The century of plastic: How we are taking steps toward a plastic-free world
Imagine you are sailing in the middle of the vast ocean, far from civilization, and you see pieces of plastic floating along your boat. Pretty crazy right? This is what did happen in the year 1997, when Captain Charles Moore made his trip from Hawaii to Southern California. His discovery? One of the world's greatest environmental disasters.
The term Moore used for his discovery was the plastic soup. In fact, the plastic pieces did not just consist of large specimens, but crumbled up, so to speak, and coalesced into a large goo.
Origin of the plastic soup
Man has been using plastic since the 19th century, but it has only grown into a world-class ecological problem in recent decades. During World War II, plastic became popular because of its ease and speed of production. What we didn't know then? Every piece of plastic ever produced still exists. In the last 20 years alone we have produced as much plastic as in the 80 years before, and every year we produce more plastic than the year before(Plastic Soup Solution | WWF | Cause and Consequences, s.d). Do we never learn from it?
What's in the plastic soup?
Plastic soup is a term for the accumulation of plastic waste in rivers and oceans. Today, plastic is found in almost everything produced. The ingredients of the plastic soup are divided into so-called microplastics (0.5-5 cm), macroplastics (5-50 cm) and megaplastics (>50 cm). So these tiny particles come from large pieces of plastic, but are also produced on purpose for certain personal care products, think scrubs and toothpastes. These particles of plastic are incredibly difficult to filter as they cannot be seen by the naked eye either.
Consequences of the plastic soup
The proliferation of plastic waste in the oceans has major ecological consequences. After all, plastic doesn't really have a short lifespan. In fact, a plastic bag takes as long as 20 years before it is completely gone. If you think that's long, how about a plastic straw? That one will take over 200 years before it is completely wiped out. Plastic in the oceans has a devastating impact on nature. Marine animals mistake the plastic for food, leading to choking, intestinal problems, and often even death. But the problem doesn't stay in the ocean: through fishing, microplastics also end up on our plates, posing multiple health risks.
Together towards a plastic-free world
Fortunately, there are many initiatives to reduce the plastic soup. Single-use packaging is one of the biggest culprits, and more and more countries are introducing regulations to limit it. In the Netherlands, for example, you are already not allowed to give disposable plastic cups or trays for free at take-out meals.
Also, fewer and fewer plastic bags are being offered at stores, and even if there are, you have to pay for them. Moreover, there is a growing awareness among people about the adverse effects of plastic. All this is causing more and more projects to be established today that reduce the use of plastic.
At Zereau Drinks | KRNWTR+, we are also actively working towards a plastic-free world: our water taps help make PET bottles obsolete and offer you fresh, locally filtered water, without waste. So we offer delicious local, filtered, flat or sparkling water, just from the tap. Just as tasty as mineral water, but with a huge green edge.
Want to learn more about how together we can contribute to a plastic-free future? Discover our whole story on the website and join us for a better world, sip by sip.
https://www.zereaudrinks.com/
Source entry:
Plastic soup solution | WWF | Cause and consequences. (s.d.)
Accessed Nov. 15, 2024, from https://www.wwf.nl/wat-we-doen/focus/oceanen/vervuiling/plastic-soep#:~:text=We%20hebben%20in%20de%20afgelopen,door%20de%20visserij%20verloren%20raakt
