into the sea. By 2050, when global plastic production peaks, we will also overtake the sea, where there will be more plastic waste than fish. A survey of Italian beaches revealed that every 100 meters of coastline contains 670 pieces of debris, 84 percent of which are plastic. Incredibly, the concentration of plastic in our waters is, proportionally, even higher than that of the Pacific Ocean, where the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a gigantic island made entirely of trash, floats undisturbed.

On the other hand, even in advanced countries, such as the European Union, data shows that plastic waste is increasing, while recycling is not significantly increasing. The latest statistics released by Eurostat show that each citizen of the European Union, including Italians, produces 36,1 kilograms of plastic waste per year, and of this, only 14,7 kilograms is recycled (still higher than the global average). The conclusion is that in just one year, between 2020 and 2021, plastic waste volumes increased by 29 percent in Europe.

 What can we do to stop the catastrophe? The first thing is to not trust promises and proclamations, but rather take action ourselves and with specific actions. Plastic must be stopped at the source: in consumption, purchases, and lifestyles. Let's avoid it, therefore, whenever possible. And let's remember that there are no irreplaceable plastic objects. It's just a problem of bad habits and automatisms. When we enter a supermarket, for example, between a product packaged in plastic and another, of the same species, not packaged or placed in a container that is not plastic, we always choose the second.

Second, we must push, at all levels, for alternatives to plastic, with simple but effective laws. Those who don't use it should be rewarded, while those who can't get rid of it should pay extra taxes: a simple mechanism. Finally, let's also lend a hand to all those, associations and individuals, who work passionately and generously to stop plastic. Word of mouth, including through the web platform, will help these initiatives grow and multiply. And that's what we need.

Read also:

• Colored plastic and latex balloons: banned in Puglia, as in America, England, and Canada.
• Ten items we can use better. By reducing their quantity and replacing them (photos)
• Plastic Containers: 10 Ideas for Recycling Them
• Biodegradable tableware: Here's how palm leaves replace plastic (video)