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Plastic is an amazing man-made material - it's cheap to produce and has many uses! But half of the plastic we produce is designed to be used just once and then thrown away - and even plastic that can be reused or recycled gets chucked out, too!
Much of our unwanted plastic ends up in the ocean - around 8 million tonnes of it every year, in fact! And because plastic takes 400 years to break down, it stays there for a long, long time, putting our friends beneath the waves in serious danger. Let's dive in and take a closer look...

700...

different species of animals are believed to be severely threatened because of plastic pollution in the ocean.

tonnes of a gas called carbon dioxide (CO ₂) is absorbed by the ocean each day because of rubbish. The ocean has always sucked up CO ₂ from the air as part of nature - but our waste means more is being absorbed than before. As a result, the water is becoming more acidic, which could make it harder for fish to breath and for creatures like crabs, lobsters and coral to grow their shells.

of all dead animals found in beach cleanups worldwide have been entangled in plastic bags.

animals and birds were found trapped by marine debris (such as old ropes, nets, mesh and wires) during a recent international coastal cleanup.

5 trillion...

pieces of plastic (not including microbeads - minuscule plastic balls found in toiletries like face washes and toothpaste) are estimated to be floating in the world's seas.

of seabirds eat plastic rubbish, mistaking it for food.

of fish found during a recent expedition had plastic in their stomachs.

of sea turtles worldwide have accidentally eaten plastic rubbish in the ocean.

The facts and figures are pretty shocking, right? The good news is that people around the world are working to together to reduce plastic waste. Join the mission and check out our 10 tips to reduce plastic pollution!

What did you think of our Plastic in the Ocean feature? Will you be helping to solve the plastic problem? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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Plastic in the Ocean - National Geographic Kids

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Get facts and figures on how plastic pollution is harming marine life. How much plastic is in the ocean? Why is plastic pollution dangerous?

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Trees and other green plants produce oxygen, the gas needed by humans and other animals to live. When trees are cut down, less oxygen is released into the atmosphere.

Trees also capture carbon dioxide, one of the gases that contribute to a problem known as global warming. When they are burned, trees release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

Erosion

Deforestation on steep mountain hillsides can lead to erosion. The land can get worn away because the trees are not there to hold the soil together. Heavy rains in such areas can wash the land down the slopes in disastrous landslides that destroy fields, homes, and human lives.

Habitat Loss

Many forests are peaceful, quiet places where people can rest or play. When trees are cut down, this recreational use of forests is lost.

Forests are home to an enormous range of living things. When an area is deforested, many plants and animals are killed. Others lose their habitats. Some types of living things become extinct because of deforestation, especially those that live in tropical rainforests. The traditional way of life for rainforest peoples can be greatly affected by deforestation.

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Deforestation is the clearing, or cutting down, of forests. The word is normally used to describe the actions of humans in removing forests from the planet, rather than...

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This primary resource features 25 ways that pupils can help save water, keep our oceans, rivers and streams clean, and protect our planet's aquatic animals. It shows children that they can do their bit to protect the environment, and that a few small changes can make a big difference.

The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for discussion about conservation, pollution and ways to help protect the environment. The resource can be used as a printed handout for each pupil to review and annotate, or for display on the interactive whiteboard for class discussion.

Activity: Ask pupils to read and think about our 25 ' Water Hero ' tips. What do they currently do to help save water and protect the environment? Could they do more? The children could divide the tips into two groups: lists of the things they already do, and the things they will start to do. As a more creative activity, the class could make eco posters or banners about the importance of conserving water and protecting our rivers and oceans. Their posters/banners could feature our tips, as well as their own water facts and colourful images.

The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the English National Curriculum and Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email: schools@ngkids.co.uk

This primary resource assists with teaching the following Key Stage 2 Geography objectives from the National Curriculum:
Pupils should be taught to: describe and understand key aspects of:

physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle

human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water

Also see National Curriculum Key Stage 2 Science (Year 4) objective:

recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things.

This primary resource assists with teaching the following Social Studies Early level objective from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence:
Scottish Curriculum for Excellence First level Social Studies objectives:

I explore and appreciate the wonder of nature within different environments and have played a part in caring for the environment
Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Second level Social Studies objectives:

By exploring climate zones around the world, I can compare and describe how climate affects living things.

By exploring a natural environment different from my own, I can discover how the physical features influence the variety of living things

Having explored the ways journeys can be made, I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of transport, discussing their impact on the environment Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Third level Social Studies objectives:

I can discuss the environmental impact of human activity and suggest ways in which we can live in a more environmentally- responsible way
Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Fourth level Social Studies objectives:

I can identify the possible consequences of an environmental issue and make informed suggestions about ways to manage the impact

I can discuss the sustainability of key natural resources and analyse the possible implications for human activity

I can develop my understanding of the interaction between humans and the environment by describing and assessing the impact of human activity on an area

I can identify threats facing the main climate zones, including climate change, and analyse how these threats impact on the way of life

This primary resource assists with teaching the following Science Studies Second level objective from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence:

I have investigated different water samples from the environment and explored methods that can be used to clean and conserve water and I am aware of the properties and uses of water

Download primary resource

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Water conservation primary resource - National Geographic Kids

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Download our free Water Conservation primary resource. Tailored to the curriculum, this geography resource features 25 top tips on how to save water, keep our oceans and rivers clean, and protect our planet's aquatic animals. Become a water hero and do your bit for the environment!

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How to Conserve Water | National Geographic

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Improve your students' reading comprehension with ReadWorks. Access thousands of high-quality, free K-12 articles, and create online assignments with them for your students.

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Read and watch videos about Isatou Cessay and other climate heroes who have decided to make a positive impact on the environment!

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Isatou's sister had taught her how to crochet, and this gave her an idea for how to upcycle the plastic bags that were causing so many problems - changing them from waste into something valuable. She would turn them into purses that could be sold to make money. Isatou persuaded five friends to join her to form a new women's group, and together they collected bags from the rubbish pile, washed them and dried them out. Then, that first afternoon beneath the tree, they carefully cut each bag into a long continuous thread of plastic several centimetres wide - called 'plarn', or plastic yarn. With this, they started to crochet small purses for coins, using different coloured plarn to add pretty patterns. It took eight hours or more to make one purse and it used up around 10 plastic bags. The women were delighted with what they had made.

Some people laughed at Isatou and her friends, telling them they were 'dirty' for digging around in the rubbish. Some men told her that her plans couldn't work because she was a woman and too young to be a leader. But Isatou believed in what she was doing. She loved helping others and relished a challenge. In her family, everyone had always worked together to solve problems, and her mother had been a great inspiration to her. In the Gambia, many girls were unable to finish school because they were needed at home to help their mothers. Isatou wanted women to have the chance to learn skills and to earn money, even if they had not been given the chance to finish their education.

Some men did not like to see the women working beneath the tree. Women were expected to take care of their homes and families while the men went out to work, and these men were afraid that the women would learn to no longer obey their husbands. Isatou moved the meetings to her house, where she and her friends could gather at night to chat and crochet purses by candlelight. They worked secretly for months until they had enough purses. Then Isatou took these to a market in the city and managed to sell them all - the city women loved them because they were so unusual.

The women continued with their tiny business, now also making shoulder bags and cosmetic purses from plarn. Many of them were earning money for the first time, and they were able to use it to buy food to help their families through the 'hungry gap' - the three months in the year when there were few crops from their farmland. Their husbands noticed how their family's lives were improving and encouraged their wives in their purse-making. The women no longer worked in secret, and soon others joined them. Within a year, Isatou's community recycling project had grown to 50 women and she named it the N'jau Recycling and Income Generation Group (NRIGG).

Women in N'jau were now able to save some money, and Isatou helped them to open their own bank accounts. With their savings, many of the women could afford to support their families in ways that would have been impossible before. Their daughters could continue into secondary school and they could pay for medical treatment when they needed it. The women helped their community, too, each contributing some of their earnings to start a community garden to grow vegetables, and to help pay for orphans to go to school.

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Isatou Ceesay: Turning Waste to Wealth - Climate Heroes

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Isatou's sister had taught her how to crochet, and this gave her an idea for how to upcycle the plastic bags that were causing so many problems - changing them from waste into something valuable. She would turn them into purses that could be sold to make money.

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"Confronting Coal"

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Newsela | Issue Overview: Confronting coal

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Newsela | The Amazon is reaching a tipping point due to deforestation

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The Amazon rain forest is endangered because of deforestation.

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"Tossing Too Much Plastic?.."

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Newsela | How to end your dependence on single-use plastics

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What are ways you can reduce single-use plastics?

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Billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades, and much of it is becoming trash and litter, finds the first analysis of the issue.

This article was created in partnership with the National Geographic Society. In December 2018, Great Britain's Royal Statistical Society named the core fact in this story-that only about nine percent of all plastic ever made has likely been recycled- its statistic of the year.

Mass production of plastics, which began just six decades ago, has accelerated so rapidly that it has created 8.3 billion metric tons-most of it in disposable products that end up as trash. If that seems like an incomprehensible quantity, it is. Even the scientists who set out to conduct the world's first tally of how much plastic has been produced, discarded, burned or put in landfills, were horrified by the sheer size of the numbers.

"We all knew there was a rapid and extreme increase in plastic production from 1950 until now, but actually quantifying the cumulative number for all plastic ever made was quite shocking," says Jenna Jambeck, a University of Georgia environmental engineer who specializes in studying plastic

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A whopping 91% of plastic isn't recycled

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Billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades, and much of it is becoming trash and litter, finds the first analysis of the issue.

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Plastic Roads: An Innovative Solution to Reduce Waste - Earth.Org Kids

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Plastic Roads: An Innovative Solution to Reduce Waste - Earth.Org Kids

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Our planet is drowning in plastic trash - 6.3 billion tons of it and counting. Plastic takes more than 400 years to break down, so much so that some scientists think that every single piece of plastic ever made still exists. Plastic pollution is a huge, global problem and we are in urgent need to find a solution to it. What can we do with all the plastic waste on our planet? One creative solution is to use it to build roads.
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Where Are Plastic Roads Being Built?

The first plastic road was built in India around 20 years ago. It was constructed by mixing plastic waste with tar. Since then, the Asian country has built more than In 2015, the government even made a law that plastic waste must be used in constructing roads near large cities - an effort to tackle 33,000 km of roads . plastic pollution in the country.

All around the world, plastic roads are gaining popularity. From Ghana to Singapore, countries are using plastic waste to build roads and pathways. Some streets are made entirely of recycled plastic - such as the PlasticRoad in Netherlands. Just 30 metres long, it is made of more than 218,000 recycled plastic cups!

Why Build Roads With Plastic?

These roads are a convenient way to put our plastic waste to use. According to MacRebur, a company that builds them, each kilometre of road uses an amount of plastic waste equivalent to 740,000 plastic bags ! By using this waste in our roads, we can keep them out of our oceans and landfills.

Some studies also show that plastic roads have some advantages over conventional roads. These kind of roads have a smoother surface and are less likely to crack and have potholes. This means that they are likely to last longer than regular roads. In addition, using plastic to build roads also increases their melting point, meaning that the roads are better at withstanding extreme temperatures.

Some experts, however, have concerns about these roads. Because they are still relatively young, it is not clear how durable they will be over the long term, especially as they are exposed to sun and rain. There are also challenges to building these roads. For example, it is important to make sure that the plastic stays inside a path or road, and does not break down into microplastics that go into our soil, water and air.

Plastic roads could be a promising solution to our plastic waste problem, but only if we stop producing so much plastic trash! If we keep creating more plastic waste, we will never be able to manage it in a sustainable way.
Check this out next: 7 Facts About Ocean Plastic Pollution for Kids

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About the Author

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Plastic Roads: An Innovative Solution to Reduce Waste - Earth.Org Kids

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Plastic pollution is a huge, global problem. What can we do with all the waste on our planet? One creative solution is to build plastic roads.

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97.5% of the world's water is locked in seas and oceans, too salty for human use. And most of the remaining 2.5% is in the ice caps. So we humans depend on the tiny bit available as fresh water - an essential natural resource for life. But we don't just use water for drinking. We wash in it, clean with it, and use it to produce everything from clothing to food. Crop production - including feed for livestock and biofuels - is putting a great strain on fresh water supplies.

1. Turn off the taps

Don't let your water consumption run out of control. Save 6 litres of water a minute by turning off your tap while you brush your teeth. Fix leaky taps  too - and stop what could be 60 litres of water going straight down the drain every week.

2. Shower with less

Every minute you spend in a power shower uses up to 17 litres of water . Set a timer on your phone to keep your showers short, sweet and water-saving.

Switching to an efficient shower head will allow you to lather up in less water, which means you'll save water and cut your bills.

6. Catch rainwater

Installing water butts saves up to 5,000 litres of water a year . And your plants will thank you for rainwater rather than treated tap water.

You can also cut water use by 33% by watering plants manually instead of using automatic sprinklers.

8. No more washing up

Got a dishwasher? Fill it up completely each time you run it and you'll use less water than you would doing the dishes by hand. Yes, even if you're using a washing-up bowl. What better excuse to go and have a nice sit down?

Find out more about the most water- and energy-efficient ways to run your appliances  from the Energy Saving Trust.

10. Boil what you need

Save water, money and energy by only boiling as many cups of water as you need.

11. Steam your veggies

Steam your food to cut water usage and retain more of the natural nutrients.

If you do boil, try using the leftover water as a tasty stock for soups. Or let it cool and use it to water plants.

12. Be plumbing prepared

Regularly check your kitchen pipes and the dishwasher hose for slow leaks.

Find out where your household stop valve  is and make sure that you can turn it on and off. You'll thank us if you ever have a burst pipe, because you'll be able to cut off the flow before it floods the house.

Find a contact number for your water supplier , so that if you find a leak you can let them know and stop water being wasted.

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13 best ways to save water | Friends of the Earth

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Fresh water is one of our most precious natural resources. Find out how to save water at home and learn about why saving water is important.

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Improve your students' reading comprehension with ReadWorks. Access thousands of high-quality, free K-12 articles, and create online assignments with them for your students.

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Our campaign to ban plastic bags in Bali | Melati and Isabel Wijsen

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"Ask an Amazon Expert: Why we can't afford to lose the Amazon Rainforest"

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Newsela | Ask an Amazon Expert: Why we can’t afford to lose the rain forest

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Nat Geo catches up with biodiversity expert and explorer Dr. Thomas Lovejoy.

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"Plastic Garbage from far away..."

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Newsela | Tiny Pacific island has no humans but gets much of world's plastic trash

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The Pacific's Henderson Island might well be renamed Plastic Island due to its overwhelming collection of garbage.

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What makes cars go? Fossil fuels! What lights up gas grills and stoves? Fossil fuels! What’s non-renewable and really bad for the environment? You know…

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Newsela | Understanding tropical deforestation

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Deforestation meets some human needs, but also has profound consequences that aren't just local, but global.

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"Eat with your spoon when you're done".

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Edible spoons are better than recycling.

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What really happens to the plastic you throw away - Emma Bryce

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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Newsela | What if the rain forest ran out of rain? Amazon's water needs protection

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"No more plastic.."

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Newsela | Twizzlers: Restaurants consider alternatives to the plastic straw

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More restaurants are seeking environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic straws

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Plastic in the Ocean

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Every year more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans, but how does that affect humans and what can we do to stop this behavior?

Plastic and other forms of pollution are ending up in our marine life, and it's making its way into our food chain.

The ocean is full of an endless array of potential food sources for the aquatic dwellers. Everything from microscopic plankton all the way up to giant squid and whales is used as potential food for a hungry member of the food chain.

Each plant and animal play its own role in sustaining the world's largest ecosystem. This is the way nature intended to maintain a healthy balance across our world.

However, due to the ever-growing waste of humanity, we are gradually upsetting this balance. As a global community, we are unable to effectively implement sustainable habits. We produce a lot of garbage, and all that garbage has to end up somewhere. Often the philosophy, "out of sight, out of mind" becomes the prevalent solution to our garbage problem. We bury our trash underground, or simply toss it into the nearest body of water, and turn away as it sinks into the abyss.

What we don't see is how the plastics we use become instruments of torture to the unsuspecting marine life. This video depicts the fate of one fish that mistook garbage as food:

While cleaning the fish the fisherman discovers a depressing surprise in the fish's stomach.

What can we do to stop this pollution?

Ok, I don't want to be all doom and gloom here, because there is always a way to save lives. In our own homes, we can create habits that decrease our personal waste. When you go to the store, consider buying a recyclable water jug, instead of that twelve pack of individually bottled water. At home using a reusable water bottle for all of your drinking needs will eliminate excess garbage from toss away bottles and plastic cups.

Always remember, a little goes a long way to saving the lives of the animals and environment we depend on for our existence.

So what does this pollution do to the human body?

Grab this graphic totally free to show on your own site - just copy this code and insert it on your site:
[box type="shadow"]<img src="https://www.divein.com/wp-content/uploads/image-archive/img/How-ocean-pollution-affects-humans.jpg" alt="How ocean pollution affects humans " border="0″ />How ocean pollution affects humans - Graphic by the team at <a href="https://www.divein.com/diving/ocean-pollution/">DIVEIN.com</a> [/box]

My story behind this fight against ocean pollution:

I've been lucky enough to dive a lot of great places around the world, but one special dive got me working on this project.

It was an average dive with two students, on a dive site I had dove hundreds of times. But this time was different. We were diving in Thailand at the famous Similan Islands.

This was usually a place with a lot of life, big and small, but on this dive, I couldn't see anything but plastic. Plastic bags, small pieces of plastic, large pieces of plastic, you name it. Trash as long as the eye could see, and we couldn't see far, cause there was plastic everywhere.

We did our training for the course and ended the dive because there was nothing good down there.

On the surface we could see is as well and days after this dive, I'd still find small pieces of plastic on my equipment.

Two days after the dive I was back in the same area. This time everything was gone, some were left on the beaches, but most were moved along the current.

This made me look into what we're actually doing to our oceans. And let me just say, it's not good.

What can I do to help?

What you do on land can change the fate of what goes on offshore - and small changes in habits can have a large impact on improving our oceans.

1. Keep your sewer drains clear

Prevent rubbish and chemicals from flowing into the sea. Keeping your property's drains clear is your responsibility.

2. Dispose of products properly

Household cleaning products, batteries, paint and pesticides can threaten water quality.

3. Reuse and recycle

And opt for no packaging when possible. Carry a reusable water bottle, carry a cotton tote bag and recycle when possible.

4. Plant an organic garden

Pesticides from gardens and lawns can wash into the ocean.

5. Eat sustainably

Overfishing, loss of habitat and market demand has decreased fish populations. When shopping or dining out, choose seafood that is sustainably sourced.

6. Respect the beach

Take your rubbish with you after a day at the beach, and don't remove rocks and coral.

7. Explore responsibly

Next time you're off on a dive, cruise or kayak - be mindful of the marine life around you. Find some eco-friendly tours and packages that will respect the marine environment.

From sustenance, natural beauty to economics - the ocean provides plenty for the human race. Respect the ocean by keeping it clean for generations to come.

If you liked this you'll also love our great infographic on 50 Amazing Facts About The Ocean

Sources

Anderson, T.L. (2013). One world, one ocean, one mission. Earth Common Journal, 3(1).

Andrews, G. (2013). Plastics in the ocean affecting human health. serc.carleton.edu

Conserve Energy Future (2015). What is ocean pollution? conserve-energy-future.com

Hanlon, P. (2012). Heavy metal fish: How mercury ends up on your plate. grist.org

Jambeck, R.J. et al. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science, 347 (13).

MarineBio. (2015). Ocean pollution. marinebio.org

Merkl, A. (2015). Ocean plastic is likely disappearing into the food chain, new study indicates. theguardian.com

GroenForskel (2016). A sustainalbe guide. Groenforskel.dk

National Geographic. (2015). Save the plankton, breathe freely. education.nationalgeographic.co.uk

National Geographic. (2015). Things you can do to save the ocean. ocean.nationalgeographic.com

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2015). Ocean. noaa.gov

Thank You Ocean (2015). Water pollution. thankyouocean.org

The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited. (2014). Oil tanker spill statistics 2014. itopf.com

The World Counts. (2014). How does pollution affect humans. theworldcounts.com

Water Pollution Guide. (2015). Marine dumping. water-pollution.org.uk

United Nations. (2013). UN Convention on the Law of the Sea turns 30. un.org

What's worth saving if not our ocean?

If nothing else, this gives us some perspective regarding our role on Earth. We are treating our oceans like our own private junkyard dumping thousands and thousands of tonnes waist straight in - and what will the result be? More dead ocean areas, no more marine life or what? What do you think will become of our oceans and what can we do to stop this?

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Ocean pollution taken to a new level - you do not want to eat this fish!

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Every year more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans, but how does that affect humans and what can we do to stop this behavior? Plastic and other forms of pollution are ending up in our marine life, and it's making its way into our food chain.

