Video: why plastic is the enemy of life

Currently, 150 million tons of plastics pollute the world's oceans. If humanity continues at this rate, we expect that By 2050, there will be more waste in the waters than fish.

Since 1950 – when the material invented in 1907 was perfected and marketed since 1910 – until 2015, it is estimated that 8,300 million tons of plastics were producedof which 2,500 million tonnes (30%) are used.

According to the figures of the European Union, 42% of total plastic production is used for packaging, ie single-use plastics. As consumer goods, they account for 22%, building materials 20% and applications in the automotive, electricity and agriculture sectors reach 9%, 6% respectively. and 3%.

Concentration of plastic waste in ocean waters

Waste is concentrated in waters forming "garbage islands" in all oceans, but according to experts, the biggest spot is in the Pacific, between Hawaii and California.

According to the reports prepared by the United Nations Environment Program, in this sector of North Pacific the largest amount of plastics is concentrated: 96,400 tons. On the other side of the gulf, on the North Atlantic, tons are 56,400.

On the South Pacific, to the right of the Humboldt Current – Peru's height – they are concentrated 21,000 tons; while in the South Atlantic -between the currents of Brazil and Benguela- are located 12,700 tons.

In the southern Indian Ocean, between Mozambique and Western Australia, 59,100 tons of plastic waste are produced. In all, 23,100 tonnes are registered in the Mediterranean.

At this rate, the forecasts are not encouraging: it is expected that 2025 every 3 tons of fish, there's a ton of plastic and that, by 2050, the oceans have more plastic than fish.

All plastic waste occupies large areas: 5% of the beaches are located, 1% floats on the surface and 94% already at the bottom of the sea, which has irreparable consequences for the marine fauna: More than 700 species in the world have been affected by plastic.

How does this affect marine animals? Many confuse plastic with food. The seabirds, who choose foods for their smell, smell in plastic algae and bacteria that colonize it by emitting a strong smell of sulfur.

The sea ​​turtles they choose their prey from the naked eye and the jellyfish, the plastic bags and the balloons look like food. It is estimated that 52% of sea turtles have ingested this type of waste.

Waiting, the fish they are attracted by microplastics that confuse by the smell of krill that they eat.

Death in these three cases is also caused by entanglement, suffocation, strangulation and malnutrition.

Where do the plastics that affect the planet come from?

Most polluting plastics are used in the manufacture of everyday containers, that is to say in single-use products.

One of these bottles in the ocean begins to float in a clean state, but the plastic is then colonized by several organisms like phthalates, Flame retardants and Bisphenol A (BPA).

More than 335 groups of different organisms were registered in marine plastics, such as algae bacteria and sponges, insects, crustaceans and molluscs.

What is the degradation time of marine litter?

Recommendations to stop the pollution produced by plastics

Sources: UN, One World Ocean, WWF, Ocean Heart Index, Greenpeace, National Geographic.