A study in the new issue of Science Advances, the total amount of plastic that was ever produced in the world is estimated at 8300 Million tons.
The industrial production of plastic in a large scale began in the 1950s and has grown since then, becoming faster and faster. Two years ago, to date, the worldwide quantity produced was “only” 6300 million tons. Only 9 percent of this was recycled, 12 percent were burned and whole, 79 percent ended up in landfills or in the environment.
But what you should imagine is actually under 8300 million tons? An incredibly large mountain that weighs 18.400 times as much as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world. Or in German: 320.000 times as much as the Berlin TV tower.
Still difficult to imagine? It would also be roughly comparable with the weight of 56,000 of the giant US aircraft of the Nimitz-class or 55 millions (Yes, millions!) Jumbo.Jets.
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The fight against the plastic floodMore trash than fish?
Not less than eight million tons of plastic waste land sea each year in the world. Nothing is done, could swim by 2050, more plastic in the oceans than fish. Most of the rubbish collects in several large swirls far out in the sea. Beaches, such as the midway Islands in the Pacific ocean, are also affected.
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The fight against the plastic floodThe plastic forfeited
Plastic breaks down over time into small particles, which confuse marine animals often with food. According to a study by the University of Uppsala, recorded plastic as food fish to an inhibited growth and an increased mortality rate. Fish seem to be plastic, even their ordinary food is preferable. Plastic in fish could pose a health risk to the people.
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The fight against the plastic floodEdible Alternatives
The Ocean Conservancy estimates that already more than 690 species of marine animals from plastic litter are affected. To reduce the effort of the waste, some companies have developed Alternatives. For example, the Delray Beach brewery in Florida: Edible carriers for six-packs from the rest, such as wheat and barley, the old plastic to replace materials carrier. It is planned the production for October.
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The fight against the plastic floodBiodegradable packaging
Disposable plastic bags make up the majority of garbage in the oceans. A Polish operation is addressing this Problem with a biodegradable Alternative: Instead of plastic removal is simply wheat bran. The inventor, Jerzy Wysocki, according to the Biotrem-packing can be used in oven and freezer, and will decompose in 30 days – and edible she is.
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The fight against the plastic floodBamboo to the rescue?
The fast-growing bamboo is another Alternative to plastic and can be used for the production of shower curtains, tooth brushes, and even Computer accessories. The company Tonggu Jiangqiao bamboo and wood industry, in the picture above, started in the year 2008 the mass production of keyboards, mice and Monitor cases.
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The fight against the plastic floodLadle for the ocean
Alternatives may help to reduce the waste, but millions of tons of plastic continue for centuries in the world’s oceans. The Dutch project, the Ocean Cleanup will field with a 100-mile long floating Causeway system, the plastic in the oceans, without endangering fish or other sea animals. The application is in the Pacific ocean is to be realized by 2020.
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The fight against the plastic floodFashion from trash
A part of the plastic could be recycled and in any other Form, re-used, for example, for flower pots, insulating material, or – in the case of the Spanish company Ecoalf – for clothes. The fashion label from Madrid, uses of plastic waste, the boats of fishermen in the Mediterranean will be collected and turns it into polyester fibres, which are in turn processed to Jackets, backpacks or other fashion items.
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The fight against the plastic floodReduce, Reuse, Recycle
Plastic waste can also be used in its original Form: At the Rio +20 United Nations conference on Sustainable development in 2012, 20 years after the first World Oceans Day – were issued giant fish made of plastic bottles along the Promenade of Rio de Janeiro.
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Beautiful sculptures made of trashArtistic Activists
A huge parrot fish, and countless colorful items you don’t see every day. And he residents is just one of the many beautiful sculptures of the sea, which has created Washed Ashore. But in the case of the project in the U.S. state of Oregon, it’s more than art.
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Beautiful sculptures made of trashMore than the sum of its parts
Upon closer Inspection, one discovers that the survival of large sculptures made of a mix of plastic items: toys, toothbrushes, bottles, tires, sandals, baskets. What they have in common is their origin: they have all been to the Oregon coast washed up.
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Beautiful sculptures made of trashCreate order
Before the plastic waste can be transformed into art, the materials must be collected, cleaned, and after the colors are sorted. In the past five years, Volunteers have processed at Washed Ashore in this way, about 17 tons of garbage.
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Beautiful sculptures made of trashThe main artist of a community project
Angela Haseltine Pozzi, the founder and main artist of Washed Ashore (left) designs the concepts for the sculptures, shaping of the more difficult parts, such as the faces of the animals.
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Beautiful sculptures made of trashArt classes
Volunteers of all ages are also part of the creative process, because you also create parts of the sculpture. Through this activity, many start their own lavish life-turning to think about the style and think of ways to produce less garbage.
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Beautiful sculptures made of trashCreate awareness
The finished works of art go on Tour through the USA, to highlight the Problem of plastic waste in our oceans and the destruction of marine ecosystems to the attention of. Currently, three different exhibitions, each with about 15 sculptures on tour.
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Beautiful sculptures made of trashGreat impression to make
“The idea is that you have to draw the attention of the people, and no one can resist a giant plastic animal!” says Haseltine Pozzi. Most of the sculptures are between 3.5 and 4.5 meters in length and almost three meters high. The current frontrunner is a bird sculpture with a wingspan of seven meters.
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Beautiful sculptures made of trashImitate desirable
Haseltine Pozzi hopes that people in other countries will create their own versions of Washed Ashore. “I thought always to be a contagious art exhibition. You inspired other people to want to do something very similar. So we get more garbage from the beaches and more worldwide attention to the Problem. This is ultimately our goal.”