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"Burger King is hurting rainforests"

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Plastic bags

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Ever heard of the Pacific garbage patch? It's one of several swirling trash zones in our oceans, and it's where a lot of our plastic litter ends up. While these debris patches aren't visible piles of floating trash in the water, the reality of what they are and how they got there is just as gross -- and just as harmful to marine life.
Infographic by Alissa Scheller for The Huffington Post.

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This Is How Your Plastic Bag Ends Up In Massive Ocean Garbage Patches

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Ever heard of the Pacific garbage patch? It's one of several swirling trash zones in our oceans, and it's where a lot of our plastic litter ends up. While these debris patches aren't visible piles of floating trash in the water, the reality of what they are and how they got there is just as gross -- and just as harmful to marine life.

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Plastic bags

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Plastic bags used to be thought of as free, painless, no-brainer solutions to carry your groceries, and they even could be recycled as doggie-doo bags or bathroom trashcan liners. In recent years, even the most thoughtless of consumers caught on to the fact that there was more to the common plastic bag than meets the eye, if only for the fact that suddenly there is an array of non-plastic bags available at chain stores instead of the throwaway ones.

Origins

Plastic bags are from the same source as all plastic: crude oil. Like everything else manufactured from this non-renewable resource, it has two major drawbacks: manufacturing it emits considerable amounts of pollution, and the product is not biodegradable. In other words, it is difficult to produce, and nearly impossible to get rid of once produced. According to the Natural Environment website, 60 to 100 million barrels of oil are required to manufacture a year's worth of plastic bags worldwide, and it takes approximately 400 years at least for a bag to biodegrade.

Impact

The impact of plastic bags on the environment is enormous. As of August 2010, between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are being used each year worldwide. Approximately 100,000 sea turtles and other marine animals die every year because they either mistake the bags for food or get strangled in them, says Natural Environment. In Australia, 50 million garbage bags end up as litter yearly, and the "plastic soup" patch floating in the Pacific Ocean is twice the size of the continental United States. It is roughly 80 percent plastic, according to The Independent, a British newspaper.

Effects

What exactly the impact of reusable bag usage in the U.S. is far from clear. Even though, according to the website Earth 911, reusing or recycling one ton of plastic means the equivalent of 11 barrels of oil are saved, the argument sounds hollow when you consider once the bags exist, they are here to stay. You can recycle them into anything you want, but ultimately, they will be discarded. Whether in the form of purses crocheted from Target plastic bags or as doggie-doo bags, plastic always remains plastic.

Alternatives

Every U.S. grocery chain carries cheap reusable grocery bags as of August 2010, ranging from 99 cents to about $5. More upscale bags are available in practically all chain stores, from bookstores like Borders to Whole Foods. In addition, many people sew their own from leftover fabric, or by converting old jeans or beach towels into personalized carry-on bags, which is a fun and creative way to recycle.

Potential

While some governments are taking steps to reign in plastic bags or ban them outright, other countries are seriously lagging behind. In 2008, China started to ban stores from offering free plastic bags; previously, China had been using 3 billion plastic bags a day, according to Treehugger. One of the most substantial efforts has taken place in Ireland, where a tax has been issued on each plastic bag. Paying the equivalent of 20 cents tax per plastic bag used in a store has led to a 95 percent decrease in usage.

About the Author

Maggie New began writing professionally in 1995. New was an editorial assistant for the music magazine "Ear" and reviewed plays for various newsletters. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Hunter College and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Peru State College.

Photo Credits

David McNew/Getty Images News/Getty Images

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Why Are Plastic Bags So Bad for the Environment?

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Plastic bags used to be thought of as free, painless, no-brainer solutions to carry your groceries, and they even could be recycled as doggie-doo bags or bathroom trashcan liners.

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What Is Ocean Bound Plastic?

Ocean bound plastic is plastic waste that is headed toward our oceans. The term "ocean bound plastic" was popularized by Jenna Jambeck, Ph.D., a professor from the University of Georgia. In 2015, she and a team of researchers estimated the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean from land.

Addressing ocean bound plastic is a key element to ocean conservation. Around 80% of plastic in the ocean can be sourced back to ocean bound plastic. Plastics that end up near bodies of water such as rivers are at risk of ending up in the ocean. Other plastic can reach the sea through sewage systems or storms.

For example, in 2011, after the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami and earthquake hit Japan, around 5 million tons of debris ended up in the ocean. Some of the debris sank while some ended up on the U.S. west coast. Additionally, trash and plastic can come from ships or offshore platforms. However, decades ago, countries dumped their waste directly into the sea. In the U.S. this was outlawed in 1988 in the Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988.

Plastic waste is a huge threat to our Earth, and diverting ocean bound plastic is one way we can do better to help the environment.

Fishes swim near a plastic fork and a bottle at the Samandag Cevlik Akcay diving site off the coasts of Samandag, near the Turkey - Syria border, in Hatay province of Turkey on December 6, 2018. Sebnem Coskun / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

How Much Plastic Is in the Ocean?

Each year, despite conservation efforts, 8 million tons of plastic reaches our oceans to meet the 150 million metric tons of plastic that already exists in marine environments. According to the Smithsonian, as of 2016, we produce around 335 million metric tons of plastic each year. Half of this plastic is single-use. Of the plastic we use globally, only around 9% of it gets properly recycled.

To create a mental picture of just how much plastic ends up in our oceans, imagine a garbage truck the size of New York City depositing its garbage into the ocean every minute of every day for a whole year. If this doesn't frighten you enough, the amount of plastic that will be produced and consumed is supposed to double over the course of the next ten years. If nothing is done to address plastic consumption, and the aftermath, there could be over 250 million metric tons of plastic in our oceans in ten years.

Even if you don't live on a coast, the plastic you throw away can still end up in the ocean. According to the World Wildlife Fund, plastic ends up in the ocean when it's thrown away instead of recycled, when it's littered on land, and when products we use are flushed down the drain or toilet. Additionally, cosmetic or cleaning products that contain parabens or microplastic beads can be washed into the ocean.

What Type of Plastic Is in the Ocean?

Plastic is not biodegradable, and it doesn't decompose. Many plastics are made only to be used one time, where they are then thrown out; they're known as single-use plastic.

During the 2017 International Coastal Cleanup, the top kinds of plastics that were collected included wrappers, bottles, grocery bags, take-out containers - and the infamous plastic straws. These types of plastics and others combine into a category scientists call "microplastics." According to the National Ocean Service, microplastics are "the multi-colored pieces of plastic that can be found in a handful of sand on the beach or in the ocean."

Around 12% of plastic is incinerated - leaving 80% to end up in landfills. A 2014 study found that there are around 244,000 metric tons of plastic floating in our oceans. Out of the 244,000 tons found in the ocean, around 79,000 tons can be found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a mass of floating debris that's twice the size of Texas.

Reducing our individual plastic footprint is important. However, most plastic pollution comes from large corporations. Corporations need to address their production processes, waste management, and how their operation can have an impact on the environment. Large corporations address their mass production of single-use plastics by shifting the responsibility of sustainable disposal onto the consumer.

According to Greenpeace.org, some of the brands that contribute to a large amount of plastic waste include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Unilever, and Colgate-Palmolive. The soft drink industry in particular creates tons of plastic waste. In 2016, Coca-Cola produced over 110 billion single-use plastic bottles.

The Problems With Ocean Plastic

Plastics floating and polluting the ocean only scratches the surface of issues it causes - it impacts all of marine life, people, and Earth's climate.

Marine Life

Animals are impacted by the plastic we use and dispose of. Ocean plastic has already affected 267 species, and 86% of sea turtles. They can suffocate, drown, or get entangled in plastic, or even ingest it. Some species such as birds, fish, turtles, and whales can mistake plastic for prey, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. When marine life ingests plastic, they can die of starvation because their stomachs are filled with plastic debris. Marine life can be cut by plastic, and also receive internal injuries. Seabirds are known for feeding on the ocean's surface, making them more likely to ingest floating plastic debris. Adult seabirds go to feed their young, and their chicks feed on this plastic: One study from 1997, conducted by Albatross Biology and Conservation, found that around 98% of chicks sampled had plastic in them, and the amount of plastic has been increasing over time.

Additionally, plastic debris can promote the spread of invasive organisms, further hurting marine ecosystems; floating plastics get carried out to sea through ocean currents.

Food and Health

Plastic debris doesn't only harm the ocean's wildlife - it's affecting the human food chain, too. Microscopic plastic has been found in various foods and beverages, including water, beer and, salt. A 2008 Pacific Gyre voyage found that fish ingest plastic debris. Algalita researchers caught 672 fish, and 35% of the fish had eaten plastic pieces.

Climate Change

In a report released by Yale Climate Connections, Claire Arkin, communications coordinator for the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives said, "Plastic pollution is not just an oceans issue. It's a climate issue and it's a human health issue."

As of 2019, 4 to 8% of global oil consumption is linked to plastics, according to the World Economic Forum. If this persists, by 2050, plastics will account for 20% of oil consumption. Plastic, as a petroleum product, is inextricably linked to the fossil fuel industry: the extraction and transportation of fossil fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere, contributing further to the warming of our planet. Additionally, when plastic waste is incinerated, the process releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The Human Impact

This rare Critically Endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is entangled in discarded fishing net aka 'Ghost nets.' Placebo365 / iStock Unreleased / Getty Images

Plastic reaching the ocean is largely due to human consumption. Companies that use plastic packaging, and oil companies, are part of the problem when it comes to plastic accumulating in our oceans. Individual littering of plastic is another contributor, as well as the improper disposal or accidental losing of fishing gear in the ocean.

Improper Disposal of Fishing Gear

According to a report from Greenpeace.org, fishing gear is the largest contributor to ocean plastic pollution. Commercial fishing gear including nets, lines, pots, and traps gets discarded into the ocean. The lost gear weighs the same as 55,000 double-decker buses, according to The Guardian.

Abandoned fishing gear, also known as "ghost gear," has the potential to trap marine life. In 2015, an 80-foot blue whale was caught in an abandoned fishing line. Not only does lost fishing gear make up a significant portion of all ocean plastic, around 10%, but it's also the deadliest to marine life, including coral, sessile animals, and vegetation.

Abandoned gillnets have caused the vaquita porpoise to near extinction, in the upper Gulf of California and Mexico; around 10 vaquita porpoises remain.

In addition to environmental impacts, ghost gear can affect the economy negatively. Some studies estimate around 90% of the species caught in abandoned gear are commercially valued.

Solutions to Minimizing Ghost Gear

Although the statistics may seem grim, there are ways to prevent fishing gear from ending up in the sea and harming marine life.

One way to prevent ghost gear from entering our oceans is through recycling. Fishermen should return no longer useful traps and nets to a port, rather than discarding the materials into the ocean. There are ports in Massachusetts, Oregon, and Rhode Island that offer recycling programs; more recycling facilities at ports could help minimize littered fishing gear.

The use of biodegradable fishing nets is on the rise. According to a study published in Animal Conservation, there are encouraging tests that show the utility and effectiveness biodegradable nets may have. A net made of polybutylene succinate and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate showed promising results when compared to traditional nets used for fishing. The study showed that these biodegradable nets started to decompose after two years.

Clean-ups are another way to get abandoned fishing gear out of the ocean. There are organizations that specialize in retrieving discarded nets from the ocean. The Ghost Fishing Foundation has scuba divers retrieve floating fishing gear. Occasionally, the foundation will use cranes to pull out large pieces of netting.

Littering

Around 80% of marine debris and pollution is plastic, according to Pew Research. Marine litter mostly stems from unsustainable methods of production, as well as high consumption rates, and a lack of solid waste management infrastructure. Most of the plastic litter on Earth and in our oceans can be linked back to just a small number of multinational corporations.

According to an EPA report, "every bit of plastic ever made still exists." The Plastic Disclosure Project estimated that 33% of all manufactured plastic is only used once. In 2018, only 8.7 percent of plastic was recycled. Although individuals should do their part to keep our planet and oceans clean, a small number of multinational corporations are to blame for the majority of littered plastic.

What Is Being Done to Help?

Greenpeace activists assembled two life-size reproductions of two whales that emerge from a sea invaded by disposable plastic waste, in the center of Rome, to denounce how our seas and the species living in them are in grave danger due to plastic pollution in 2018. Stefano Montesi / Getty Images

An elementary concept to positively impacting the environment is the buzz phrase, "reduce, reuse, recycle." What this phrase fails to consider is that what will make the largest impact in helping our environment is to hold large corporations accountable. According to Greenpeace.org, recycling alone will never solve the plastic and pollution crisis our society is facing.

Organizations

Many organizations are addressing the ongoing and ever-growing issue of ocean pollution. For example, The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit aimed at ridding the ocean of plastic, is developing advanced technologies that are contributing to the largest ocean cleanup in history. The non-profit's goal is to clean up 90% of floating ocean plastic pollution.

Plastic Oceans International is another organization that produces films and digital content in order to promote "a global movement to rethink plastic." They also engage and teach students about the effects of plastic pollution and how they can contribute to ocean conservation.

Plastic Bank aims to not only stop ocean plastic but improve the lives of people who live in the poorest countries around the globe. The organization builds recycling ecosystems and processes the materials, so they can then be reintroduced to the economy through the global manufacturing supply chain.

One organization, Plastic Soup Foundation, aims not only to remove plastic from our oceans but also prevent plastic from reaching the sea in the first place. When it was founded, the organization had a heavy focus on protecting marine life, but the organization has expanded its priorities and aims to educate people on the potentially harmful effects marine plastic has on human health.

Indian residents walk past as they look at a large-scale sculpture of a killer whale made of single-use plastic and 40,000 plastic bottle caps being displayed to raise awareness on ocean contamination at Elliot's beach in Chennai on May 11, 2019. ARUN SANKAR / AFP / Getty Images

Legislation

Some legislation helps to protect the oceans, and minimize plastic production and consumption. In the U.S, eight states have banned the use of single-use plastic bags, and more are hoping to in the coming years, including Connecticut and Virginia. Washington, DC implemented a ban on plastic straws on Jan. 1, 2019.

The Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act established programs in tandem with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Coast Guard. The programs help to determine sources of marine debris and how to reduce and prevent it.

Policies such as The Shore Protection Act, established in the U.S. in 1988, help to prevent the illegal dumping of waste off the coast. In 1967, a supertanker named Torrey Canyon spilled nearly 120,000 tons of oil into the ocean; it was the world's first major oil tank disaster. Because of this incident, the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, passed in the U.S., most recently has been amended to regulate air pollution. It also regulates and limits the amount of nitrogen oxide levels, as well as requiring ships to use fuel with low sulfur content.

While these laws help to reduce pollution in our oceans, none of the laws listed are a cure-all, and many of them haven't been amended in decades. Some conservation organizations are fighting for more rigorous laws, regulations, and policies to keep our oceans plastic-free.

What Can You Do?

Although large corporations are responsible for a majority of plastic waste ending up in the oceans, there are still things to be done on an individual level to help keep our oceans clean.

Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Something everyone can do to contribute to the fight against ocean plastic pollution is to resist and reduce the use of single-use plastics. From plastic bags and bottles to plastic utensils, reducing your use of these plastics is a relatively easy step in limiting your plastic footprint.

When grocery shopping, bring your own reusable grocery bags. These bags are widely available and will last you a long time. Instead of using thin plastic produce bags, opt for reusable produce bags as well. Implementing the use of these reusable products will make you a more sustainable grocery shopper. There are incentives for altering your plastic consumption as well. At Target, for each reusable grocery bag you use, you get a 5 cent discount.

In recent years, Starbucks has made the switch to strawless drinking lids for their cold beverages. However, if you enjoy drinking out of straws, or want to prevent teeth staining, try using metal or reusable straws. They're widely available and easy to clean, and you can use them hundreds of times. Before the pandemic, Starbucks also started implementing reusable cups and tumblers. This way, when you make your coffee run, you don't have to use any single-use plastic. When you bring your own cup, you get a 10-cent discount. The program should continue when health authorities deem it's safe to do so.

Other major chains have similar programs where you can bring your own cup or tumbler, including Dunkin', Panera Bread, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Caribou Coffee, Peet's Coffee, and more.

Another ocean contaminant is microbeads and parabens. These are found in cosmetic products like face washes, toothpaste, and body washes. If you look at the ingredient list and see "polyethylene or "polypropylene," the product contains harmful microbeads, and you should avoid it.

When you grab some food to go, many restaurants will put your food in styrofoam containers, and then throw it in a plastic bag, and then go even further by supplying a bunch of paper napkins and plastic utensils. You can buy reusable utensils that are meant for traveling so you can skip the plastic utensils.

A more creative way to limit the amount of plastic you use is to buy in bulk. Singe-serving foods multiply waste. When you're grocery shopping, opt for a large tub of yogurt, instead of many small, single-serving yogurts. Buy trail mix that comes in one container, rather than many individually wrapped little ones. Buying products that you routinely use and consume in bulk can make a big difference.

When you forget your reusable bag or cup and have to use single-use plastic, you can help the environment and the oceans by recycling it properly. Be sure to be in the know about what types of plastics can be recycled in your community. If you're unsure of what you can and cannot recycle in your town, check out Earth911's recycling directory.

Engage in Cleanups

Employees from the organization 4Ocean clean Bali's beaches daily from plastic Bali has long grappled with plastic pollution both on land and in its seas. Jonas Gratzer / LightRocket / Getty Images

Another tangible way to help is by physically removing plastic from the ocean and beaches by participating in a cleanup. If there are no cleanups in your community, organize your own. There are also larger cleanup events such as the International Coastal Cleanup that you can be a part of. Whether it's with an organization or your friends and family, participating in a cleanup is a simple way to help collect plastic waste from marine communities.

Donate

There are a variety of organizations that aim to reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans, in creative, technologically advanced ways. Many of these organizations are non-profits and rely heavily on donations to continue to do important environmental work. Making a donation, even if it's small, will help these organizations to continue to clean up and conserve our oceans.

Takeaway

Plastic debris floating in our oceans doesn't just affect the marine wildlife and plant species - it affects all of us. If action isn't taken now, there will be catastrophic consequences.

Plastic already kills over 100 million ocean animals each year; this number will only increase as time goes on.

Fish are being over-harvested already, but with many fish species dying off, and more fish consuming plastic, the fishing industry as we know it may not survive if incessant ocean pollution continues. This affects the entire food chain and will affect many fishermen's livelihoods.

Ocean pollution is a huge threat to the overall biodiversity of our oceans. For example, coral reefs' DNA can be altered from ocean pollution. Many fish and marine life rely on coral reefs for survival. If fish can no longer live in coral reefs, they won't gather in the same areas, affecting the land wildlife on the shore who fish for food. If the land animals cannot feed on fish, they may venture into new hunting territories, putting them at risk of being attacked by unfamiliar predators, which can then lead to extinction.

The impact of ocean plastic extends beyond marine life. If marine animals are affected, land animals will be affected and humans will be affected. The pollution of the oceans sets off a domino effect on the greater environment.

Oceans make up 71% of our Earth. If the sea isn't healthy and thriving, the majority of our planet isn't. Ocean plastics are a major threat to the health and well-being of all living species on Earth.

Audrey Nakagawa is the content creator intern at EcoWatch. She is a senior at James Madison University studying Media, Art, and Design, with a concentration in journalism. She's a reporter for The Breeze in the culture section and writes features on Harrisonburg artists, album reviews, and topics related to mental health and the environment. She was also a contributor for Virginia Reports where she reported on the impact that COVID-19 had on college students.
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Ocean Plastic: What You Need to Know - EcoWatch

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Ocean-bound plastic is plastic waste that is headed toward our oceans. The term "Ocean bound plastic," was popularized by Jenna Jambeck, Ph. D., a professor from the University of Georgia. In 2015, she detailed in an article written in Science that although the majority of everything discarded, plastic or not, is not headed for...

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As the world seeks to slow the pace of climate change, preserve wildlife, and support more than eight billion people, trees inevitably hold a major part of the answer. Yet the mass destruction of trees-deforestation-continues, sacrificing the long-term benefits of standing trees for short-term gain of fuel, and materials for manufacturing and construction.

We need trees for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that they absorb the carbon dioxide we exhale and the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that human activities emit. As those gases enter the atmosphere, global warming increases, a trend scientists now prefer to call climate change.

There is also the imminent danger of disease caused by deforestation. An estimated 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases come from animals, and a major cause of viruses' jump from wildlife to humans is habitat loss, often through deforestation.

But we can still save our forests. Aggressive efforts to rewild and reforest are already showing success. Tropical tree cover alone can provide 23 percent of the climate mitigation needed to meet goals set in the Paris Agreement in 2015, according to one estimate.

Causes of deforestation

Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world's land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Since 1990, the world has lost more than 420 million hectares or about a billion acres of forest, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-mainly in Africa and South America. About 17 percent of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the past 50 years, and losses recently have been on the rise. The organization Amazon Conservation reports that destruction rose by 21 percent in 2020, a loss the size of Israel.

Farming, grazing of livestock, mining, and drilling combined account for more than half of all deforestation. Forestry practices, wildfires and, in small part, urbanization account for the rest. In Malaysia and Indonesia, forests are cut down to make way for producing palm oil, which can be found in everything from shampoo to saltine crackers. In the Amazon, cattle ranching and farms-particularly soy plantations-are key culprits.

