By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish

We know that because of global warming and subsequent climate change, the water in the ocean becomes warmer and dirtier. The more carbon dioxide and methane we release into the atmosphere, the worse the situation. But the world's water is facing yet another misfortune - plastic. Modern life is oversaturated with this material, from food packaging to cars. Plastic is everywhere, even in the ocean. According to a new study, by 2050, the amount of plastic in world waters will exceed the number of fish.

A new threat to the world's waters

According to the new report of the fund, Ellen MacArthur, more than 95% of the world's plastic is thrown out, while only 5% is recycled. Economic losses from such a large-scale release of material are up to 120 billion dollars annually. Almost all discarded plastic is used only once. About 40 percent of plastic waste remains on land and, depending on the quality of the material, pollute the planet for hundreds of years. A little more than a third of all plastic produced per year is in the ocean. Such pollution is equivalent to every minute release of the contents of a full garbage container into the ocean.

Projections for the future

Since 1964, plastic production has increased 20-fold. Today, 343 million tons of material are produced annually. It is expected that in the next 20 years this figure will double, and by 2050 - four, and all because developing countries require more and more plastic. Garbage, which is already in the ocean, managed to inflict irreparable damage to the environment.

A lot of birds, fish and marine animals died, taking polyethylene bags and plastic particles for food. The danger lies not only in the plastic itself, but also in the amount of fuel needed to produce the material. It accounts for 6% of all oil consumption, by 2050 its share will increase to 20%.

Solution

The report calls for a complete change in the production, consumption and processing of plastic. To date, it is cheaper to create tons of new plastic than to recycle old ones. It is not easy to find profitable solutions for such a global problem. With the expansion of the market of developing countries, the demand for plastics is also growing. One solution may be to reduce the use of this material in packaging, as well as the production of predominantly decomposable plastic. It is also necessary to learn how to process the maximum possible amount of produced plastic or use it repeatedly.