Plastic never goes away.

Plastic is a substance the earth cannot digest. It is a material made to last forever, yet 33 percent of all plastic – water bottles, bags and straws – are used just once and thrown away.

“Plastics will degrade into small pieces until you can’t see them anymore (so small you’d need a microscope or better!). Because the ocean is a cold, dark place, this process happens slower in water than on land. But, do plastics fully “go away?” Full degradation into carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic molecules is called mineralization. Most commonly used plastics do not mineralize (or go away) in the ocean and instead break down into smaller and smaller pieces. We call these pieces “microplastics” if they are less than 5mm long. Bio-based and truly biodegradable plastics break down in a compost pile or landfill, but are generally not designed to degrade as quickly in the ocean.”

*Source: National Oceanographic And Atmospheric Admnistration, US Department of Commerce “What We Know About: Plastic Marine Debris”

By

2050

THE OCEANS WILL CONTAIN MORE PLASTIC THAN FISH (BY WEIGHT).*

Plastic threatens wildlife and Worldwide reliance on disposable plastic packaging is overwhelming our planet.

*Source: Ellen Macarthur Foundation “The New Plastics Economy”, 2016.

*Source: EPA, Woods Hold Sea Grant, The Ocean Conservancy, National Oceanographic And Atmospheric Admnistration US Department of Commerce (NOAA), Zero Waste Scotland.

250.000

tons

Over 250.000 tons of plastic trash are floating in the ocean, the majority in five large wind-driven surface currents in the ocean, called vortices or gyres.

THE IMPACT ON MARINE FAUNA

Marine life and seabirds mistake these fragments of plastic for food and ingest it, causing damage to their digestive system as they could feel full (of plastic not food), which can lead to malnutrition or starvation. Other possible consequences on marine fauna are impaired movement, reduced reproductive output, lacerations, ulcers and death.

“Film synopsis ALBATROSS, by Chris Jordan – www.albatrossthefilm.com”. You can watch the movie Here.”