Logging operations, which provide the world's wood and paper products, also fell countless trees each year. Loggers, some of them acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote forests-which leads to further deforestation. Forests are also cut as a result of growing urban sprawl as land is developed for homes.

Not all deforestation is intentional. Some is caused by a combination of human and natural factors like wildfires and overgrazing, which may prevent the growth of young trees.

Why it matters

There are some 250 million people who live in forest and savannah areas and depend on them for subsistence and income-many of them among the world's rural poor.

Eighty percent of Earth's land animals and plants live in forests, and deforestation threatens species including the orangutan, Sumatran tiger, and many species of birds. Removing trees deprives the forest of portions of its canopy, which blocks the sun's rays during the day and retains heat at night. That disruption leads to more extreme temperature swings that can be harmful to plants and animals.

With wild habitats destroyed and human life ever expanding, the line between animal and human areas blurs, opening the door to zoonotic diseases. In 2014, for example, the Ebola virus killed over 11,000 people in West Africa after fruit bats transmitted the disease to a toddler who was playing near trees where bats were roosting.

(How deforestation is leading to more infectious diseases in humans.)

Some scientists believe there could be as many as 1.7 million currently "undiscovered" viruses in mammals and birds, of which up to 827,000 could have the ability to infect people, according to a 2018 study.

Deforestation's effects reach far beyond the people and animals where trees are cut. The South American rainforest, for example, influences regional and perhaps even global water cycles, and it's key to the water supply in Brazilian cities and neighboring countries. The Amazon actually helps furnish water to some of the soy farmers and beef ranchers who are clearing the forest. The loss of clean water and biodiversity from all forests could have many other effects we can't foresee, touching even your morning cup of coffee.

In terms of climate change, cutting trees both adds carbon dioxide to the air and removes the ability to absorb existing carbon dioxide. If tropical deforestation were a country, according to the World Resources Institute, it would rank third in carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions, behind China and the U.S.

What can be done

The numbers are grim, but many conservationists see reasons for hope. A movement is under way to preserve existing forest ecosystems and restore lost tree cover by first reforesting (replanting trees) and ultimately rewilding (a more comprehensive mission to restore entire ecosystems).

(Which nation could be the first to be rewilded?)

Organizations and activists are working to fight illegal mining and logging-National Geographic Explorer Topher White, for example, has come up with a way to use recycled cell phones to monitor for chainsaws. In Tanzania, the residents of Kokota have planted more than 2 million trees on their small island over a decade, aiming to repair previous damage. And in Brazil, conservationists are rallying in the face of ominous signals that the government may roll back forest protections.

(Which tree planting projects should you support?)

Stopping deforestation before it reaches a critical point will play a key role in avoiding the next zoonotic pandemic. A November 2022 study showed that when bats struggle to find suitable habitat, they travel closer to human communities where diseases are more likely to spillover. Inversely, when bats' native habitats were left intact, they stayed away from humans. This research is the first to show how we can predict and avoid spillovers through monitoring and maintaining wildlife habitats.

For consumers, it makes sense to examine the products and meats you buy, looking for sustainably produced sources when you can. Nonprofit groups such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance certify products they consider sustainable, while the World Wildlife Fund has a palm oil scorecard for consumer brands.

Editor's note: This story was originally published on February 2019. It has been updated.

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Deforestation and Its Effect on the Planet

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Large scale destruction of trees-deforestation-affects ecosystems, climate, and even increases risk for zoonotic diseases spreading to humans.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in the ocean, seas, and other large bodies of water.

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Fact Sheet: Amazon Deforestation

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Some main reasons why areas of rainforests are cut down:

Farming e.g. soya fields, cattle ranches

Mining

Flooding areas of land as part of hydro electric power stations

Logging to sell the timber

Once the trees go, the soil becomes infertile in one or two years, making it poor for farming.
Hunting becomes more difficult for the people who live there as the habitat for wildlife is lost. Traditional people's cultures are also lost.

The effects of deforestation:

Trees are removed.

Trees do not protect soil so nutrients are washed out by the rain.

Soil is now less fertile and the unprotected surface becomes dry and compacted.

It is hard for rain to soak into the soil, so flooding may occur.

New trees grow more slowly and there are less species.

Possible alternatives to deforestation:

You may think that the obvious solution to the problems of deforestation is simply to stop people cutting the trees down.

However, it's not always as straightforward as that. Most of the countries that have rainforests are trying to cope with poverty, debt and high rates of population growth.

Can they be blamed for trying to make some money?

Here are some alternatives to deforestation on a big scale:

A mixture of different crops and trees are planted together. This variety helps prevent insect damage and soil erosion, as well as maintaining natural soil fertility.

Banning sales of valuable hard wood e.g. mahogany.

Less economically developed countries could have some of their debts reduced in return for setting up projects to protect their rainforests.

Increased world trade in rainforest products at fair prices.

National Rainforest Parks e.g. Korup in Cameroon. These act as wildlife reserves and may make some money through careful tourism.

Portable sawmills to reduce damage caused by motor vehicles bringing logs to permanent sites.

Reserves for people already living in the rainforests so that local land rights and lifestyles can be respected.

The global effects of deforestation:

The destruction of the rainforest is reducing the number of species of plants and animals as there are many species unique to different rainforests.

The destruction of the rainforest may lead to the loss of valuable plants that could be useful to people in the future e.g. medicines or crops.

The changes in humidity in deforested areas are creating less rainfall and having knock-on effects on savannah climates to the North and South. Rainfall is becoming more unpredictable.

The destruction of the rainforest is likely to increase the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However this is a minor effect compared to burning fossil fuels for industry and transport.

Some scientists think the destruction of the rainforest is increasing global warming but others say climate change is natural. There have been cold and warm periods on Earth in the past.

Myths about deforestation:

The destruction of the rainforest is NOT increasing ozone in the atmosphere. This is due to chemicals (CFCs) released into the atmosphere by people.

The destruction of the rainforest is NOT making people short of breath as there is plenty of oxygen in the air to breathe.

Other information:

It is estimated that 7.5 million hectares of rainforest are being cut down each year - that is the same as 20 football pitches every minute.

However, there is an area of rainforest the size of western Europe remaining in South America.

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CBBC Newsround | Teachers | Citizenship 11 14 | Subject areas | Globalisation Environmental | Fact sheet: Amazon deforestation

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Some main reasons why areas of rainforests are cut down: Farming e.g. soya fields, cattle ranches Mining Flooding areas of land as part of hydro electric power stations Logging to sell the timber Once the trees go, the soil becomes infertile in one or two years, making it poor for farming.

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Here are some facts about the Great Garbage Patch

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Improve your students' reading comprehension with ReadWorks. Access thousands of high-quality, free K-12 articles, and create online assignments with them for your students.

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POWERFUL VIDEO: Why We Need to Stop Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans FOR GOOD | Oceana

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This site has videos and images that are useful.

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Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History

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Plastic surrounds us. It is not just the obvious places—like water bottles and straws. It is also used to build our cars and is found in our face washes and fabrics. With the invention of plastic in the early 20th century, we became a world that relished the privilege of cheap, easy-to-produce plast…

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How do plastic bags harm our environment and sea life?  

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How do plastic bags harm our environment and sea life?  

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This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they'd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome - serious, weird or wacky! You might also like the podcast Imagine This, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids.

My name is Sanuki and I'm 8 years old. I live in Melbourne. My question is how do plastic bags harm our environment and sea life? - Sanuki, age 8, Melbourne.

Good question, Sanuki!

Plastic bags harm marine (and land) environments in a few ways.

Turtles (and other animals) may mistake plastic bags for food. Turtles like to eat jellyfish, and we think turtles eat the plastic bags because they resemble jellyfish.

When turtles eat plastic, it can block their intestinal system (their guts). Therefore, they can no longer eat properly, which can kill them. The plastics in their tummy may also leak chemicals into the turtle. We don't know whether this causes long term problems for the turtle, but it's probably not good for them.

Read more: Australian waters polluted by harmful tiny plastics

How plastic impacts the ecosystems

Plastic bags can also smother corals and other seabed communities. When plastic bags end up in our oceans, animals (including seals, dolphins and seabirds) can get tangled up in them. An animal with a plastic bag around its neck will have trouble moving through the water, catching its prey or feeding, and escaping predators.

On land, plastic bags are an eyesore. They get stuck in trees, along fence lines, or as litter at our parks and beaches.

Many people don't realise that plastic bags can also cause flooding. Previously in Ghana (in West Africa), plastic bags blocked storm water drains during a big rainstorm. This caused flooding so bad that people were killed.

Making plastic requires a lot of energy and work

Plastic bags can even be harmful before they are used. It takes a lot of resources and energy to create a plastic bag. A key ingredient is oil. As a fossil fuel, oil must be extracted from the ground. Do we want to use fossil fuel resources to make a product that is only used once (we call this a "single use plastic")?

Many millions of barrels of oil are used to make plastic bags every year. A lot of energy is also used to make and transport plastic bags. It is better for the environment if we reduce our energy use.

Read more: This South Pacific island of rubbish shows why we need to quit our plastic habit

The push towards plastic-free

Lately, lots of people recognise the impacts that plastic bags have, and they are working on alternatives. Many local and state governments have passed plastic bag bans here in Australia, which helps stop the use of single use plastic bags.

In fact, New South Wales is the only state in Australia where you can still get thin, single use plastic bags at the grocery store.

So, remind your parents to bring their reusable cloth bags whenever you go shopping. You just might save a turtle.
Hello, curious kids! Have you got a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to us. They can: * Email your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au
* Tell us onTwitter Please tell us your name, age and which city you live in. You can send an audio recording of your question too, if you want. Send as many questions as you like! We won't be able to answer every question but we will do our best.

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Curious Kids: How do plastic bags harm our environment and sea life?

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This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they'd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome - serious, weird or wacky! You might also like the podcast Imagine This, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids.

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What are scientists doing to help with the plastic problem?

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Since the 1950s plastic has revolutionised the way we live and become an essential part of our daily lives.

The production and disposal of conventional plastics causes major environmental problems.

Plastic pollution ends up in our streams, oceans, air and open spaces, resulting in the deaths of millions of animals annually.

Scientists are working on a new generation of plastics known as 'bioplastics', products which can be tailored to be biodegradable or recyclable, and produced either fully or in part from renewable resources.

Bioplastics are only part of the solution to the plastic problem-a change in consumer behaviour is also needed.

Why do we need bioplastics?

From the tiny buttons on your shirt, to the pen in your hand, from the keyboard you type on to the wrapping you remove from your sandwich, the intensive and extensive use of plastic in our society is undeniable. It has revolutionised the way we live and is an essential part of our daily lives. The figures speak for themselves-in 1960 the world produced 7 million tonnes of plastic. It's predicted to rise to 540 million tonnes by 2020. But this wonder-product, which has transformed our lives in so many positive ways, has some serious environmental flaws in both its production and disposal.

Conventional plastics are manufactured using petroleum, coal or gas-all non-renewal resources susceptible to a volatile market of rising cost and demand, coupled with dwindling reserves.

However it is the disposal of these products that is of even greater concern. The irony is obvious-products that are intended to be used only once (such as food packaging and plastic bags), or to have limited or short-term use before being discarded, are manufactured in such a way that they will last a hundred lifetimes. This means that every piece of plastic you have ever looked at, used, opened or thrown away still remains somewhere in the world today.

Because plastic pollution takes so long to break down, it pollutes the land and ocean, where it is often lethal to wildlife. Image credit: kris krüg on Flickr.

While some plastics are lucky enough to be recycled, most are sent to landfill, and the rest is left to its own devices, free to roam our environment clogging up streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, polluting forests and soils. There is even a new term for it: 'white pollution'.

If you think it all sounds a bit depressing, you're right, it is. But as plastic is too useful and too ingrained in our lives to be given up, scientists have been working on a new generation of plastics that can meet the needs of manufacturers and the community, while also providing benefits to the environment. Known as 'bioplastics', these products not only have the potential to be biodegradable and/or recyclable, but fully sustainable across all areas of their life cycle.

What are bioplastics?

The term bioplastic does not refer solely to biodegradable or compostable plastics made from natural materials. The name is also applied to petroleum-based plastics that are degradable, plant-based plastics that are not necessarily biodegradable, and plastics that contain both petroleum-based and plant-based materials that may biodegrade or not.

Essentially, bioplastics are bio-based, biodegradable, or both.

The term 'bio-based' means that the material or product is at least partly derived from biomass (plants). Examples of biomass used in bioplastics include corn, sugarcane, tapioca, or other forms of cellulose.

Biodegradable generally refers to a substance that can be broken down by microorganisms in the environment within a fixed period of time. Effective biodegradation requires specific environmental conditions including temperature and level of aeration, allowing microorganisms to convert natural materials into other natural substances such as compost, water and carbon dioxide.

With bioplastics, biodegradability is directly linked to the chemical structure and not necessarily to the origin of the raw materials.

<img src="/curious/sites/default/files/section_body_content_image/1200px-BiodegradablePlasticUtensils1.jpg" width="676" height="424" alt="Plastic cutlery made from a biodegradable material" >

Types of bioplastics

Bioplastics are not one single substance-rather, they are a family of products each with differing properties and applications depending on their base materials and manufacture.

Currently, the bioplastic family can be divided into three main groups:

Group 1: Plastics that are both bio-based and biodegradable

Group 2: Bio-based or partly bio-based non-biodegradable plastics, known as 'drop-ins'

Group 3: Plastics that are based on fossil fuel resources and are biodegradable

Group 1: Plastics that are both bio-based and biodegradable

Examples: polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxalkanoate (PHA)

Group 1 bioplastics consist of products that are both bio-based and biodegradable. They can be made from a number of different natural sources including plants, cellulose, protein, chitin (prawn shells) and bacteria.

Derived from the starch of natural and renewable resources such as corn, wheat or potatoes, polylactic acid, also known as polylactide and commonly referred to as PLA, is currently one of the most popular and promising 'green' plastic alternatives on the market.

The creation of PLA involves several steps. First, corn undergoes wet milling, a mechanical process that separates the starch, along with other useful components, from the kernel. The starch is then heated with enzymes or acid (or both), to completely hydrolyse GLOSSARY hydrolyse a The break down (a compound) by chemical reaction with water the starch to dextrose. The resulting dextrose can be in either crystalline or liquid form.

Through a process of fermentation polymerisation Any process in which relatively small molecules, called GLOSSARY GLOSSARY polymerisation monomers, combine chemically to produce a very large chain-like or network molecule, called a polymer. to cause the molecules to link up into long chains or polymers which bond together to form PLA. This is turned into sheets of flat plastic or pellets, which can then be moulded into a variety of different forms including containers, films and fibres. fermentation The chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other micro organisms. , the dextrose is converted to lactic acid, a relatively simple organic chemical compound. This is the same kind of lactic acid that torments your muscles after vigorous exercise, but produced on an industrial scale. The lactic acid then undergoes

The characteristics of PLA are similar to those of conventional petrochemical plastics (such as PET), while another benefit its ability to be processed on existing plastic production equipment.

Alongside its renewable base materials, one of PLA's strong environmental selling points is its ability to completely biodegrade. Because it is made from plant-based sources, it makes a ready meal for bacteria and other microbes to feast on. However, due to its production process, if placed in your backyard compost bin or sent to landfill, it will behave just as any regular petro-plastic-that is, it will take many decades to disappear. To fulfil its biodegradable potential, PLA requires specific compost conditions. Unfortunately, these can only be found in industrial composting facilities, of which there are relatively few.

PLA's increasing popularity has seen its uses expand from primarily food packaging to encompass a wide range of fields including medical, textile, automotive, cosmetic and household applications.

Another 'Group 1' bioplastic is polyhydroxalkanoate, or PHA. PHAs are naturally occurring polymers that can be produced in different ways by specific strains of bacteria. In the first instance, bacteria is exposed to a limited supply of essential nutrients such as oxygen and nitrogen, which promotes the growth of PHA-granules of plastic-inside its cells as food and energy reserves.

A separate group of bacteria has also been identified that do not require nutrient limitation for PHA production, but accumulate it during periods of rapid growth. The PHA within both these groups can then be harvested, or, prior to harvesting, can be synthesised into different chemical forms via genetic engineering.

Initially, the commercialisation of PHA was hindered by high production costs, low yields and limited availability, making it unable to compete with its petrochemical counterparts. However, recent breakthroughs have found certain bacteria that are capable of producing PHA from a range of carbon sources including waste effluents, plant oils, fatty acids, alkane, and simple carbohydrates. This greatly broadens their appeal-for example, using waste materials as a carbon source for PHA production would have the dual benefit of reducing PHA cost and reducing the cost of waste disposal.

In 2013 an American company announced that it had refined the process even further, removing the need for plant-based sugars, oils, starches or cellulose, instead using a 'biocatalyst' derived from microorganisms which converts air mixed with greenhouse gases such as methane or carbon dioxide directly into plastic.

Taking this stream of PHA research even further, scientists are taking the genes from this plastic-growing bacteria and inserting them into corn plants, which then grow the plastic in their own cells. Farmers producing these genetically modified corn plants effectively 'grow' a crop of plastic.

PHA is fully biodegradable under the right conditions, non-toxic, and can be used in a wide range of applications, from food packaging to medical implants.

Group 2: Bio-based or partially bio-based non-biodegradable plastics-'Drop-ins'

Examples: bio-polyethylene (PE), bio-polypropylene (PP) and bio-polyethylene terephalate (PET)

Drop-ins are bioplastics that are bio-based or partly bio-based, but are not biodegradable. Put simply, 'drop-in' solutions are hybrid versions of traditional plastics. They differ from their conventional counterparts only in terms of their partly renewable raw material base, while retaining the same functionality.

Leading the field is partially bio-based PET, which is already accounting for approximately 40 per cent of the global bioplastics production capacity.

Many conventional plastic types such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can in fact be made from renewable resources, such as bioethanol.

A popular example of a drop-in plastic is the 'Plant Bottle' currently used by one of the world's leading soft-drink manufacturers. The bottle uses 30 per cent plant-based materials in its manufacture, while retaining the same characteristics as the traditional bottle, and also being fully recyclable. Over time, it is hoped that the renewable component of the bottle will increase, while the fossil fuel-based materials will decrease.

Drop-ins are the fastest growing bioplastic group. Industry interest is based around two main selling points:

1. Drop-ins feature the same properties and functionality as their petrochemical counterparts, meaning they can be processed, used and recycled in existing facilities and following the same routes as conventional plastics. This reduces the need for new or additional infrastructure and reduces costs across all levels.

2. The renewable (or partly renewable) basis of these products reduces their carbon footprint while also lowering production costs.

Group 3: Fossil fuel-based plastics that are biodegradable

Examples: polybutyrate (PBAT) and polycaprolactone (PCL)

The last group of bioplastics are new polymers that are based on fossil fuels but are still biodegradable, and include products such as polybutyrate adipate terephthalate-known more commonly as polybutyrate or PBAT. Used primarily in conjunction with starch or other bioplastic materials, they improve the application-specific performance of the final product due to their biodegradability and mechanical properties. Though currently still produced as hybrids with petrochemical plastics, new bio-based or partly bio-based versions are in development.

PBAT is a random copolymer GLOSSARY copolymer A random copolymer is a polymer comprised of two or more different mer units (a group of atoms that constit a polymer chain repeating unit) attached in a random order. made up of butylene adipate and terephthalate. It is fully biodegradable under correct composting conditions, and contains many properties which are similar to low-density polyethylene such as high elasticity, fracture resilience and flexibility. This makes it a viable alternative for use in products such as bags, wraps and other packaging. It is particularly suited to rubbish bags or disposable packaging due to its ability to decompose in compost within several weeks. PBAT can also be used as an additive, giving rigid bioplastics more flexibility while retaining the biodegradable properties of the final product.

<img src="/curious/sites/default/files/section_body_content_image/5412676355_988f25ed32_z.jpg" width="676" height="424" alt="An electron microscope image of a biodegradable alternative to polyethylene." >

Environmental pros and cons of bioplastics

There are two sides to every story, and bioplastics are no different. They have great potential and many positive attributes, yet these are countered by an almost equal number of drawbacks. Both sides of the equation need to be considered closely when considering the environmental impact of bioplastics in our society.

Pros

They reduce the use of fossil-fuels and reliance on non-renewable resources.

Manufacturing process can use up to 65 per cent less energy and generates fewer greenhouse gases than conventional plastic.

Some are biodegradable and/or compostable.

Some can be recycled alongside conventional plastics.

Some are non-toxic and safe for medical and internal use.

Cons

They have a higher manufacturing cost-though this is changing as more companies begin to make bioplastics.

Composting may be possible only in industrial composting processes.

Not all are recyclable.

Some can interfere with or damage standard plastic recycling processes.

Not all are biodegradable.

If sent to landfill, some can release methane-a potent greenhouse gas-into the atmosphere.

They're not suitable for use in a number of products.

