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My advice on how to stop plastic damaging our world
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DO you want to learn about how plastic is damaging our world and how to stop plastic pollution? If so, read this essay to find out.
The entire world uses plastic even though it was only invented in 1907. We make more than 300 million tons of plastic every year including billions of plastic bottles and trillions of plastic bags. The world uses 5 trillion plastic bags per year! That’s 160,000 bags every second! Almost every single piece of plastic the world has ever made is still on the planet today. Depressingly, it takes between 20 and 500 years for plastic to decompose, depending on what it is made of. Sadly, the equivalent of one rubbish truck of plastic is dumped into the ocean every minute and it is estimated that 90 percent of seabirds have swallowed plastic in their lifetime. Plastic is slowly smothering the Earth and the ocean like a disease!
So how can we help stop plastic pollution? The most important thing is to stop using single-use plastic. Single-use plastic includes plastic bags, bottled water and plastic utensils. Try and use paper cartons and paper bags instead of plastic ones and always carry your own shopping bag when you go to the shops. Do not buy bottled water; carry your own water bottle instead so you can refill it. And, if you do need to buy things that come in plastic bottles, go for the bigger size so it lasts longer.
Takeaway food often comes in plastic containers which you have to throw away once you have finished eating. If you want to avoid plastic takeaway containers, cook more at home and if you get take-out ask if you can use your own container so that they can fill it up for you.
Microbeads are mini plastic beads that come in things like face wash, beauty products, hand sanitiser and even slime. Microbeads get into the oceans via water going down the plug hole. They are extremely dangerous to sea animals because animals such as turtles, fish and sea birds think they are food. Unfortunately, if they eat them the microbeads get stuck in their stomachs and this makes them very sick, and they might even die. Therefore, avoid microbeads …
In summary, we must stop creating plastic waste and polluting our world. Stop buying plastic and tell your friends to make them aware of what plastic is doing to our planet so they too can help stop plastic pollution.
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