The Global Cost Of Plastic: Impact And Action

Plastic is a cheap, versatile, and sterile material used in various applications, including construction, home appliances, medical instruments, and food packaging. However, when plastic waste is mismanaged, it becomes an environmental pollutant. One to two million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans yearly, affecting wildlife and ecosystems. In this article, we will explore the cost of all the plastic in the world, including the financial and environmental impacts.

Environmental damage to marine ecosystems costs $13bn per year

Plastic is a cheap, versatile and sterile material used in a variety of applications, including construction, home appliances, medical instruments and food packaging. However, when plastic waste is mismanaged – not recycled, incinerated, or kept in sealed landfills – it becomes an environmental pollutant.

One to two million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans yearly, affecting wildlife and ecosystems. Environmental damage to marine ecosystems is estimated to equate to some $13bn per year. Creatures both large and small are ingesting plastic materials, believing them to be food, and starving in the process. They also act as poisons in the gut, while their very presence can cause severe digestive problems that lead to death. Sea birds are affected too: according to research undertaken by Jennifer Lavers of the University of Tasmania, every bird on Australia’s Lord Howe Island now has plastic in its stomach.

In addition to the detrimental impact that plastic pollution is having on marine life, there are other underlying costs too, particularly with regards to both marine and coastal activities, and in turn the economic benefits that local communities and nations derive from them. Recycling contamination (where the wrong plastic or additional materials enter recycling equipment) costs the US an extra $300 million annually. Over the last ten years, we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century. Improving the management of plastic waste across the world – especially in poorer countries, where most of the ocean plastics come from – is therefore critical to tackling this problem.

Recycling contamination costs the US $300 million annually

It is difficult to put a price on the cost of all the plastic in the world, but it is clear that the environmental damage caused by plastic pollution is significant. Judith Schäli, a researcher at the World Trade Institute, estimates that the environmental damage to marine ecosystems caused by plastic equates to some $13 billion per year.

Recycling contamination, where the wrong plastic or additional materials enter recycling equipment, costs the US an extra $300 million annually. This is a significant cost, and it is important to note that consumers play a crucial role in enabling plastic recycling around the world. However, education about plastic waste is not always available, hindering a country's recycling efforts. For example, in one survey, only 51% of respondents said they had received education about recycling in school, and a quarter of people were unsure what can and cannot be recycled in their state.

The impact of plastic pollution on marine life is deeply detrimental, with creatures both large and small ingesting plastic materials, believing them to be food, and suffering severe digestive problems as a result. Sea birds are also affected, with research showing that every bird on Australia's Lord Howe Island now has plastic in its stomach.

In addition to the environmental and health impacts, there are also economic costs associated with plastic pollution, particularly regarding marine and coastal activities and the economic benefits that local communities and nations derive from them. Improving the management of plastic waste across the world, especially in poorer countries where most ocean plastics originate, is critical to tackling this problem.

Plastic is a cheap, versatile, sterile material

Plastic is a cheap, versatile, and sterile material. It is used in a wide range of applications, from construction and home appliances to medical instruments and food packaging. The versatility of plastic has added much value to our lives. However, when plastic waste is not properly managed through recycling, incineration, or sealed landfills, it becomes an environmental pollutant.

The environmental damage caused by plastic pollution, particularly to marine ecosystems, is significant. It is estimated to cost around $13 billion per year. This includes the impact on marine life, such as creatures ingesting plastic materials and suffering from severe digestive problems, as well as the economic costs associated with marine and coastal activities.

The mismanagement of plastic waste, especially in poorer countries, is a critical issue. One to two million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans annually, with most of this plastic originating from these regions. The lack of proper waste management systems and education about plastic waste contributes to the problem.

Additionally, recycling contamination, where the wrong plastic or additional materials enter recycling equipment, incurs further costs. In the US alone, recycling contamination costs an extra $300 million annually. This highlights the importance of consumer education and awareness about plastic waste and recycling practices.

Over the last ten years, more plastic has been produced than during the whole of the last century

Plastic is a cheap, versatile and sterile material used in a variety of applications, including construction, home appliances, medical instruments and food packaging. However, when plastic waste is mismanaged, it becomes an environmental pollutant. One to two million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans every year, affecting wildlife and ecosystems.

Over the last ten years, we have produced more plastic than during the entire last century. In 2014, 100.7 billion plastic beverage bottles were sold in the US, up from 3.8 billion in 1996. This is a huge increase in a relatively short space of time.

The environmental damage to marine ecosystems caused by plastic pollution is estimated to cost around $13 billion per year. In addition, the economic benefits that local communities and nations derive from marine and coastal activities are also affected.

Improving the management of plastic waste across the world is critical to tackling this problem, especially in poorer countries, where most of the ocean plastics come from.

Plastic pollution is having a direct impact on marine life

Plastic is a cheap, versatile and sterile material used in construction, home appliances, medical instruments and food packaging. However, when plastic waste is not recycled, incinerated or kept in sealed landfills, it becomes an environmental pollutant.

One to two million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans every year, affecting wildlife and ecosystems. Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species.

Small but visible plastic fragments can sit on the surface of the water and be mistaken for food by seabirds and other marine species, leading to issues including suffocation, starvation and toxic contamination over time. Creatures both large and small are ingesting plastic materials, believing them to be food, and starving in the process. They also act as poisons in the gut, while their very presence can cause severe digestive problems that lead to death.

Microplastics are invisible to the naked eye, making them easy for wildlife to consume. They also have the ability to adsorb toxins, which can transfer to the fatty tissues of the organisms that ingest them. A single plastic particle can adsorb up to one million times more toxic chemicals than the water around it.

The environmental damage to marine ecosystems is estimated to equate to some $13bn per year.

Frequently asked questions