Use of plant sugar and starch sources could have a negative impact on food prices.

Bioplastics do nothing to change consumer behaviour regarding their use of plastic products.

Market demand

Demand for bioplastics is growing. Advances in technology have improved product quality and versatility, while lowering production costs. This, in conjunction with rising fossil-fuel costs, has resulted in more companies entering the bioplastic market, promoting further research and competition. The renewability and availability of raw materials, the various disposal options for bioplastics, coupled with rising consumer demand for environmentally responsible products has led some to claim the industry has hit its ' tipping point GLOSSARY tipping point The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change. '.

At present, bioplastics make up around 1 per cent of the total plastics market, a tiny drop in the plastic ocean. However, analysts forecast strong growth within the sector. Published market reviews on bioplastics project growth rates ranging from 15 to 35 per cent between 2010 and 2020. By 2018 production capacity of bioplastics will be over 6.7 million tonnes. The top performers are expected to be the drop-ins such as bio-PET and bio-PE, followed by PLA. This reflects the industry's move away from fully compostable products to those that already have established recycling streams. While PLA is compostable, the low number of industrial composting facilities are currently reducing its appeal.

A 2010 study estimated that the technical substitution potential of bioplastics for replacing conventional plastics could be as high as 90 per cent. This means that bioplastics have the potential to eventually replace most of the conventional plastics that are currently used in everyday life. As the growing commercialisation of bioplastics continues to result in lowered costs and improved technological capacities, the reality of such a figure may begin to seem more attainable-though still a long way off.

We must all begin to live in a smarter materials world. [Bioplastic] innovation isn't the total solution to the problem of plastic waste, but it's a critical start. Brendan Morris, CEO of Plantic

What else can we do?

Bioplastics are a great innovation, but they are not the only solution to the problem of plastic pollution in our environment. A change in consumer behaviour-in the way we think about, use and dispose of plastics-is essential in effecting longer-term change.

Below are just a few simple tips to help you cut down plastic use in your life.

Be proactive

Take the time to educate yourself about the full 'cost' of plastics, and inform family and friends of ways that they too can cut down their waste. Try and implement the four 'R's-Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Every little bit helps.

Say no to plastic bags

Over one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year-bring your own reusable bag or just say 'no thanks' at the check-out.

Bring your own bottle

Bring your own refillable drink bottle and/or coffee cup instead of buying disposable, single-use plastic bottles.

Opt for less packaging

Have you ever bought a product and had to unwrap multiple layers of plastic before being able to use it? Try to buy products that have less plastic packaging, or, better yet, opt for ones that come in cardboard or other recyclable materials. Support companies who are trying to reduce their packaging to a minimum.

Pack a 'green' lunch

Instead of wrapping your sandwich and snacks in plastic wrap, pack them in reusable containers.

Buy refillable products

Where possible, buy products (such as lighters, pens and so on) that can be refilled rather than those that are single use.

<img src="/curious/sites/default/files/section_body_content_image/6341770051_083a31dee3_z.jpg" width="676" height="424" alt="Fresh food at a grocery store." >

Conclusion

The idea of bioplastics is of considerable interest and importance in the modern world. To develop a product that not only meets the needs of manufacturers and consumers, but which actively reduces environmental pollution, is a key goal of researchers and scientists in this industry. The current generation of bioplastics, while far from perfect, has some remarkable traits, and continuing research into this field will enable further breakthroughs and improvements. However, bioplastics are not the only solution. Consumers need to recognise that the many positives plastic brings to our lives are balanced out by an equal number of negatives. Changes in the way we buy, consume and dispose of plastics are just as important as any scientific breakthrough.

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Since the 1950s plastic has revolutionised the way we live and become an essential part of our daily lives. The production and disposal of conventional plastics causes major environmental problems. Plastic pollution ends up in our streams, oceans, air and open spaces, resulting in the deaths of millions of animals annually.

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Padlet with more plastic pollution resources

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You flush it, they eat it: Plastics pollution reaches deep-sea critters

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You flush it, they eat it: Plastics pollution reaches deep-sea critters

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Plastic rubbish on a remote beach in Northern Svalbard © Global Warming Images / WWF

The lifecycle of plastics

Keywords

plastic

marine pollution

chemicals

Plastic. It's everywhere. It has only really existed for the last 60-70 years, but in that time plastic has transformed everything from packaging to product design and retailing.

One of the advantages of plastic is that it is designed to last, but this same blessing is a curse as nearly all the plastic ever created still exists in some form today.

Australia produces almost 3 million tonnes of plastic per annum, of which less than 12% is recycled. Alarmingly, up to 130,000 tonnes of that plastic will wind up in the ocean as plastic pollution each year. Considering each person produces (or uses) roughly 130 kg of plastic, it means that about 30 kg of each person's waste could end up in the ocean.

Not only could it end up in the ocean, but it can take hundreds of years to break down - if at all.

Plastic bag - 20 years

Plastic bags pose one of the greatest impacts to ocean wildlife. Even though they only make up a small percentage of our litter, they can break up into smaller and smaller pieces - having devastating impacts on our wildlife.

Takeaway coffee cups - 30 years

Did you know that if we lined up all the takeaway coffee cups used each year in Australia they would stretch around the world... twice! That's a lot of coffee cups. Unfortunately, many of these cups are not recyclable due to the plastic membrane that lines them, and can take up to 30 years to degrade.

Plastic straws - 200 years

Plastic straws can take up to 200 years to decompose. Choose a paper straw or ditch them altogether and try the age-old sipping technique.

6 pack plastic rings - 400 years

When these plastic rings end up in the ocean, they can be devastating to our marine wildlife who get entangled.

Plastic bottles - 450 years

The energy required to produce and transport plastic water bottles could fuel an estimated 1.5 million cars for a year, yet approximately 75% of water bottles are not recycled - they end up in landfills, litter roadsides, and pollute waterways and oceans.

Plastic cups - 450 years

The chemical bonds of plastic cups make them durable, but also resistant to breaking down. Overtime, these cups release toxic chemicals into the environment and are more likely to be ingested by vulnerable marine wildlife.

Disposable diapers - 500 years

Disposable diapers need to be exposed to oxygen and sunlight in order to decompose, and they don't decompose well in landfill. Once in landfill, they can contaminate groundwater, posing serious threats to the environment. Opt for reusable cloth diapers or eco-friendly alternatives.

Coffee pods - 500 years

The plastic in coffee pods takes more than 500 years to break down, releasing harmful amounts of methane gas as it does so. Steer clear of pod coffee machines. Or use recycled pods.

Plastic toothbrush - 500 years

3.5 billion toothbrushes are sold worldwide each year. Most get lost in the recycling process and end up in landfill or make their way into rivers and oceans. These toothbrushes are made from polypropylene plastic and nylon and can take up to 500 years or more to decompose.

The good news is that we can fight back against plastic pollution. Every little action we take to reduce our consumption of plastic is a big step in protecting the future of our planet and our precious wildlife.

Check out these plastic free eco-friendly swaps on our blog.

If you have any questions about your donation, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly Supporter Services team either by email: enquiries@wwf.org.au or call 1800 032 551

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Plastic rubbish on a remote beach in Northern Svalbard © Global Warming Images / WWF Keywords plastic marine pollution chemicals Plastic. It's everywhere. It has only really existed for the last 60-70 years, but in that time plastic has transformed everything from packaging to product design and retailing.

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Plastic in the ocean

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Ever heard of the Pacific garbage patch? It's one of several swirling trash zones in our oceans, and it's where a lot of our plastic litter ends up. While these debris patches aren't visible piles of floating trash in the water, the reality of what they are and how they got there is just as gross -- and just as harmful to marine life.
Infographic by Alissa Scheller for The Huffington Post.

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This Is How Your Plastic Bag Ends Up In Massive Ocean Garbage Patches

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Ever heard of the Pacific garbage patch? It's one of several swirling trash zones in our oceans, and it's where a lot of our plastic litter ends up. While these debris patches aren't visible piles of floating trash in the water, the reality of what they are and how they got there is just as gross -- and just as harmful to marine life.

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Renewables are made from natural resources on our planet, like wind, water, and sunlight. They are incredibly valuable energy sources, also known as "clean energy" as they do not pollute the environment. -
Renewables come from our planet's unlimited sources of energy, like wind, sunlight, waves, and the earth's internal heat. Here are 5 main sources of renewable energy and why they are so important to us.

5 Main Sources of Renewable Energy
Solar Energy
This is energy produced directly from sunlight through smart solar panels placed outside of buildings facing the sun. Solar can be used to heat up buildings, water, and be turned into electricity.
Wind Energy
The blades of large windmills are moved by the power of the wind. These blades spin a turbine inside a generator to produce electricity. There are over 341,000 wind turbines on the planet spread across 83 countries.
Hydroelectric Power
Water from dams and rivers can be used to spin powerful turbines and generate what we call hydroelectricity. Several provinces in Canada produce over 90% of their energy through hydropower and the country is one of the largest global consumers of this energy source along with China and Brazil.
Geothermal Energy
Huge pumps extract the heat and steam from below the Earth - mainly from volcanoes and geysers - and use these to heat up homes and buildings as well as to generate electricity. About 25% of the total electricity of Iceland is produced by geothermal energy, thanks to the country's several hot springs.
Biomass Energy
This is the oldest source of renewable energy on the planet. With biomass, we refer to all organic matter that has stored energy through the process of photosynthesis. Think wood, crops, seaweed, and animal wastes. This energy is converted to electricity and heat. In the United States, the majority of biomass energy comes from wood.

Fun Facts About Renewable Energy

In 2020, around 29% of the global energy came from renewable technologies.

Some countries like Albania, Paraguay, and Iceland obtain all of their energy from renewable sources. Norway relies nearly 97% of its electricity from hydropower.

Some renewable energy sources can have environmental impacts, but they are a less polluting and more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.

Solar is the most abundant energy source on Earth.

An hour and a half of sunlight that reaches the planet's surface can generate enough power to meet all of humanity's energy consumption for an entire year .

One wind turbine can produce enough electricity to light up almost 600 homes .

Wind turbines are very complicated machines that can have as many as 8,000 different components.

Why Is Renewable Energy so Important?

Renewables are an essential source of energy for the future and one of the world's most important allies in the race to stop global warming and reach net-zero emissions. They are much cleaner sources and have a very minimal environmental footprint than fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. Another good thing about renewables is that they are endless: while resources of coal and gas are finite, the wind will never stop blowing and the sun will never stop shining! This is amazing news, as we can rely on these energy sources for a very long time.
Check This Out Next: What is Nuclear Energy?

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What is Renewable Energy? - Earth.Org Kids

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Renewable energy is an incredibly valuable energy source. Also known as "clean energy", they do not pollute the environment.

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We've all heard of it, but what is climate change and what is it doing to our planet?

So, what is climate change?

Climate change (or global warming), is the process of our planet heating up.

Scientists estimate that since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has caused the Earth to warm by approximately 1°C. While that might not sound like much, it means big things for people and wildlife around the globe.

Unfortunately, rising temperatures don't just mean that we'll get nicer weather - if only! The changing climate will actually make our weather more extreme and unpredictable.

As temperatures rise, some areas will get wetter and lots of animals (and humans!) could find they're not able to adapt to their changing climate.

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National Geographic Kids is an exciting monthly read for planet-passionate boys and girls, aged 6-13! Packed full of fun features, jaw-dropping facts and awe-inspiring photos - it'll keep you entertained for hours! Find our magazine in all good newsagents, or become a subscriber and have it delivered to your door! Ask your parents to check out the 'Subscribe' tab on our website!
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What causes climate change?

1. Burning fossil fuels

Over the past 150 years, industrialised countries have been burning large amounts of fossil fuels such as oil and gas. The gases released into the atmosphere during this process act like an invisible 'blanket', trapping heat from the sun and warming the Earth. This is known as the " Greenhouse Effect ".

2. Farming

Believe it or not, cows' eating habits contribute towards climate change. Just like us, when cows eat, methane - a type of greenhouse gas - builds up in their digestive system and is released in the form of... a burp! This might sound funny, but when you imagine that there are almost 1.5 billion cows releasing all that gas into the atmosphere, it sure adds up!

3. Deforestation

Forests absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide - another greenhouse gas - from the air, and release oxygen back into it. The Amazon rainforest is so large and efficient at doing this that it acts like our planet's air conditioner - limiting climate change. Sadly, many rainforests are being cut down to make wood, palm oil and to clear the way for farmland, roads, oil mines, and dams.

How will climate change affect the planet?

The Earth has had many tropical climates and ice ages over the billions of years that it's been in existence, so why is now so different? Well, this is because for the last 150 years human activity has meant we're releasing a huge amount of harmful gases into the Earth's atmosphere, and records show that the global temperatures are rising more rapidly since this time.

A warmer climate could affect our planet in a number of ways:
- Shrinking sea ice
How will climate change affect wildlife?

Climate change is already affecting wildlife all over the world, but certain species are suffering more than others. Polar animals - whose icy natural habitat is melting in the warmer temperatures - are particularly at risk. In fact, experts believe that the Arctic sea ice is melting at a shocking rate - 9% per decade! Polar bears need sea ice to be able to hunt, raise their young and as places to rest after long periods of swimming. Certain seal species, like ringed seals make caves in the snow and ice to raise their pups, feed and mate.

It's not just polar animals who are in trouble. Apes like orangutans, which live in the rainforests of Indonesia, are under threat as their habitat is cut down, and more droughts cause more bushfires.

Sea turtles rely on nesting beaches to lay their eggs, many of which are threatened by rising sea levels. Did you know that the temperature of nests determines whether the eggs are male or female? Unfortunately, with temperatures on the rise, this could mean that many more females are born than males, threatening future turtle populations.

How will people be affected by climate change?

Climate change won't just affect animals, it's already having an impact on people, too. Most affected are some of the people who grow the food we eat every day. Farming communities, especially in developing countries, are facing higher temperatures, increased rain, floods and droughts.

We Brits love a good cuppa, (around 165 million cups of the stuff every day!), but we probably take for granted just how much work goes into growing our tea. Environmental conditions can affect the flavour and quality plus it needs a very specific rainfall to grow. In Kenya, climate change is making rainfall patterns less and less predictable. Often there will be droughts followed by huge amounts rain, which makes it very difficult to grow tea.

Farmers might then resort to using cheap chemicals to improve their crop to earn more money, even when long-term use of these chemicals can destroy their soil.

How are people coping with climate change?

Buying Fairtrade products can help make sure a farmer is paid a fair wage. This means they can cover their costs, earn enough money to have a decent standard of living, and invest in their farms to keep their crop healthy, without needing to resort to cheap methods of farming which can further damage the environment.

This support also helps farmers to replace eucalyptus trees - which take up a lot of water - with indigenous trees that are better for the farmers' soil. They can learn to make fuel-efficient stoves which will not only make them a little extra money, but also reduce the carbon footprint of the community - cool!

How can I help prevent climate change?

Small changes in your own home can make a difference, too. Try switching to energy-saving lightbulbs, walking instead of using the car, turning off electrical items when you're not using them, recycling and reducing your food waste.

All these little things can make a difference. You can check out more eco-friendly ideas, in our kids' guide to saving the planet! Plus, check out our cool article about Greta Thunberg, too, to discover how young people are making their voices heard.

You can download information about Fairtrade and climate change for your school, here! www.fairtrade.org.uk/schools.

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What is climate change: facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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What is climate change (a.k.a. global warming) & why is it happening? We explain how it affects our planet & how we can prevent it...

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Most alternative energy sources are renewable, which means that, unlike fossil fuels, they are not likely to run out. Examples include the Sun, wind, rivers and oceans, heat from inside Earth, and biofuels. These energy sources can be used to generate electricity, to heat water, and, in some cases, to fuel vehicles.

Solar Energy

The heat and light produced by the Sun provide an enormous source of energy. A number of technologies, such as photovoltaic (PV) cells, have been developed to harness this energy so it can be used as a power source for generating electricity and heat (solar heating).

Wind and Water Energy

When the blades of a wind turbine spin, they convert wind energy to electrical energy by means of a machine called a generator. Wind turbines can work alone or in a group, called a wind farm.

In a similar way, rivers and oceans can provide electric power. The water flowing through a river dam runs generators, which produce electricity. This is called waterpower or hydropower. Wave energy is produced when generators are placed in an ocean. The amount of energy depends on the size, force, and frequency of the waves.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is heat that comes from inside Earth. In some places, such as Iceland, the heat is so close to the surface that it can be easily used as an energy source. In other places holes must be drilled down through rocks to reach the heat.

Alternative Energy for Vehicles

Most vehicles in history have been powered by fossil fuels, in the form of gasoline or diesel fuel. One alternative fuel is liquid petroleum gas (LPG), which is made from natural gas. However, natural gas is a fossil fuel and therefore not renewable. A renewable type of fuel is ethanol, which is made from grains such as corn. Biodiesel, made from oily plants, is another renewable fuel. Ethanol and biodiesel are called biofuels-fuels made from plant or animal materials.

Some vehicles now run on batteries or fuel cells. Fuel cells are similar to batteries but last for much longer. They use a fuel, such as hydrogen, to create electricity. Fuel cells also are used in spacecraft and in some buildings.

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In the late 1900s people began to look for different, or alternative, sources of energy to power their vehicles, heat their homes, and light streets and buildings. They...

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Kids learn about renewable energy and how it can help the environment. Teach students about solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy.

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Understanding the Importance of Water Conservation

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Understanding the Importance of Water Conservation

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Did you know that every time you leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, you are wasting up to four gallons of water? Water is a precious resource, and it is important that we all do our part to conserve it. In this article, we explore the importance of water conservation and share some simple ways that kids can help save water and protect our planet's most important resource.

What Is Water Scarcity?

Water scarcity is when there is not enough clean water for people to drink, wash, and use for other things. The United Nations says that 2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion people do not have good sanitation. This is a big problem that affects many parts of the world.

Water shortages can cause many problems for people and the environment. For example, water shortages can lead to food shortages because farmers need water to grow crops. It can also cause people to get sick from drinking contaminated water or not having enough water to keep clean.

In some parts of the world, people have to walk long distances to get water, and they may not even be able to find enough to drink or use for cooking and cleaning. This is especially hard on children, who may have to miss school to help their families find water.

To help solve this problem, it is important to conserve water whenever possible. This means using less water when we brush our teeth, take showers, and wash dishes. We can also use plants that do not need a lot of water in our gardens and collect rainwater to use for our plants. It is also important for governments to make laws that protect our water sources and make sure everyone has access to clean water.

Governments can also help by making laws that protect our water sources and charging more money for people who use a lot of water. We need to work together to make sure everyone has enough clean water to drink and use.

How Do We Make Sure That Everyone Has Access to Clean Water?

Ensuring that everyone has access to clean water is a big challenge, but there are several things we can do to make it more likely:

1. Increase investment in water infrastructure: Governments and organisations can invest in building water treatment plants, drilling wells, and installing pipelines to bring clean water to areas without it.

2. Improve water conservation: Encouraging people to use water more efficiently, such as by fixing leaks, taking shorter showers, and watering plants during cooler hours, can help ensure that water is not wasted and that it is available for everyone.

3. Address climate change: Climate Change is causing droughts and water shortages in many areas, so it is important to take actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.

4. Support education and public awareness campaigns: Educating people about the importance of clean water and how to conserve it can help ensure that everyone understands the need to protect this precious resource.

5. Promote international cooperation: Countries can work together to share water resources, invest in infrastructure, and address global water scarcity challenges.

By taking these steps, we can work towards ensuring that everyone has access to clean water and that our water resources are protected for future generations.

Water Conservation: Useful Tips

There are many ways we can conserve water in our daily lives. Here are some more ideas:

1. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean outdoor areas like driveways and patios. This can save a lot of water.

2. Fix leaks in your home. Even a small leak can waste a lot of water over time.

3. Install low-flow showerheads and faucets. These use less water than traditional fixtures and can save a lot of water over time.

4. Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when they are full. This can save a lot of water and energy.

5. Water your plants early in the morning or late in the evening when it is cooler. This will help prevent evaporation and ensure that the plants get the most water possible.

6. Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation and keep your pool clean.

7. Take shorter showers. Even cutting one minute off your shower time can save a lot of water over time.

8. Use a bucket to catch water while you're waiting for the shower or sink to warm up. You can use this water for plants or cleaning later on.

These are just a few ideas for conserving water. By making small changes in our daily lives, we can all do our part to help conserve this precious resource.
Check this out next: Educating Children on How to Cope With Climate Disasters Through Books

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Understanding the Importance of Water Conservation - Earth.Org Kids

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Water is a precious resource, and it is important that we all do our part to conserve it. In this article, we explore the importance of water conservation and share some simple ways that kids can help save water and protect our planet's most important resource.

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A lot of plastic is floating in the ocean and sea turtles are eating it

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A lot of plastic is floating in the ocean and sea turtles are eating it

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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The Effects of Air pollution

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Air and Water Pollution from Fossil Fuels

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Newsela | The Global Reaction to Water and Air Pollution

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The air you breathe is not as clean as you may think. Air pollution is a big problem in the world today. Unwanted chemicals, gases, and particles enter the air and atmosphere, causing harm to the planet and all life on it. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), billions of people around the world breathe poor-quality air as a result of pollution. Here's all you need to know about one of the biggest enemies of our planet.
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What Causes Air Pollution?

