Reading 1 Flashcards
what is a microplastic?
plastic broken into pieces so small they’re hard to see
bits of plastic smaller than a fifth of an inch
even though the amount of plastic produced has increased exponentially in recent decades, what was the suggested reason for why the amount of plastic in oceans and beaches doesn’t appear to be rising as fast?
the missing plastic is getting broken into pieces so small, they’re hard to see aka microplastics
waves, sunlight, and even marine life (shrimp-like crustaceans) break down the plastic into microscopic fragments
what is more worrisome to scientists than eating fish that may have consumed microplastics?
the chemicals added to plastics to give them desirable properties… might pass into the tissues of fish and humans
undetectable nanoplastics (too small to detect)
what is the largest market for plastic today?
approximately 40% of plastic produced every year is disposable, much of it used as packaging - intended to be discarded within minutes after purchase
how has the use of plastic saved wildlife in the past?
celluloid (made from cellulose) eliminated the need to obtain substances from wildlife (ultimately killing them)
e.g. elephant ivory used for piano keys, combs, trinkets, etc.
how is the recycling shop in Manila that is operated by the Plastic Bank trying to improve the situation?
pays a premium for bottles and hard plastic collected by waste pickers
they then sell that plastic at a higher price to multinationals, which market their recycled products as socially responsible
what is a sachet and how do they contribute to the issue?
tear-off packets that once held a single serving of shampoo, toothpaste, coffee, condiments, or other products
sold by the millions to those who can’t afford to buy more than one serving at a time
they’re not recyclable so no waste-pickers will retrieve them
what have PepsiCo and Coca-Cola pledged to do by 2030?
Coca-Cola’s goal is to collect and recycle the equivalent of 100% of its packaging by 2030
both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have pledged to convert to 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025
Explain the concept of a global fund and how it could help in tackling the problem?
has proposed a worldwide tax of a penny on every pound of plastic resin manufactured. The tax would raise roughly six billion dollars a year that could be used to finance garbage collection systems in developing nations