Air pollution can be caused by natural events, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and dust storms. One of the biggest air pollution disasters in history was the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. The eruption was so severe that the ash and smoke blocked out the sun's light for an entire year! This is why the year 1816 following the eruption is known as the "Year Without a Summer."

The biggest contributors to air pollution, however, are human sources. Many different types of gases are released by factories, power plants, cars, and airplanes. That's why large cities, where these sources are concentrated, tend to have higher levels of polluted air. To make matters worse, tall buildings may prevent these air pollutants from spreading out. When too much pollutants build up in the air, the polluted air may appear as smog - a mix of smoke and fog. Cities that are prone to smog include New Delhi in India, Beijing in China, and Karachi in Pakistan.

Why Is Air Pollution Bad?

Air pollution has a range of negative effects on human health. These effects can be minor, such as headaches or eye irritation. However, long-term exposure to air pollutants can cause serious health problems such as heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year, as many as 7 million people die from the effects of air pollution!

Our planet suffers, too. Air pollutants may contaminate our water and soil through direct contact. They may also mix with water and oxygen in the atmosphere to form acid rain, which has significant and far reaching effects on our ecosystems. By changing the composition of our soil and degrading the water quality of our rivers and lakes, acid rain can affect a wide range of wildlife species dependent on these habitats.

Air pollution also contributes to global warming , one of the most pressing problems of our time. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap heat in our atmosphere, contributing to the rise of air and ocean temperatures around the world.

What Can We Do to Help?

To fight air pollution, many nations around the world have pledged to shift away from fossil fuels and adopted laws to reduce or ban emissions that industries release. In some cities such as Jakarta, cars are banned on Sundays, a strategy to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

We, too, can do our part to reduce air pollution by making simple changes in our lifestyles. Instead of taking a car, we can take public transport, or ride a bicycle. We can also be mindful of energy use, making sure to turn off the lights when they are not needed. It is also helpful to recycle and reuse as recycling materials requires less energy than making new ones.
Check this out next: What is Plastic Pollution?

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A Kids' Guide to Air Pollution - Earth.Org Kids

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Air pollution is a big problem in the world today. As chemicals, gases, and particles enter the atmosphere, they harm the planet and all life on it.

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Air pollution is a type of environmental pollution that affects the air and is usually caused by smoke or other harmful gases, mainly oxides of carbon, sulphur, and nitrogen.

Many of the world's large cities today have polluted air or low air quality.

Even 2,000 years ago, the Romans were complaining about the polluted air in their cities. At that time, the air was thick with smoke from fires and the smell of sewers. Air pollution has been classified as a danger to human health and Earth's many ecosystems for a long time.

Air quality

Pollution can be in the form of a gas, liquid, or solid. It can also be classified chemically, such as oxides, hydrocarbons, acids, or other kinds of chemicals.

Many pollutants go into the air from natural sources. These pollutants include dust, sea salt, volcanic ash and gases, smoke from forest fires, pollen, and many other materials.

Primary and secondary pollutants

Air pollution is usually described as either a primary pollutant or a secondary pollutant. Primary pollutants are pollutants that are put directly into the air by humans or natural sources. Examples of primary pollutants are exhaust fumes ( gas) from cars, soot from smoke, dust storms, and ash from volcanic eruptions (as seen in the picture on the left).

Secondary pollutants are pollutants that are made from chemical reactions when pollutants mix with other primary pollutants or natural materials like water vapor. Many secondary pollutants are made when a primary pollutant reacts with sunlight. Ozone and smog are secondary pollutants. Ozone is a gas that stops harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. When it is near the ground, though, it can poison people and other organisms.

Human-made air pollution comes from many things. Most air pollution made by humans today is because of transportation. Automobiles, for instance, make up about 60% of human-made air pollution. The gases inside car exhaust, like nitrogen oxide, make smog and acid rain.

Farmlands and forests sometimes burn in wildfires, producing soot (a black powder made mainly of carbon and produced when coal, grasses, wood, etc. is burned) from the smoke. Soot can affect people and other life forms.

Industrial air pollution

Many industrial power plants burn fossil fuels to get their energy. However, burning fossil fuels can make a lot of oxides ( chemical compounds that have oxygen and other elements inside). The burning of fossil fuels makes 96% of the sulfur oxides in the atmosphere. Some industries also make chemicals that make poisonous fumes (smoke).

Indoor air pollution

Air pollution does not only happen outside. The insides of homes, schools, and buildings can also have air pollution. Sometimes the air inside a building, especially if its windows are closed, is even worse than the air outside. Many things that humans use every day can pollute the air. Compounds inside carpets, paints, building materials, and furniture also pollute the air, especially when they are new.

Acid precipitation

Acid precipitation is precipitation, like rain, sleet, or snow, that contains acids from air pollution. When fossil fuels are burned, they let out oxides into the air. When these oxides mix with water in the atmosphere, they make acid, which falls as precipitation. Acid precipitation can kill living things like fish and trees by making the place where they live too acidic. Acid rain can also damage buildings made of limestone and concrete.

A worldwide concern is the hole in the ozone layer in the stratosphere. The Earth's ozone layer protects life from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays, but in the 1970s, scientists found out that some chemicals let out into the atmosphere makes the ozone turn into oxygen. This lets more ultraviolet rays reach the Earth. During the 1980s, scientists found that the ozone layer above the South Pole had thinned by 50 to 98%.

Human health

On March 17, 1992, in Mexico City, all children under the age of 14 were not allowed to go to school because of air pollution. This does not happen often, but being exposed to air pollution every day can cause people to have many health problems. Children, elderly (old) people, and people with allergies can develop health problems because of air pollution. Studies from the University of Birmingham showed that air pollution from motor vehicles could be the cause of some pneumonia-related deaths.

The World Health Organization said that 2.4 million people died because of problems that air pollution causes. Some of the problems include:

Agricultural effects

India published a report in 2014 that showed that air pollution in 2010 had cut the amount of crops harvested by almost half in the most affected areas when compared to 1980 levels. Sometimes, crops can produce better when air quality improves.

Interesting facts about air pollution

Air pollution is caused by human and natural contributors. Industries, mining, factories, vehicles, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, and wind erosion can all cause air pollution.

92% of the world's population live in areas in which air pollution is higher than safe limits.

Inhaling air pollution is thought to take away 1-2 years of an average human life.

Babies whose mothers live in high-traffic areas have a 22% higher risk of being born with poor lung function than those whose mothers live in less polluted areas.

Air pollution is more dangerous for children because of their smaller size and lung capacity.

The IQ of children can be negatively affected by air pollution.

ADHD can worsen or be caused by Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).

Waiting in traffic and breathing in the air pollution is thought to increase a person's chance of death due to a heart attack.

The 1952 Great Smog of London is said to have killed 8,000 people.

Scientists have guessed that by 2050, six million people per year will die as a result of air pollution.

Larger cities control the amount of emissions allowed from vehicles to help reduce air pollution and protect the public.

Deforestation is a major cause of air pollution.

Images for kids

In Spanish: Contaminación atmosférica para niños

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Kids learn about water pollution and how it effects the environment and health. Study causes, pollutants, sources, and facts including acid rain.

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Water Pollution for Kids | Learn How to Keep Our Water Clean

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Ocean Plastic: What You Need to Know - EcoWatch

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Ocean Plastic: What You Need to Know - EcoWatch

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Ocean Plastic: What You Need to Know - EcoWatch

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Ocean-bound plastic is plastic waste that is headed toward our oceans. The term “Ocean bound plastic,” was popularized by Jenna Jambeck, Ph. D., a professor from the University of Georgia. In 2015, she detailed in an article written in Science that although the majority of everything discarded, plastic or not, is not headed for…

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Water pollution: An introduction to causes, effects, solutions

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Water pollution: An introduction to causes, effects, solutions

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by Chris Woodford. Last updated: October 1, 2023.

Over two thirds of Earth's surface is covered by water; less than a third is taken up by land. As Earth's population continues to grow, people are putting ever-increasing pressure on the planet's water resources. In a sense, our oceans, rivers, and other inland waters are being "squeezed" by human activities-not so they take up less room, but so their quality is reduced. Poorer water quality means water pollution.

We know that pollution is a human problem because it is a relatively recent development in the planet's history: before the 19th century Industrial Revolution, people lived more in harmony with their immediate environment. As industrialization has spread around the globe, so the problem of pollution has spread with it. When Earth's population was much smaller, no one believed pollution would ever present a serious problem. It was once popularly believed that the oceans were far too big to pollute. Today, with around 7 billion people on the planet, it has become apparent that there are limits. Pollution is one of the signs that humans have exceeded those limits.

How serious is the problem? According to the environmental campaign organization WWF: "Pollution from toxic chemicals threatens life on this planet. Every ocean and every continent, from the tropics to the once-pristine polar regions, is contaminated."

Photo: Stormwater pollution entering a river from a drain. Photo by Peter C Van Metre courtesy of US Geological Survey.

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What is water pollution?

Water pollution can be defined in many ways. Usually, it means one or more substances have built up in water to such an extent that they cause problems for animals or people. Oceans, lakes, rivers, and other inland waters can naturally clean up a certain amount of pollution by dispersing it harmlessly. If you poured a cup of black ink into a river, the ink would quickly disappear into the river's much larger volume of clean water. The ink would still be there in the river, but in such a low concentration that you would not be able to see it. At such low levels, the chemicals in the ink probably would not present any real problem. However, if you poured gallons of ink into a river every few seconds through a pipe, the river would quickly turn black. The chemicals in the ink could very quickly have an effect on the quality of the water. This, in turn, could affect the health of all the plants, animals, and humans whose lives depend on the river.

Photo: Pollution means adding substances to the environment that don't belong there-like the air pollution from this smokestack. Pollution is not always as obvious as this, however.

Thus, water pollution is all about quantities: how much of a polluting substance is released and how big a volume of water it is released into. A small quantity of a toxic chemical may have little impact if it is spilled into the ocean from a ship. But the same amount of the same chemical can have a much bigger impact pumped into a lake or river, where there is less clean water to disperse it.

Water pollution almost always means that some damage has been done to an ocean, river, lake, or other water source. A 1969 United Nations report defined ocean pollution as:

"The introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment (including estuaries) resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources, hazards to human health, hindrance to marine activities, including fishing, impairment of quality for use of sea water and reduction of amenities." [1]

Fortunately, Earth is forgiving and damage from water pollution is often reversible.

What are the main types of water pollution?

When we think of Earth's water resources, we think of huge oceans, lakes, and rivers. Water resources like these are called surface waters. The most obvious type of water pollution affects surface waters. For example, a spill from an oil tanker creates an oil slick that can affect a vast area of the ocean.

Photo: Detergent pollution entering a river-an example of surface water pollution. Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service Photo Library.

Not all of Earth's water sits on its surface, however. A great deal of water is held in underground rock structures known as aquifers, which we cannot see and seldom think about. Water stored underground in aquifers is known as groundwater. Aquifers feed our rivers and supply much of our drinking water. They too can become polluted, for example, when weed killers used in people's gardens drain into the ground. Groundwater pollution is much less obvious than surface-water pollution, but is no less of a problem. In 1996, a study in Iowa in the United States found that over half the state's groundwater wells were contaminated with weed killers. You might think things would have improved since then, but, two decades on, all that's really changed is the name of the chemicals we're using. Today, numerous scientific studies are still finding weed killers in groundwater in worrying quantities: a 2012 study discovered glyphosate in 41 percent of 140 groundwater samples from Catalonia, Spain; scientific opinion differs on whether this is safe or not.[2]

Surface waters and groundwater are the two types of water resources that pollution affects. There are also two different ways in which pollution can occur. If pollution comes from a single location, such as a discharge pipe attached to a factory, it is known as point-source pollution. Other examples of point source pollution include an oil spill from a tanker, a discharge from a smoke stack (factory chimney), or someone pouring oil from their car down a drain. A great deal of water pollution happens not from one single source but from many different scattered sources. This is called nonpoint-source pollution.

Photo: Above: Point-source pollution comes from a single, well-defined place such as this pipe. Below: Nonpoint-source pollution comes from many sources. All the industrial plants alongside a river and the ships that service them may be polluting the river collectively. Photos courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service Photo Library, with originals here and here.

When point-source pollution enters the environment, the place most affected is usually the area immediately around the source. For example, when a tanker accident occurs, the oil slick is concentrated around the tanker itself and, in the right ocean conditions, the pollution disperses the further away from the tanker you go. This is less likely to happen with nonpoint source pollution which, by definition, enters the environment from many different places at once.

Sometimes pollution that enters the environment in one place has an effect hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This is known as transboundary pollution. One example is the way radioactive waste travels through the oceans from nuclear reprocessing plants in England and France to nearby countries such as Ireland and Norway.

How do we know when water is polluted?

Some forms of water pollution are very obvious: everyone has seen TV news footage of oil slicks filmed from helicopters flying overhead. Water pollution is usually less obvious and much harder to detect than this. But how can we measure water pollution when we cannot see it? How do we even know it's there?

There are two main ways of measuring the quality of water. One is to take samples of the water and measure the concentrations of different chemicals that it contains. If the chemicals are dangerous or the concentrations are too great, we can regard the water as polluted. Measurements like this are known as chemical indicators of water quality. Another way to measure water quality involves examining the fish, insects, and other invertebrates that the water will support. If many different types of creatures can live in a river, the quality is likely to be very good; if the river supports no fish life at all, the quality is obviously much poorer. Measurements like this are called biological indicators of water quality.

Photo: Measuring pH (acidity) of water, with equipment like this, is one way to check if it's polluted or likely to become more so. Acidic water is more likely to dissolve other substances, such as toxic heavy metals, that cause pollution.[22] Photo by Eric Vance, US Environmental Protection Agency, courtesy of National Archives.

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What are the causes of water pollution?

Most water pollution doesn't begin in the water itself. Take the oceans: around 80 percent of ocean pollution enters our seas from the land. [16] Virtually any human activity can have an effect on the quality of our water environment. When farmers fertilize the fields, the chemicals they use are gradually washed by rain into the groundwater or surface waters nearby. Sometimes the causes of water pollution are quite surprising. Chemicals released by smokestacks (chimneys) can enter the atmosphere and then fall back to earth as rain, entering seas, rivers, and lakes and causing water pollution. That's called atmospheric deposition. Water pollution has many different causes and this is one of the reasons why it is such a difficult problem to solve.

Sewage

With billions of people on the planet, disposing of sewage waste is a major problem. According to 2017 figures from the World Health Organization, some 2 billion people (about a quarter of the world's population) don't have access to safe drinking water or the most basic sanitation, 3.4 billion (60 people of the population) lack"safely managed" sanitation (unshared, with waste properly treated). Although there have been great improvements in securing access to clean water, relatively little, genuine progress has been made on improving global sanitation in the last decade.[20] Sewage disposal affects people's immediate environments and leads to water-related illnesses such as diarrhea that kills 525,000 children under five each year.[3] (Back in 2002, the World Health Organization estimated that water-related diseases could kill as many as 135 million people by 2020; in 2019, the WHO was still estimating the annual death toll from poor water and sanitation at over 800,000 people a year.) In developed countries, most people have flush toilets that take sewage waste quickly and hygienically away from their homes.

Yet the problem of sewage disposal does not end there. When you flush the toilet, the waste has to go somewhere and, even after it leaves the sewage treatment works, there is still waste to dispose of. Sometimes sewage waste is pumped untreated into the sea. Until the early 1990s, around 5 million tons of sewage was dumped by barge from New York City each year. [4] According to 2002 figures from the UK government's Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the sewers of Britain collect around 11 billion liters of waste water every day; there are still 31,000 sewage overflow pipes through which, in certain circumstances, such as heavy storms, raw sewage is pumped untreated into the sea.[5] The New River that crosses the border from Mexico into California once carried with it 20-25 million gallons (76-95 million liters) of raw sewage each day; a new waste water plant on the US-Mexico border, completed in 2007, substantially solved that problem.[6] Unfortunately, even in some of the richest nations, the practice of dumping sewage into the sea continues. In early 2012, it was reported that the tiny island of Guernsey (between Britain and France) has decided to continue dumping 16,000 tons of raw sewage into the sea each day.

In theory, sewage is a completely natural substance that should be broken down harmlessly in the environment: 90 percent of sewage is water. [7] In practice, sewage contains all kinds of other chemicals, from the pharmaceutical drugs people take to the paper, plastic, and other wastes they flush down their toilets. When people are sick with viruses, the sewage they produce carries those viruses into the environment. It is possible to catch illnesses such as hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera from river and sea water.

Photo: Nutrients make crops grow, but cause pollution when they seep into rivers and other watercourses. Photo courtesy of US Department of Agriculture (Flickr).

Nutrients

Suitably treated and used in moderate quantities, sewage can be a fertilizer: it returns important nutrients to the environment, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which plants and animals need for growth. The trouble is, sewage is often released in much greater quantities than the natural environment can cope with. Chemical fertilizers used by farmers also add nutrients to the soil, which drain into rivers and seas and add to the fertilizing effect of the sewage. Together, sewage and fertilizers can cause a massive increase in the growth of algae or plankton that overwhelms huge areas of oceans, lakes, or rivers. This is known as a harmful algal bloom (also known as an HAB or red tide, because it can turn the water red). It is harmful because it removes oxygen from the water that kills other forms of life, leading to what is known as a dead zone. The Gulf of Mexico has one of the world's most spectacular dead zones. Each summer, according to studies by the NOAA, it typically grows to an area of around 5500-6500 square miles (14,000-16,800 square kilometers), which is about the same size as the state of Connecticut.[21]

Waste water

A few statistics illustrate the scale of the problem that waste water (chemicals washed down drains and discharged from factories) can cause. Around half of all ocean pollution is caused by sewage and waste water. Each year, the world generates perhaps 5-10 billion tons of industrial waste, much of which is pumped untreated into rivers, oceans, and other waterways. [8] In the United States alone, around 400,000 factories take clean water from rivers, and many pump polluted waters back in their place. However, there have been major improvements in waste water treatment recently. Since 1970, in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has invested about $70 billion in improving water treatment plants that, as of 2021, serve around 90 percent of the US population (compared to just 69 percent in 1972). However, another $271 billion is still needed to update and upgrade the system.[15]

Factories are point sources of water pollution, but quite a lot of water is polluted by ordinary people from nonpoint sources; this is how ordinary water becomes waste water in the first place. Virtually everyone pours chemicals of one sort or another down their drains or toilets. Even detergents used in washing machines and dishwashers eventually end up in our rivers and oceans. So do the pesticides we use on our gardens. A lot of toxic pollution also enters waste water from highway runoff. Highways are typically covered with a cocktail of toxic chemicals-everything from spilled fuel and brake fluids to bits of worn tires (themselves made from chemical additives) and exhaust emissions. When it rains, these chemicals wash into drains and rivers. It is not unusual for heavy summer rainstorms to wash toxic chemicals into rivers in such concentrations that they kill large numbers of fish overnight. It has been estimated that, in one year, the highway runoff from a single large city leaks as much oil into our water environment as a typical tanker spill. Some highway runoff runs away into drains; others can pollute groundwater or accumulate in the land next to a road, making it increasingly toxic as the years go by.

Chemical waste

Detergents are relatively mild substances. At the opposite end of the spectrum are highly toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). They were once widely used to manufacture electronic circuit boards, but their harmful effects have now been recognized and their use is highly restricted in many countries. Nevertheless, an estimated half million tons of PCBs were discharged into the environment during the 20th century.[9] In a classic example of transboundary pollution, traces of PCBs have even been found in birds and fish in the Arctic. They were carried there through the oceans, thousands of miles from where they originally entered the environment. Although PCBs are widely banned, their effects will be felt for many decades because they last a long time in the environment without breaking down.

Another kind of toxic pollution comes from heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. Lead was once commonly used in gasoline (petrol), though its use is now restricted in some countries. Mercury and cadmium are still used in batteries (though some brands now use other metals instead). Until recently, a highly toxic chemical called tributyltin (TBT) was used in paints to protect boats from the ravaging effects of the oceans. Ironically, however, TBT was gradually recognized as a pollutant: boats painted with it were doing as much damage to the oceans as the oceans were doing to the boats.

The best known example of heavy metal pollution in the oceans took place in 1938 when a Japanese factory discharged a significant amount of mercury metal into Minamata Bay, contaminating the fish stocks there. It took a decade for the problem to come to light. By that time, many local people had eaten the fish and around 2000 were poisoned. Hundreds of people were left dead or disabled. [10]

Radioactive waste

People view radioactive waste with great alarm-and for good reason. At high enough concentrations it can kill; in lower concentrations it can cause cancers and other illnesses. The biggest sources of radioactive pollution in Europe are two factories that reprocess waste fuel from nuclear power plants: Sellafield on the north-west coast of Britain and Cap La Hague on the north coast of France. Both discharge radioactive waste water into the sea, which ocean currents then carry around the world. Countries such as Norway, which lie downstream from Britain, receive significant doses of radioactive pollution from Sellafield.[19] The Norwegian government has repeatedly complained that Sellafield has increased radiation levels along its coast by 6-10 times. Both the Irish and Norwegian governments continue to press for the plant's closure.[11]

Oil pollution

Photo: Oil-tanker spills are the most spectacular forms of pollution and the ones that catch public attention, but only a fraction of all water pollution happens this way. Photo by Lamar Gore courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service Photo Library and US National Archive.

When we think of ocean pollution, huge black oil slicks often spring to mind, yet these spectacular accidents represent only a tiny fraction of all the pollution entering our oceans. Even considering oil by itself, tanker spills are not as significant as they might seem: only 12 percent of the oil that enters the oceans comes from tanker accidents; over 70 percent of oil pollution at sea comes from routine shipping and from the oil people pour down drains on land. [12] However, what makes tanker spills so destructive is the sheer quantity of oil they release at once - in other words, the concentration of oil they produce in one very localized part of the marine environment. The biggest oil spill in recent years (and the biggest ever spill in US waters) occurred when the tanker Exxon Valdez broke up in Prince William Sound in Alaska in 1989. Around 12 million gallons (44 million liters) of oil were released into the pristine wilderness-enough to fill your living room 800 times over! Estimates of the marine animals killed in the spill vary from approximately 1000 sea otters and 34,000 birds to as many as 2800 sea otters and 250,000 sea birds. Several billion salmon and herring eggs are also believed to have been destroyed.[13]

Plastics

If you've ever taken part in a community beach clean, you'll know that plastic is far and away the most common substance that washes up with the waves. There are three reasons for this: plastic is one of the most common materials, used for making virtually every kind of manufactured object from clothing to automobile parts; plastic is light and floats easily so it can travel enormous distances across the oceans; most plastics are not biodegradable (they do not break down naturally in the environment), which means that things like plastic bottle tops can survive in the marine environment for a long time. (A plastic bottle can survive an estimated 450 years in the ocean and plastic fishing line can last up to 600 years.)

While plastics are not toxic in quite the same way as poisonous chemicals, they nevertheless present a major hazard to seabirds, fish, and other marine creatures. For example, plastic fishing lines and other debris can strangle or choke fish. (This is sometimes called ghost fishing.) About half of all the world's seabird species are known to have eaten plastic residues. In one study of 450 shearwaters in the North Pacific, over 80 percent of the birds were found to contain plastic residues in their stomachs. In the early 1990s, marine scientist Tim Benton collected debris from a 2km (1.5 mile) length of beach in the remote Pitcairn islands in the South Pacific. His study recorded approximately a thousand pieces of garbage including 268 pieces of plastic, 71 plastic bottles, and two dolls heads. [14]

Photo: Collecting, sorting, and recycling plastic helps to keep it out of the oceans. Photo by John Gordinier courtesy of US Air Force.

Today, much media attention focuses on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating, oceanic graveyard of plastic junk roughly three times the size of France, discovered by sailor Charles J. Moore in 1997. But, as you'll know well enough if you've ever taken part in a community beach clean, persistent plastic litters every ocean on the planet: some 8 million tons of new plastic are dumped in the sea every single year.[17]

Alien species

Most people's idea of water pollution involves things like sewage, toxic metals, or oil slicks, but pollution can be biological as well as chemical. In some parts of the world, alien species are a major problem. Alien species (sometimes known as invasive species) are animals or plants from one region that have been introduced into a different ecosystem where they do not belong. Outside their normal environment, they have no natural predators, so they rapidly run wild, crowding out the usual animals or plants that thrive there. Common examples of alien species include zebra mussels in the Great Lakes of the USA, which were carried there from Europe by ballast water (waste water flushed from ships). The Mediterranean Sea has been invaded by a kind of alien algae called Caulerpa taxifolia. In the Black Sea, an alien jellyfish called Mnemiopsis leidyi reduced fish stocks by 90 percent after arriving in ballast water. In San Francisco Bay, Asian clams called Potamocorbula amurensis, also introduced by ballast water, have dramatically altered the ecosystem. In 1999, Cornell University's David Pimentel estimated that alien invaders like this cost the US economy $123 billion a year; in 2014, the European Commission put the cost to Europe at €12 billion a year and "growing all the time.[18]

Photo: Invasive species: Above: Water hyacinth crowding out a waterway around an old fence post. Photo by Steve Hillebrand. Below: Non-native zebra mussels clumped on a native mussel. Both photos courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service Photo Library (originals here and here).

Other forms of pollution

These are the most common forms of pollution-but by no means the only ones. Heat or thermal pollution from factories and power plants also causes problems in rivers. By raising the temperature, it reduces the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water, thus also reducing the level of aquatic life that the river can support.

Another type of pollution involves the disruption of sediments (fine-grained powders) that flow from rivers into the sea. Dams built for hydroelectric power or water reservoirs can reduce the sediment flow. This reduces the formation of beaches, increases coastal erosion (the natural destruction of cliffs by the sea), and reduces the flow of nutrients from rivers into seas (potentially reducing coastal fish stocks). Increased sediments can also present a problem. During construction work, soil, rock, and other fine powders sometimes enters nearby rivers in large quantities, causing it to become turbid (muddy or silted). The extra sediment can block the gills of fish, effectively suffocating them. Construction firms often now take precautions to prevent this kind of pollution from happening.

What are the effects of water pollution?

Some people believe pollution is an inescapable result of human activity: they argue that if we want to have factories, cities, ships, cars, oil, and coastal resorts, some degree of pollution is almost certain to result. In other words, pollution is a necessary evil that people must put up with if they want to make progress. Fortunately, not everyone agrees with this view. One reason people have woken up to the problem of pollution is that it brings costs of its own that undermine any economic benefits that come about by polluting.

Take oil spills, for example. They can happen if tankers are too poorly built to survive accidents at sea. But the economic benefit of compromising on tanker quality brings an economic cost when an oil spill occurs. The oil can wash up on nearby beaches, devastate the ecosystem, and severely affect tourism. The main problem is that the people who bear the cost of the spill (typically a small coastal community) are not the people who caused the problem in the first place (the people who operate the tanker). Yet, arguably, everyone who puts gasoline (petrol) into their car-or uses almost any kind of petroleum-fueled transport-contributes to the problem in some way. So oil spills are a problem for everyone, not just people who live by the coast and tanker operates.

Sewage is another good example of how pollution can affect us all. Sewage discharged into coastal waters can wash up on beaches and cause a health hazard. People who bathe or surf in the water can fall ill if they swallow polluted water-yet sewage can have other harmful effects too: it can poison shellfish (such as cockles and mussels) that grow near the shore. People who eat poisoned shellfish risk suffering from an acute-and sometimes fatal-illness called paralytic shellfish poisoning. Shellfish is no longer caught along many shores because it is simply too polluted with sewage or toxic chemical wastes that have discharged from the land nearby.

Pollution matters because it harms the environment on which people depend. The environment is not something distant and separate from our lives. It's not a pretty shoreline hundreds of miles from our homes or a wilderness landscape that we see only on TV. The environment is everything that surrounds us that gives us life and health. Destroying the environment ultimately reduces the quality of our own lives-and that, most selfishly, is why pollution should matter to all of us.

How can we stop water pollution?

There is no easy way to solve water pollution; if there were, it wouldn't be so much of a problem. Broadly speaking, there are three different things that can help to tackle the problem-education, laws, and economics-and they work together as a team.

Education

Making people aware of the problem is the first step to solving it. In the early 1990s, when surfers in Britain grew tired of catching illnesses from water polluted with sewage, they formed a group called Surfers Against Sewage to force governments and water companies to clean up their act. People who've grown tired of walking the world's polluted beaches often band together to organize community beach-cleaning sessions. Anglers who no longer catch so many fish have campaigned for tougher penalties against factories that pour pollution into our rivers. Greater public awareness can make a positive difference.

Laws

One of the biggest problems with water pollution is its transboundary nature. Many rivers cross countries, while seas span whole continents. Pollution discharged by factories in one country with poor environmental standards can cause problems in neighboring nations, even when they have tougher laws and higher standards. Environmental laws can make it tougher for people to pollute, but to be really effective they have to operate across national and international borders. This is why we have international laws governing the oceans, such as the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (signed by over 120 nations), the 1972 London (Dumping) Convention, the 1978 MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, and the 1998 OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic. The European Union has water-protection laws (known as directives) that apply to all of its member states. They include the 1976 Bathing Water Directive (updated 2006), which seeks to ensure the quality of the waters that people use for recreation. Most countries also have their own water pollution laws. In the United States, for example, there is the 1972 Clean Water Act and the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act.

Economics

Most environmental experts agree that the best way to tackle pollution is through something called the polluter pays principle. This means that whoever causes pollution should have to pay to clean it up, one way or another. Polluter pays can operate in all kinds of ways. It could mean that tanker owners should have to take out insurance that covers the cost of oil spill cleanups, for example. It could also mean that shoppers should have to pay for their plastic grocery bags, as is now common in Ireland, to encourage recycling and minimize waste. Or it could mean that factories that use rivers must have their water inlet pipes downstream of their effluent outflow pipes, so if they cause pollution they themselves are the first people to suffer. Ultimately, the polluter pays principle is designed to deter people from polluting by making it less expensive for them to behave in an environmentally responsible way.

Our clean future

Life is ultimately about choices-and so is pollution. We can live with sewage-strewn beaches, dead rivers, and fish that are too poisonous to eat. Or we can work together to keep the environment clean so the plants, animals, and people who depend on it remain healthy. We can take individual action to help reduce water pollution, for example, by using environmentally friendly detergents, not pouring oil down drains, reducing pesticides, and so on. We can take community action too, by helping out on beach cleans or litter picks to keep our rivers and seas that little bit cleaner. And we can take action as countries and continents to pass laws that will make pollution harder and the world less polluted. Working together, we can make pollution less of a problem-and the world a better place.

Photo: A hopeful sign made out of plastic trash collected from Waimanalo Beach, Hawaii. Photo by Jonathan Sloan courtesy of US Marine Corps and DVIDS.

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On this site

Books

For older readers

Understanding Environmental Pollution by Marquita K. Hill. Cambridge University Press, 2020. A clear, wide-ranging introduction that covers all types of pollution, recycling, energy use, and related issues.

Pollution: Causes, Effects, and Control by Roy Harrison (editor). Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001. Comprehensive (579-page) introduction to all forms of pollution.

An Introduction to Pollution Science by Roy Harrison (editor). Royal Society of Chemistry, 2006. Another good introductory text covering all types of pollution.

Managing Environmental Pollution by Andrew Farmer. Routledge, 2002. More emphasis on "pollution solutions" in this book.

Biology of Freshwater Pollution by Christopher Mason. Prentice Hall, 2001. This book is aimed at advanced undergraduates and water pollution professionals.

For younger readers

Pollution (Ecographics) by Izzi Howell. Franklin Watts, 2019. An illustrated introduction to air and water pollution for ages 9-11.

What a Waste: Rubbish, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French. DK, 2019. A simple, colorful overview that puts pollution into a much broader context for, for younger readers aged 7-9.

Trash Vortex: How Plastic Pollution Is Choking the World's Oceans by Danielle Smith-Lera. Compass Point/Capstone, 2018. A 64-page introduction to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the issues it raises.

Pollution: What if we do nothing? by Christiane Dorion. Britannica, 2009/2015. A 49-page guide that summarizes the problem of pollution and the current state of our planet, and concludes with an optimistic section on what young readers can do.

Earth Matters by Lynn Dicks et al. Dorling Kindersley, 2008: A more general guide to problems Earth faces, with each major biome explored separately. In case you're interested, I contributed the polar regions chapter. The book is mostly a simple read and probably suitable for 7-10 (and maybe 9-12).

Selected news articles

Water pollution videos

NOAA: Humans impact the oceans: This short, 2.5-minute animation shows how various different human activities affect the oceans around our planet. Only the polar regions have relatively low impacts, so far.

EPA Ireland: Water pollution: A longer, 7-minute introduction describing how Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is trying to tackle water pollution. Although filmed in Ireland, the issues are general and apply to most other countries.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography: Investigating Ocean Pollution: Scripps scientists research the effects of pollution on marine life in San Diego Bay, California. (6.5 minutes.)

Water pollution: Paul Andersen gives a nice summary of most of the topics I've introduced here, so you could watch this for a quick review. (10 minutes.)

Websites

Water pollution photos: From our friends at the UK Rivers Network, a collection of public-domain (copyright free) pollution photos you can use in school and college projects. You can find links to all the photos we've used on this page, in a much larger size, on there.

Notes and references

Wherever possible, I've referenced my sources with links; the following notes (indicated by bracketed numbers in the text) are mostly references to books, journals, and other "offline" reports that can't be linked the same way.

1. ↑ The original definition appeared in UN Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection, Report of the First Session, March 1969, p.5. It omitted the word "energy," which was added at the Stockholm Conference (the UN Conference on Human Development) in 1972.

2. ↑ For a summary, see "Agricultural Chemicals in Iowa's Ground Water, 1982-95." by Dana Koplin. US Geological Survey, 1997. More recent studies have found glyphosate (sold under brand names such as Roundup®) in groundwater samples inSpain,Canada,Sri Lanka,Argentina,Mexico, and elsewhere. For a review of the complex debate over glyphosate safety, see (for example)Vandenberg et al (2017), andTarazona et al (2017).

3. ↑ Estimates in different publications quote 4-5 million tons. See "Our World." New York Magazine, April 16, 1990, p.28.

4. ↑ Sewage Treatment in the UK: UK Implementation of the EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. Report by DEFRA, London, 2002, p.1. The figure of 31,000 pipes comes fromSurfers Against Sewage.

5. ↑ Bitter Sea: The Human Cost of Minamata Disease by Akio Mishima. Kosei Pub, 1982.

6. ↑ See for example "Norway fury at UK nuclear waste flood." by Paul Brown, The Guardian, December 20, 1997. A recent (2017) study found that a major accident at Sellafield could pollute a significant proportion of Norway in as little as 12 hours. SeeWorst Case Meteorological Scenario for Norway in Case of an Accident in Sellafield Nuclear Site by Heiko Klein and Jerzy Bartnicki.

7. ↑ The impact on seabirds of marine debris is explored in The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation by Daniel J. Lebbin et al. University of Chicago Press, 2010, p.340. The shearwater study is quoted in Biological Oceanography: An Introduction by Carol Lalli et al. Elsevier, 1993. p.253. Tim Benton's studies of the Pitcairn Islands are thoroughly documented inThe Pitcairn Islands: Biogeography, Ecology and Prehistory: Proceedings of an International Discussion Meeting Held at the Linnean Society by T.G. Benton et al, Linnean Society of London, 1995.

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Text copyright © Chris Woodford 2006, 2022. All rights reserved. Full copyright notice and terms of use.

This article was originally written for the UK Rivers Network and first published on their website in April 2006. It is revised and updated every year.

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Learn what coal energy is, how it becomes electricity, and why it's harmful for the planet in the long term.
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You've probably learned that one of the ways electricity is made is from hydropower. Around the world, water from rivers is used to spin giant engines, known as turbines that send electricity to homes across cities, suburbs, and villages.

But did you know that hydropower is only one way people make electricity? Electrical power can also be made using energy from the sun and wind. These are known as renewable energy sources, because they are in infinite supply, meaning they never run out.

Most of the electrical power on Earth doesn't come from water, the sun, or wind, though. It comes from coal.
Why is Using Coal to Make Electricity Bad for the Planet?
There are three main reasons:

1. Converting coal into electricity is one of the biggest causes of environmental problems. That's because to turn coal into electrical energy, first it has to be burned. This releases gases into the Earth's atmosphere, increasing global warming, and making the air all humans and organisms breath unhealthy.

2. Coal is a non-renewable source of energy. That means it can run out. Many scientists say if we continue to overuse it, coal will be completely finished by 2060 . This is why it's important to develop alternative sources of power generation.

3. Mining coal is a dangerous and harmful job. Some coal is found closer to the Earth's surface, which has to be blown up using dynamite, destroying natural habitats.

Sometimes, miners travel through tunnels deep underground to collect coal, but accidents occur - mines collapse or there are fires - and they don't make it out alive.
Check This Out Next: What is Nuclear Energy? If Coal is So bad for the Planet - And For the People and Animals Who Live On It - Why Are We Still Using It?
Low and middle-income countries are often unable to provide their populations with equal access to electricity. This means there are many power outages and most people live without the regular use of lights, refrigeration, television, and much more.

Low and middle-income countries also don't have the resources and expertise to build alternative energy sources. Coal is a readily available, cheaper, natural resource, and their governments believe this is the only way to solve power shortages.

Many international companies continue to help poorer countries turn coal into electricity because they can make a lot of money by building factories and selling coal.
What Do We Need to Do?
The United Nations says that if we want to save the planet, we have to stop making electricity from coal .

In June, global leaders pledged to end coal power production . Now we have to make sure they act on their words.

To save the planet, the whole world needs to cooperate and help all countries develop clean energy solutions.
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Water is such a precious resource. In fact, every living thing on our planet needs it to survive! That's why it's super-important we keep Earth's water clean and safe. Sadly though, the world's water sources - from winding rivers to the mighty ocean - are in trouble because of pollution. Let's find out more...

The importance of water

Our freshwater streams, rivers and lakes are amazing places. They provide food to eat and water to drink to all kinds of wonderful wildlife, as well as billions of people around the world!

We humans need fresh water to drink, cook, wash and clean, grow food and make all kinds of things. But did you know, only around 1% of Earth's water is fresh and drinkable? The rest is frozen in ice caps or found in our salty seas, where it provides a home for all our magnificent marine life.

And the ocean isn't just important for sea life, it's important for our entire planet, providing over half of the world's oxygen and helping keep our climate stable. Put simply, our water is incredibly valuable - so let's look after it properly!

What's the problem?

Over the past century particularly, Earth's water sources around the world have been polluted by all kinds of waste. Chemicals from factories, sewage, household waste, and lots of unmanaged rubbish, like plastic bags, packaging, bottles, and evenlost fishing equipment all find their way into our waterways. In fact, an estimated 300-400 million tonnes of waste is thought to pollute our rivers and seas every year, putting aquatic ecosystems in danger. And since everyone and everything depends on Earth's water supply, it's vital we clean it up...

What we can do?
Learn more about the amazing eco-projects Rhenan's created in Brazil!
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Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming animal and possibly human health. Can it be cleaned up?

Image

Children Play among Plastic

While plastic pollution is a worldwide problem it is most obvious in less-wealthy African and Asian nations, like the Philippines. Here, children play among plastic waste on the shore of Manila Bay.

Photograph by Randy Olson

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world's ability to deal with them. Plastic pollution is most visible in less-wealthy Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems are often inefficient or nonexistent. But wealthy nations, especially those with low recycling rates, also have trouble properly collecting discarded plastics. Plastic trash has become so ubiquitous it has prompted efforts to write a global treaty negotiated by the United Nations.

How Did this Happen?

Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production and development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after World War II to the extent that life without plastics would be unimaginable today. Plastics revolutionized medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets-saving fuel and lessening pollution-and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water.

The conveniences plastics offer, however, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material's dark side: Today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, are used for mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years.

Plastics by the Numbers

Some key facts:

Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.

Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by 2050.

Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. That's the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world.

Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

How Plastics Move around the World

Most of the plastic trash in the oceans, Earth's last sink, flows from land. Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers, which act as conveyor belts, picking up more and more trash as they move downstream. Once at sea, much of the plastic trash remains in coastal waters. But once caught up in ocean currents, it can be transported around the world.

On Henderson Island, an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Group isolated halfway between Chile and New Zealand, scientists found plastic items from Russia, the United States, Europe, South America, Japan, and China. They were carried to the South Pacific by the South Pacific gyre, a circular ocean current.

Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into small particles, often less than half a centimer (one-fifth of an inch) across. These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the Microplastics water column and have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench, the deepest trough.

Microplastics are breaking down further into smaller and smaller pieces. Plastic microfibers (or the even smaller nanofibers), meanwhile, have been found in municipal drinking water systems and drifting through the air.

Harm to Wildlife

Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastics. Nearly every species of seabird eats plastics.

Most of the deaths to animals are caused by entanglement or starvation. Seals, whales, turtles, and other animals are strangled by abandoned fishing gear or discarded six-pack rings. Microplastics have been found in more than 100 aquatic species, including fish, shrimp, and mussels destined for our dinner plates. In many cases, these tiny bits pass through the digestive system and are expelled without consequence. But plastics have also been found to have blocked digestive tracts or pierced organs, causing death. Stomachs so packed with plastics reduce the urge to eat, causing starvation.

Plastics have been consumed by land-based animals, including elephants, hyenas, zebras, tigers, camels, cattle, and other large mammals, in some cases causing death.

Tests have also confirmed liver and cell damage and disruptions to reproductive systems, prompting some species, such as oysters, to produce fewer eggs. New research shows that larval fish are eating nanofibers in the first days of life, raising new questions about the effects of plastics on fish populations.

Stemming the Plastic Tide

Once in the ocean, it is difficult-if not impossible-to retrieve plastic waste. Mechanical systems, such as Mr. Trash Wheel, a litter interceptor in Maryland's Baltimore Harbor, can be effective at picking up large pieces of plastic, such as foam cups and food containers, from inland waters. But once plastics break down into microplastics and drift throughout the water column in the open ocean, they are virtually impossible to recover.

The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place, many scientists and conservationists-including the National Geographic Society-say. This could be accomplished with improved waste management systems and recycling, better product design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging, and reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.

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Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society

Author

Laura Parker, National Geographic

Production Managers

Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society

Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society

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Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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The World's Plastic Pollution Crisis Explained

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In most situations, light helps us see. But when it comes to looking at the night sky, light is actually a kind of pollution.

It hampers our view of some of life's most spectacular sights: stars, planets, and even galaxies. "When I was a little boy, I loved the night sky," recalls Robert Gent of the International Dark-Sky Association, an organization working to reduce light pollution.

"I remember looking up and the sky was filled with stars, and I asked, 'How many are there? How far away are they? Can we visit them?' I became an astronomer because I was amazed by their beauty," he says. "Now in most big cities kids can't see the stars like I did."

Normally, about 2,500 individual stars are visible to the human eye without using any special equipment. But because of light pollution, you actually see just 200 to 300 from today's suburbs, and fewer than a dozen from a typical city.

Only one in three Americans can see our own galaxy, the dazzling Milky Way, with the naked eye. Those people live far away from the lights of big cities, office buildings, and shopping malls.

Fortunately, there is a solution that is inexpensive and has benefits right away, says Gent. "If we shine lights down at the ground instead of up into the sky, and use lower brightness levels, we can save enormous amounts of energy and preserve the beauty of the night skies."

Many cities and towns have passed laws limiting lights at night, making sure enough shine for safety without creating a lot of light pollution.

Light pollution affects more than our view of the heavens. Research shows that lots of nighttime light can harm wildlife.

Migrating birds sometimes fly over cities and become confused by the brightness, flying in circles until they drop from exhaustion. Sea turtles need dark beaches for nesting and won't approach bright lights. Too much light at night may even affect human health; scientists are still learning more.

For all these reasons, researchers are working on ways to use lights only when and where they are truly needed. "Everyone deserves to look up at the infinite sky and wonder about the unbounded universe," says Gent.

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Learn about the effects of excess light coming from cities at night.

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Light Pollution  | Reasons and Effects | Video for Kids

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Light Pollution  | Reasons and Effects | Video for Kids

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Light Pollution  | Reasons and Effects | Video for Kids

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Light Pollution 101 | National Geographic

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Light Pollution 101 | National Geographic

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Light Pollution 101 | National Geographic

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Kids Environment Kids Health - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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The Impact of Artificial Lighting on Nocturnal Wildlife
By the Site Ecology Team (SET) and Wildlife and Industry Together (WAIT)April 20, 2015

We rarely stop to think that the night is necessary and good for life. Therefore, we do not realize that protecting the night sky is a valuable step to conserving bio-diversity. Most people think that, as we sleep at night, the rest of the species do the same, with a few exceptions, so it is of no concern if we send out a little light into the night time environment ...[IN REALITY] ... the biological activity of our fauna is more intense at night than during the day and this fauna needs the night for their normal activities.

How can Light Pollution be defined so we understand what it is?

In an attempt to shed light on the effects of non-natural light in the environment during normal periods of darkness, multiple factors must be considered and evaluated. We recognize the need and often the requirement for safety and security reasons. We, as part of the ecosystem know the importance of a healthy environment and bear the responsibility of realizing that our own health and wellbeing is affected by modifications that are made.

According to the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), the term light pollution refers to "any adverse effect of artificial light, including sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste." The IDA further states that light pollution "wastes energy, affects astronomers and scientists, disrupts global wildlife and ecological balance, and has been linked to negative consequences in human health."

We are diurnal, dependent on the sunlight to see, active during daylight with an ingrained fear of the dark. Since the discovery of fire, man has used the light from fires to see at night and to keep wild animals away. In addition to moonlight, this artificial light gave man a sense of safety and wellbeing. Light became part of the way of life.

With the invention of the electric light, the night sky was no longer filled with just natural light from the moon and stars.

Well why does it matter that there is artificial light at night? Who does it hurt? Walls' 1942 paper says that all species of bats, badgers and most smaller carnivores, most rodents (besides squirrels), 20% of primates, and 80% of marsupials are nocturnal, and many more are active both night and day.

Studies are beginning to illuminate possible problems with living in a world that doesn't comply with nature's photo-periods (i.e. duration of sunlight as determined by season (photoperiodic-internal clock governed by how long the day is).

This darkness interruption has dangerous and disruptive side effects for insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and humans. The effects extend to migration, navigation, plant blooming as well as when trees lose their leaves. All activities are affected by the period of light and not temperature. A season's photoperiod is the only consistent factor in the natural environment. Therefore, many species of plants and animals rely on the length of the night to indicate the proper season for budding & flowering, mating, molting, and other life cycle activities. The timing between flowering and pollinators or gatherers may not mesh. This photoperiodic sensitivity is often so acute that many species can detect discrepancies in natural light as short as one minute. Reproductive cycles are most often disrupted when artificial light at night interferes with species' natural detection systems.

Change in light signals the start of activities as foraging (feeding & substance), sheltering, mating and reproducing (fireflies & frogs), and communicating (glowworms & coyotes). Artificial lights alter an animal's circadian rhythm and create miss-cues.

Lights can draw & disorient (hatchling turtles, night flying moths, frogs & amphibians, birds) or repel from the area thus forming barrier leading to habitat loss (rodents, many bats), especially site specific ones.

Migrating birds of which there are 450 species that use moon and stars, can be attracted by light beams (high-rises, towers, light houses, oil platforms). Direct flight birds are less affected than circulating, curved path flight patterns.

Animals can be blinded (deer-in-headlights), leading to an increase in road kills. For nocturnal species that only use rod cells in their eyes to see, such a sudden change in illumination saturates their retinas rendering the animal instantly blind. Once they do venture into the dark areas, it will take 10 to 40 minutes before their rod cells can function as effectively as before and their night vision fully returns. Lighting can be very disorienting for animals that are trying to move at night. So wildlife corridors can be compromised by even a single light and so prevent animals from moving across the landscapes.

Predators have an advantage by seeing over a greater area, and their prey must seek darkness and spend more time hiding. Lighting changes the predator/prey relationship. The prey has less time to use for normal activities.

What is the biological affect? Melatonin production, which is dark dependent, is suppressed when the dark is interrupted at night. "Melatonin is involved in circadian rhythm regulation, sleep, hormonal expression of darkness, seasonal reproduction, retinal physiology, antioxidant free-radical scavenging, cardiovascular regulation, immune activity, cancer control, and lipid and glucose metabolism. It is also a new member of an expanding group of regulatory factors that control cell proliferation and loss and is the only known chronobiotic hormonal regulator of neoplastic cell growth". [Source]. Artificial light is linked to diabetes, depression, failure at school, and difficulties in concentrating. Some studies indicate a link between artificial light and obesity as well.

On our campus, the NIH Office of Research Facilities has undertaken a long term re-lamping program to change out over 300 roadway and walkway lamps to lower energy LEDs and to redirect the light beams only where needed. The program, when completed, will insure that the Federal Security mandates for illuminating our campus are met. It will also help to:

1. Reduce CO2 emissions: The same as removing 53 cars from the road a year

2. Reduce waste: We will throw away 1,474 less bulbs over the next 20 years

3. Eliminate mercury: The LEDs will eliminate any mercury entering the environment from our streetlights

The walkway lights that were installed comply with the IDA dark sky requirements (mentioned above). One benefit to the new LED fixtures is that each of the 120 LEDs that make up the fixture contains a different shaped lens that directs the light from that LED to a specific spot. This allows the fixture to perfectly match its rated lighting distribution pattern resulting in very little bleeding beyond the fixture's rated cutoff. The LED roadway fixtures have zero up lighting unlike previous lighting technologies that relied on reflectance within the fixture itself to direct light to the ground. The individual LEDs only project light forward resulting in the use of all of the produced light. The roadway lights were designed with a light distribution pattern that spreads the length of the roadway. In addition, the lights are aimed at the roadway in an effort to provide a sharp cutoff so that adjacent areas are not illuminated.

How can we reduce light pollution and lessen the impact on our environment and the organisms that inhabit it?

Some Institutes and even cities have adopted a "Lights Out" program in which exterior lighting as well as interior lights in tall buildings are dimmed or turned off during periods of bird migration. Bare bulbs or upward pointing lights are replaced with hooded fixtures that only shine downward. If lights can't be turned off, then use flat lens, and reduce the number of lights and intensity. Both the height of the pole and the intensity of the lamp should be adjusted to only direct light where needed.

Here are some actions you can take at home:

1. Turn off lights not needed

2. Use wavelengths that do not affect wildlife or attract insects (yellow)

3. Keep lights away from wildlife habitat, especially endangered

4. Be eco conscious

5. Get educated

6. Raise awareness by sharing knowledge

It should be realized that decisions have to be made between cost, safety, health, and environmental wellbeing. Whatever the result, our total inter-relationship with our environment must be considered.

We would like to thank William (Kyle) Hawkins, Mechanical Engineer, Facilities Management Branch, RTP, Division of Facilities Operations and Maintenance, Office of Research Facilities for his input.

References

What's That Word

Scientific Dictionary

Not sure of what a word means?

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The Impact of Artificial Lighting on Nocturnal Wildlife

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We rarely stop to think that the night is necessary and good for life. Therefore, we do not realize that protecting the night sky is a valuable step to conserving bio-diversity.

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Light pollution is a type of pollution. It is defined as "any adverse (or bad) effect as a result of man-made lights." Usually, this means too much light. Several species, including plants and humans, are badly affected by light pollution. Most people have never heard of light pollution, and those who have usually don't care, or do anything about it. Light pollution costs Americans billions of dollars every year.

Types of light pollution

There are five kinds of light pollution:

Sky glow usually has more of an effect on the environment than light trespass and glare, but all of them are a major problem to people today.

Sky glow is the kind of light pollution that prevents people from seeing stars and other deep-space objects. This causes birds to not be able to migrate to the right place because they can not follow the moon and stars. Sky glow also prevents astronomers from seeing dim objects.

Light trespass is when light being used by a person goes into the property of another. Although light trespass is not an environmental issue, it is still light pollution.

The third kind of light pollution, glare, has different kinds. The first, disability glare, is the loss of visibility because of too many lights. Discomfort glare is when the lights cause pain.

Effects on animals

Light pollution stops migrating birds from having any way of seeing the moon and stars that they need to use to navigate the direction of their migration, therefore not being able to migrate to the correct place. Also, sea turtles do not come to shore and nest as often, because they are afraid of the lights. It also affects animals eyes as a flash of camera weakens the eyesight of animals.

Effects on humans

Glare causes sleep problems in humans. For example, too much light in an apartment shining in from a nearby billboard will disturb their sleep. Science, too, is being affected by light pollution. Astronomers have no way of observing or making discoveries with too much light to block the night sky. Light pollution also causes headaches when light directly falls into our eyes and affects the sensory nerves.

The solution

Group solution

There are now several groups that are trying to prevent light pollution. Light pollution first made news in 1964, when an observatory was specially placed just to avoid light pollution. However, it wasn't brought to the attention of most people until June 6, 2002, when the Czech Republic passed the world's first light pollution law. Since then, light pollution is slowly being recognized by the general public as a major problem.

Also government should pay attention for advertisements, which produce the greatest amount of light.

Individual solution

You can lower the amount of light pollution by having lights off when they are not needed. You can also shield yourself from this pollution by putting curtains on a window facing the street or any other disturbing light source. We can also use automatic lights. If we come in range of it, it will turn on, otherwise it stays off. This way we can save electricity and reduce light pollution.

Light Pollution Media

View of the Phoenix metro area from the top of Goldmine Trail in the San Tan Mountains

Birds flying trace and star trail near Rio de Janeiro beach at night time in light pollution

This nighttime look at Earth, dubbed the Black Marble, provides researchers with a unique perspective of human activities around the globe.

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Light pollution facts. Light pollution is a type of pollution. It is defined as "any adverse (or bad) effect as a result of man-made lights." Usually, this means too much light. Several species, including plants and humans, are badly affected by light pollution.

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1994 was the year that federally mandated low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets started to appear on the scene in significant numbers. How can you conform to the standards and help increase energy efficiency in your home?

At Home

On average, 10 gallons per day of your water footprint (or 14% of your indoor use) is lost to leaks. Short of installing new water-efficient fixtures, one of the easiest, most effective ways to cut your footprint is by repairing leaky faucets and toilets.

If you use a low-flow showerhead, you can save 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower.

Every time you shave minutes off your use of hot water, you also save energy and keep dollars in your pocket.

It takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub, so showers are generally the more water-efficient way to bathe.

All of those flushes can add up to nearly 20 gallons a day down the toilet. If you still have a standard toilet, which uses close to 3.5 gallons a flush, you can save by retrofitting or filling your tank with something that will displace some of that water, such as a brick.

Most front-loading washing machines are energy- and water-efficient, using just over 20 gallons a load, while most top-loading machines, unless they are energy-efficient, use 40 gallons per load.

Nearly 22% of indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Save water by making sure to adjust the settings on your machine to the proper load size.

Dishwashing is a relatively small part of your water footprint-less than 2% of indoor use-but there are always ways to conserve. Using a machine is actually more water efficient than hand washing, especially if you run full loads.

Energy Star dishwashers use about 4 gallons of water per load, and even standard machines use only about 6 gallons. Hand washing generally uses about 20 gallons of water each time.

Yards and Pools

Nearly 60% of a person's household water footprint can go toward lawn and garden maintenance.

Climate counts-where you live plays a role in how much water you use, especially when it comes to tending to a yard.

The average pool takes 22,000 gallons of water to fill, and if you don't cover it, hundreds of gallons of water per month can be lost due to evaporation.

Diet

The water it takes to produce the average American diet alone-approximately 1,000 gallons per person per day-is more than the global average water footprint of 900 gallons per person per day for diet, household use, transportation, energy, and the consumption of material goods.

That quarter pounder is worth more than 30 average American showers. One of the easiest ways to slim your water footprint is to eat less meat and dairy. Another way is to choose grass-fed, rather than grain-fed, since it can take a lot of water to grow corn and other feed crops.

A serving of poultry costs about 90 gallons of water to produce. There are also water costs embedded in the transportation of food (gasoline costs water to make). So, consider how far your food has to travel, and buy local to cut your water footprint.

Pork costs water to produce, and traditional pork production-to make your sausage, bacon, and chops-has also been the cause of some water pollution, as pig waste runs into local water sources.

On average, a vegan-a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy-may indirectly consume less than a person who eats dairy, though a new study calls this into question, as eating enough vegetables to generate the same energy as meat also takes a significant amount of water.

A cup of coffee takes 55 gallons of water to make, with most of that H2O used to grow the coffee beans.

Transportation

The water footprint of your per-day electricity use is based on state averages. If you use alternative energies such as wind and solar, your footprint could be less. (The use of biofuels, however, if they are heavily irrigated, could be another story.) You would also get points, or a footprint reduction, for using energy-star appliances and taking other energy-efficiency measures.

Washing a car uses about 150 gallons of water, so by washing less frequently you can cut back your water use.

A gallon of gasoline takes nearly 13 gallons of water to produce. Combine your errands, car pool to work, or take public transportation to reduce both your energy and water use.

Flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco, about 700 miles round-trip, could cost you more than 9,000 gallons of water, or enough for almost 2,000 average dishwasher loads.

A cross-country airplane trip (about 6,000 miles) could be worth more than 1,700 standard toilet flushes.

Traveling from Chicago to Istanbul is just about 10,000 miles round trip, costing enough water to run electricity in the average American home for one person for more than five years.

Consumer Power

According to recent reports, nearly 5% of all U.S. water withdrawals are used to fuel industry and the production of many of the material goods we stock up on weekly, monthly, and yearly.

It takes about 100 gallons of water to grow and process a single pound of cotton, and the average American goes through about 35 pounds of new cotton material each year. Do you really need that additional T-shirt?

One of the best ways to conserve water is to buy recycled goods, and to recycle your stuff when you're done with it. Or, stick to buying only what you really need.

The water required to create your laptop could wash nearly 70 loads of laundry in a standard machine.

Recycling a pound of paper, less than the weight of your average newspaper, saves about 3.5 gallons of water. Buying recycled paper products saves water too, as it takes about six gallons of water to produce a dollar worth of paper.

Calculate Your Water Footprint

This tool helps calculate your water footprint based on how much water you use at home, for transportation, and as a consumer.

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These tips offer methods to reduce water consumption.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Kids learn about recycling and how it helps the environment. What can be recycled and how recycling works for teachers and students.

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Recycling is a way to reduce the amount of garbage that is thrown away. Every year the United States produces millions of tons of garbage. The garbage is sent to landfills,...

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Can you recycle a tissue? A rubber band? Tinfoil? When we asked kids for their questions about recycling, they did not disappoint. After all, just because children are excited to help the environment doesn't mean they're experts in the recycling process, too.

"Many kids are eager to help with recycling," says Chrystelle Panatier, a fifth-grade teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland. "But they don't always know the right place to put things, or where the recyclables go next. They see the truck coming to pick it up, but I don't think they understand what happens from there."

So we went straight to the source to find out what kids wanted to know and become better environmental stewards. (In case you're wondering: Tissues go in the trash; rubber bands generally aren't recyclable but they are reusable; and clean tinfoil can go right into your curbside bin-aluminum is infinitely recyclable.)

The following questions from real kids are ones that you might've heard from your own children-plus you might find the answer to something you've been wondering yourself.

How much is recycled each day? (fourth graders, North Kingstown, Rhode Island)
According to the most recent statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency, 69 million tons of waste were recycled in the United States in one year, which works out to about 1.6 pounds per person each day. But in the same year, 146.1 million tons of waste were sent to landfills.

"A glass manufacturer doesn't want paper in with their glass, and a paper manufacturer doesn't want glass in their paper," says Randy Hartman, an expert in waste management and a senior director at Keep America Beautiful. "Recycling is all about getting the right materials in the right place at the right time."

Curious kids can probably see the machines in action at your local sorting center. "A lot of MRFs actually have observation rooms where you can go and safely see the process," Hartman says. Or show children this kid-friendly cartoon that illustrates how a recycling center works.

Can a COVID-19 mask be recycled? (Second graders, Lynnwood, Washington)
Yes! But not in your curbside bin. The recycling company TerraCycle will accept PPE like masks, gloves, and safety glasses (though you have to pay for the box).

"Recyclers are also thinking about environmental impact in addition to the cost when deciding what to accept," Hartman says. "For foam, the emissions and cost to move it is higher than the benefit of recycling it."

If your kid is concerned about all those foam lunch trays, encourage the school to investigate companies that are coming up with creative solutions. For instance, a company in Oregon collects the foam and has special machines that can turn it into new products. ( Here's how to help your kids make big eco-friendly changes at their school.)

But the people working there don't always catch everything. Some items, like batteries, can cause fires; tangly things like hoses, holiday lights, plastic bags, and electrical cords can damage machines.

The good news is that lots of these items are recyclable, just not in your curbside bin. (For example, many grocery stores collect plastic bags for special recycling.) Help your kid figure this out by exploring this website. You can also check your local rules and recycling options by putting your zip code into the website to see nearby recyclers.

But that doesn't mean kids shouldn't try. This guide from the environmental nonprofit Action for Nature can give older children some great ideas to bring to school officials. "We've seen many successful volunteer recycling programs, so it's certainly possibly to create one," Hartman says.

You still have to check your local rules, though. All that gooey cheese and oil can be difficult to separate from the paper fiber, plus some facilities don't want any extra pizza crust attracting pests to the MRF. If your local MRF doesn't accept the greasy bits, just rip off the clean cardboard and add it to your bin.

How do you recycle a plastic water bottle? (Sawyer, first grade, Vero Beach, Florida)
Plastic water bottles can go into your curbside recycling bin, but most end up in landfills or as litter. According to the EPA, only about 30 percent of plastic bottles are actually recycled.

Just like Styrofoam, plastic bottles aren't as profitable to recycle because it's usually cheaper to create new, raw plastic. But you can help: Purchasing products made of 100 percent recycled material increases demand for the product.

And of course, we have to plug reusable water bottles. "One of the other important steps that we sometimes forget is 'refuse,'" Hartman says. "If there's an alternative that doesn't generate waste, then use that."
What's it like driving a recycling truck? (Spencer, first grade, Vero Beach, Florida)
"You're sitting up really high and so you have a good view of the street," Hartman says. "It's disappointing when you only see one or two recycling containers set out for pickup. But the most exciting part is seeing kids wave and watch us as we pick up their recyclables. It's a lot of fun."

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What kids really want to know about recycling

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We've collected puzzling recycling questions from children around the country. The answers could help your family understand the process better.

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Plastic pollution is a huge problem for our planet today. Every year, humans produce an astounding amount of plastic waste - around 300 million tonnes of it! This plastic builds up in our landfills and oceans, lasting for hundreds to thousands of years. To celebrate Plastic Free July - here's a simple guide to plastic recycling for kids.
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We all need to work together to fight plastic pollution. There are many ways that we can do so, including plastic recycling. When we recycle, we turn plastic waste into new products. By doing so, we help reduce the amount of plastics ending up in landfills and in the ocean, saving a lot of emissions and lowering threats to biodiversity, humans, and the environment. Recycling also helps to save energy, as less energy is needed in recycling plastic than in manufacturing new plastic items.

Given all the benefits of recycling, you may wonder why we don't simply recycle all of our plastic waste. The problem is, not everything that is made of plastic is recyclable. For example, straws cannot be recycled, and neither can the packaging of potato chip bags and food wrappers! We know that recycling can be confusing - therefore, we've prepared an easy guide to plastic recycling for kids.

Tips for Plastic Recycling for Kids

Have you ever noticed a number marking on a plastic item? Plastics are usually marked with a recycling symbol and a number from 1 to 7. This number tells us about the type of chemicals used in making the plastic, and how recyclable it is.
Plastic Identification Codes. Photo by Jack Wong (Pinterest)
Some types of plastic are more easily recycled than others. When recycling plastic, it is important to keep in mind four things:

1. In general, the lower the number, the more recyclable it is. Plastic numbers #1 and #2, which include items such as water bottles and shampoo bottles, are widely recycled in many countries. Plastic numbers #4 to #6 are more difficult to recycle and may only be accepted by special recycling centres, while plastic numbers #3 and 7 are generally not recyclable at all! However, these practices may differ from city to city, so it is a good idea to check with your local recycler to see which items can be placed in the recycling bin.

2. Items that are not marked with numbers should not be placed in recycling bins. This includes items like plastic bags. However, some grocery and retail stores may collect plastic bags for recycling, depending on where you live.1

3. Dirty plastic cannot be recycled, so it is important to wash bottles and containers before placing them in the recycling bin. Otherwise, your leftover food, drink, or shampoo could contaminate the recycled plastic.

4. Don't put small pieces of plastic into the recycling bin, as they may contaminate the recycling equipment. As a good rule of thumb, any piece of plastic that is smaller than an ID card should be thrown away in the trash. This includes items such as plastic straws and utensils. However, some recycling programs do collect these items, so it is a good idea to check with your local recycler.

Check This Out Next: 7 Facts About Ocean Plastic Pollution for Kids

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A Guide to Plastic Recycling for Kids - Earth.Org Kids

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Plastic pollution is a huge problem for our planet today. To celebrate Plastic Free July - here's a simple guide to plastic recycling for kids.

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Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. It is an alternative to "conventional" waste disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling can prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby reducing: energy usage, air pollution (from incineration), and water pollution (from landfilling).

Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" waste hierarchy. Thus, recycling aims at environmental sustainability by substituting raw material inputs into and redirecting waste outputs out of the economic system.

There are some ISO standards related to recycling such as ISO 15270:2008 for plastics waste and ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management control of recycling practice.

Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, tires, textiles, batteries, and electronics. The composting or other reuse of biodegradable waste-such as food or garden waste-is also a form of recycling. Materials to be recycled are either delivered to a household recycling center or picked up from curbside bins, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials destined for manufacturing new products.

In the strictest sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of the same material-for example, used office paper would be converted into new office paper or used polystyrene foam into new polystyrene. This is accomplished when recycling certain types of materials, such as metal cans, which can become a can again and again, infinitely, without losing purity in the product. However, this is often difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so "recycling" of many products or materials involves their reuse in producing different materials (for example, paperboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the salvage of certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic value (such as lead from car batteries, or gold from printed circuit boards), or due to their hazardous nature (e.g., removal and reuse of mercury from thermometers and thermostats).

Recycling has been a common practice for most of human history, with recorded advocates as far back as Plato in the fourth century BC. During periods when resources were scarce and hard to come by, archaeological studies of ancient waste dumps show less household waste (such as ash, broken tools, and pottery)-implying more waste was being recycled in the absence of new material.

In pre-industrial times, there is evidence of scrap bronze and other metals being collected in Europe and melted down for perpetual reuse. Paper recycling was first recorded in 1031 when Japanese shops sold repulped paper. In Britain dust and ash from wood and coal fires was collected by "dustmen" and downcycled as a base material used in brick making. The main driver for these types of recycling was the economic advantage of obtaining recycled feedstock instead of acquiring virgin material, as well as a lack of public waste removal in ever more densely populated areas. In 1813, Benjamin Law developed the process of turning rags into "shoddy" and "mungo" wool in Batley, Yorkshire. This material combined recycled fibers with virgin wool. The West Yorkshire shoddy industry in towns such as Batley and Dewsbury lasted from the early 19th century to at least 1914.

Industrialization spurred demand for affordable materials; aside from rags, ferrous scrap metals were coveted as they were cheaper to acquire than virgin ore. Railroads both purchased and sold scrap metal in the 19th century, and the growing steel and automobile industries purchased scrap in the early 20th century. Many secondary goods were collected, processed and sold by peddlers who scoured dumps and city streets for discarded machinery, pots, pans, and other sources of metal. By World War I, thousands of such peddlers roamed the streets of American cities, taking advantage of market forces to recycle post-consumer materials back into industrial production.

Beverage bottles were recycled with a refundable deposit at some drink manufacturers in Great Britain and Ireland around 1800, notably Schweppes. An official recycling system with refundable deposits was established in Sweden for bottles in 1884 and aluminum beverage cans in 1982; the law led to a recycling rate for beverage containers of 84-99 percent depending on type, and a glass bottle can be refilled over 20 times on average.

New chemical industries created in the late 19th century both invented new materials (e.g. Bakelite [1907]) and promised to transform valueless into valuable materials. Proverbially, you could not make a silk purse of a sow's ear -until the US firm Arthur D. Little published in 1921 "On the Making of Silk Purses from Sows' Ears", its research proving that when "chemistry puts on overalls and gets down to business ... new values appear. New and better paths are opened to reach the goals desired."

Recycling (or "salvage", as it was then usually known) was a major issue for governments throughout World War II. Financial constraints and significant material shortages due to war efforts made it necessary for countries to reuse goods and recycle materials. These resource shortages caused by the world wars, and other such world-changing occurrences, greatly encouraged recycling. The struggles of war claimed much of the material resources available, leaving little for the civilian population. It became necessary for most homes to recycle their waste, as recycling offered an extra source of materials allowing people to make the most of what was available to them. Recycling household materials meant more resources for war efforts and a better chance of victory. Massive government promotion campaigns, such as the National Salvage Campaign in Britain and the Salvage for Victory campaign in the United States, were carried out on the home front in every combative nation, urging citizens to donate metal, paper, rags, and rubber as a matter of patriotism.

Post-World War II

A considerable investment in recycling occurred in the 1970s, due to rising energy costs. Recycling aluminum uses only 5% of the energy required by virgin production; glass, paper and other metals have less dramatic but very significant energy savings when recycled feedstock is used.

Although consumer electronics such as the television have been popular since the 1920s, recycling of them was almost unheard of until early 1991. The first electronic waste recycling scheme was implemented in Switzerland, beginning with collection of old refrigerators but gradually expanding to cover all devices. After these schemes were set up, many countries did not have the capacity to deal with the sheer quantity of e-waste they generated or its hazardous nature. They began to export the problem to developing countries without enforced environmental legislation. This is cheaper, as recycling computer monitors in the United States costs 10 times more than in China. Demand in Asia for electronic waste began to grow when scrap yards found that they could extract valuable substances such as copper, silver, iron, silicon, nickel, and gold, during the recycling process. The 2000s saw a large increase in both the sale of electronic devices and their growth as a waste stream: in 2002, e-waste grew faster than any other type of waste in the EU. This caused investment in modern, automated facilities to cope with the influx of redundant appliances, especially after strict laws were implemented in 2003.

In 2018, changes in the recycling market have sparked a global "crisis" in the industry. On December 31, 2017, China announced its "National Sword" policy, setting new standards for imports of recyclable material and banning materials that were deemed too "dirty" or "hazardous". The new policy caused drastic disruptions in the global market in recycling and reduced the prices of scrap plastic and low-grade paper. Exports of recyclable materials from G7 countries to China dropped dramatically, with many exports shifting to countries in southeast Asia. The crisis generated significant concern about the practices and environmental sustainability of the recycling industry. The abrupt shift caused countries to accept more recyclable materials than they could process, raising fundamental questions about shipping recycling waste from economically developed countries to countries with few environmental regulations-a practice that predated the crisis.

Recyclates

"Recyclate" is a raw material that is sent to, and processed in a waste recycling plant or materials recovery facility which will be used to form new products. The material is collected in various methods and delivered to a facility where it undergoes re-manufacturing so that it can be used in the production of new materials or products. For example, plastic bottles that are collected can be re-used and made into plastic pellets, a new product.

Quality of recyclate

The quality of recyclates is recognized as one of the principal challenges that needs to be addressed for the success of a long-term vision of a green economy and achieving zero waste. Recyclate quality is generally referring to how much of the raw material is made up of target material compared to the amount of non-target material and other non-recyclable material. For example, steel and metal are materials with a higher recyclate quality. It's estimated that two thirds of all new steel manufactured comes from recycled steel. Only target material is likely to be recycled, so a higher amount of non-target and non-recyclable material will reduce the quantity of recycling product. A high proportion of non-target and non-recyclable material can make it more difficult for re-processors to achieve "high-quality" recycling. If the recyclate is of poor quality, it is more likely to end up being down-cycled or, in more extreme cases, sent to other recovery options or landfilled. For example, to facilitate the re-manufacturing of clear glass products there are tight restrictions for colored glass going into the re-melt process. Another example is the downcycling of plastic, in which products such as plastic food packaging are often downcycled into lower quality products, and do not get recycled into the same plastic food packaging.

The quality of recyclate not only supports high-quality recycling, but it can also deliver significant environmental benefits by reducing, reusing and keeping products out of landfills. High-quality recycling can help support growth in the economy by maximizing the economic value of the waste material collected. Higher income levels from the sale of quality recyclates can return value which can be significant to local governments, households, and businesses. Pursuing high-quality recycling can also provide consumer and business confidence in the waste and resource management sector and may encourage investment in that sector.

There are many actions along the recycling supply chain that can influence and affect the material quality of recyclate. It begins with the waste producers who place non-target and non-recyclable wastes in recycling collection. This can affect the quality of final recyclate streams or require further efforts to discard those materials at later stages in the recycling process. The different collection systems can result in different levels of contamination. Depending on which materials are collected together, extra effort is required to sort this material back into separate streams and can significantly reduce the quality of the final product. Transportation and the compaction of materials can make it more difficult to separate material back into separate waste streams. Sorting facilities are not one hundred per cent effective in separating materials, despite improvements in technology and quality recyclate which can see a loss in recyclate quality. The storage of materials outside, where the product can become wet, can cause problems for re-processors. Reprocessing facilities may require further sorting steps to further reduce the amount of non-target and non-recyclable material. Each action along the recycling path plays a part in the quality of recyclate.

Quality recyclate action plan (Scotland)

The Recyclate Quality Action Plan of Scotland sets out a number of proposed actions that the Scottish Government would like to take forward in order to drive up the quality of the materials being collected for recycling and sorted at materials recovery facilities before being exported or sold on to the reprocessing market.

The plan's objectives are to:

Drive up the quality of recyclate

Deliver greater transparency about the quality of recyclate

Provide help to those contracting with materials recycling facilities to identify what is required of them

Ensure compliance with the Waste (Scotland) regulations 2012

Stimulate a household market for quality recyclate

Address and reduce issues surrounding the Waste Shipment Regulations

The plan focuses on three key areas, with fourteen actions which were identified to increase the quality of materials collected, sorted and presented to the processing market in Scotland.

The three areas of focus are:

Collection systems and input contamination

Sorting facilities - material sampling and transparency

Material quality benchmarking and standards

Recycling consumer waste

Collection

A number of different systems have been implemented to collect recyclates from the general waste stream. These systems lie along the spectrum of trade-off between public convenience and government ease and expense. The three main categories of collection are "drop-off centers", "buy-back centers", and "curbside collection".

Curbside collection

Curbside collection encompasses many subtly different systems, which differ mostly on where in the process the recyclates are sorted and cleaned. The main categories are mixed waste collection, commingled recyclables, and source separation. A waste collection vehicle generally picks up the waste.

At one end of the spectrum is mixed waste collection, in which all recyclates are collected mixed in with the rest of the waste, and the desired material is then sorted out and cleaned at a central sorting facility. This results in a large amount of recyclable waste, paper especially, being too soiled to reprocess, but has advantages as well: the city need not pay for a separate collection of recyclates and no public education is needed. Any changes to which materials are recyclable is easy to accommodate as all sorting happens in a central location.

In a commingled or single-stream system, all recyclables for collection are mixed but kept separate from other waste. This greatly reduces the need for post-collection cleaning but does require public education on what materials are recyclable.

Source separation

Source separation is the other extreme, where each material is cleaned and sorted prior to collection. This method requires the least post-collection sorting and produces the purest recyclates, but incurs additional operating costs for collection of each separate material. An extensive public education program is also required, which must be successful if recyclate contamination is to be avoided. In Oregon, USA, its environmental authority Oregon DEQ surveyed multi-family property managers and about half of them reported problems including contamination of recyclables due to trespassers such as transients gaining access to the collection areas.

Source separation used to be the preferred method due to the high sorting costs incurred by commingled (mixed waste) collection. However, advances in sorting technology have lowered this overhead substantially. Many areas which had developed source separation programs have since switched to what is called co-mingled collection.

Buy-back centers

Buy-back centers differ in that the cleaned recyclates are purchased, thus providing a clear incentive for use and creating a stable supply. The post-processed material can then be sold. If this is profitable, this conserves the emission of greenhouse gases; if unprofitable, it increases the emission of greenhouse gasses. Government subsidies are necessary to make buy-back centres a viable enterprise. In 1993, according to the U.S. National Waste & Recycling Association, it costs on average $50 to process a ton of material, which can be resold for $30.

In the US, the value per ton of mixed recyclables was $180 in 2011, $80 in 2015, and $100 in 2017.

In 2017, glass is essentially valueless, because of the low cost of sand, its major component; low oil costs thwarts plastic recycling.

In 2017, Napa, California was reimbursed about 20% of its costs in recycling.

Drop-off centers

Drop-off centers require the waste producer to carry the recyclates to a central location, either an installed or mobile collection station or the reprocessing plant itself. They are the easiest type of collection to establish but suffer from low and unpredictable throughput.

Distributed recycling

For some waste materials such as plastic, recent technical devices called recyclebots enable a form of distributed recycling. Preliminary life-cycle analysis (LCA) indicates that such distributed recycling of HDPE to make filament of 3D printers in rural regions is energetically favorable to either using virgin resin or conventional recycling processes because of reductions in transportation energy.

Once commingled recyclates are collected and delivered to a materials recovery facility, the different types of materials must be sorted. This is done in a series of stages, many of which involve automated processes such that a truckload of material can be fully sorted in less than an hour. Some plants can now sort the materials automatically, known as single-stream recycling. Automatic sorting may be aided by robotics and machine-learning. In plants, a variety of materials is sorted such as paper, different types of plastics, glass, metals, food scraps, and most types of batteries. A 30 percent increase in recycling rates has been seen in the areas where these plants exist. In the United States, there are over 300 materials recovery facilities.

Initially, the commingled recyclates are removed from the collection vehicle and placed on a conveyor belt spread out in a single layer. Large pieces of corrugated fiberboard and plastic bags are removed by hand at this stage, as they can cause later machinery to jam.

Next, automated machinery such as disk screens and air classifiers separate the recyclates by weight, splitting lighter paper and plastic from heavier glass and metal. Cardboard is removed from the mixed paper and the most common types of plastic, PET (#1) and HDPE (#2), are collected. This separation is usually done by hand but has become automated in some sorting centers: a spectroscopic scanner is used to differentiate between different types of paper and plastic based on the absorbed wavelengths, and subsequently divert each material into the proper collection channel.

Strong magnets are used to separate out ferrous metals, such as iron, steel, and tin cans. Non-ferrous metals are ejected by magnetic eddy currents in which a rotating magnetic field induces an electric current around the aluminum cans, which in turn creates a magnetic eddy current inside the cans. This magnetic eddy current is repulsed by a large magnetic field, and the cans are ejected from the rest of the recyclate stream.

Finally, glass is sorted according to its color: brown, amber, green, or clear. It may either be sorted by hand, or via an automated machine that uses colored filters to detect different colors. Glass fragments smaller than 10 millimetres (0.39 in) across cannot be sorted automatically, and are mixed together as "glass fines".

This process of recycling as well as reusing the recycled material has proven advantageous because it reduces amount of waste sent to landfills, conserves natural resources, saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and helps create new jobs. Recycled materials can also be converted into new products that can be consumed again, such as paper, plastic, and glass.

The City and County of San Francisco's Department of the Environment is attempting to achieve a citywide goal of generating zero waste by 2020. San Francisco's refuse hauler, Recology, operates an effective recyclables sorting facility which helped the city reach a record-breaking diversion rate of 80%.

Recycling industrial waste

Although many government programs are concentrated on recycling at home, 64% of waste in the United Kingdom is generated by industry. The focus of many recycling programs done by industry is the cost-effectiveness of recycling. The ubiquitous nature of cardboard packaging makes cardboard a commonly recycled waste product by companies that deal heavily in packaged goods, like retail stores, warehouses, and distributors of goods. Other industries deal in niche or specialized products, depending on the nature of the waste materials that are present.

The glass, lumber, wood pulp and paper manufacturers all deal directly in commonly recycled materials; however, old rubber tires may be collected and recycled by independent tire dealers for a profit.

Levels of metals recycling are generally low. In 2010, the International Resource Panel, hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published reports on metal stocks that exist within society and their recycling rates. The Panel reported that the increase in the use of metals during the 20th and into the 21st century has led to a substantial shift in metal stocks from below ground to use in applications within society above ground. For example, the in-use stock of copper in the USA grew from 73 to 238 kg per capita between 1932 and 1999.

The report authors observed that, as metals are inherently recyclable, the metal stocks in society can serve as huge mines above ground (the term "urban mining" has been coined with this idea in mind). However, they found that the recycling rates of many metals are very low. The report warned that the recycling rates of some rare metals used in applications such as mobile phones, battery packs for hybrid cars and fuel cells, are so low that unless future end-of-life recycling rates are dramatically stepped up these critical metals will become unavailable for use in modern technology.

The military recycles some metals. The U.S. Navy's Ship Disposal Program uses ship breaking to reclaim the steel of old vessels. Ships may also be sunk to create an artificial reef. Uranium is a very dense metal that has qualities superior to lead and titanium for many military and industrial uses. The uranium left over from processing it into nuclear weapons and fuel for nuclear reactors is called depleted uranium, and is used by all branches of the U.S. military for the development of such things as armour-piercing shells and shielding.

The construction industry may recycle concrete and old road surface pavement, selling their waste materials for profit.

Some industries, like the renewable energy industry and solar photovoltaic technology, in particular, are being proactive in setting up recycling policies even before there is considerable volume to their waste streams, anticipating future demand during their rapid growth.

Recycling of plastics is more difficult, as most programs are not able to reach the necessary level of quality. Recycling of PVC often results in downcycling of the material, which means only products of lower quality standard can be made with the recycled material. A new approach which allows an equal level of quality is the Vinyloop process. It was used after the London Olympics 2012 to fulfill the PVC Policy.

E-waste recycling

E-waste is a growing problem, accounting for 20-50 million metric tons of global waste per year according to the EPA. It is also the fastest growing waste stream in the EU. Many recyclers do not recycle e-waste responsibly. After the cargo barge Khian Sea dumped 14,000 metric tons of toxic ash in Haiti, the Basel Convention was formed to stem the flow of hazardous substances into poorer countries. They created the e-Stewards certification to ensure that recyclers are held to the highest standards for environmental responsibility and to help consumers identify responsible recyclers. This works alongside other prominent legislation, such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive of the EU the United States National Computer Recycling Act, to prevent poisonous chemicals from entering waterways and the atmosphere.

In the recycling process, television sets, monitors, cell phones, and computers are typically tested for reuse and repaired. If broken, they may be disassembled for parts still having high value if labor is cheap enough. Other e-waste is shredded to pieces roughly 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in size, and manually checked to separate out toxic batteries and capacitors which contain poisonous metals. The remaining pieces are further shredded to 10 millimetres (0.39 in) particles and passed under a magnet to remove ferrous metals. An eddy current ejects non-ferrous metals, which are sorted by density either by a centrifuge or vibrating plates. Precious metals can be dissolved in acid, sorted, and smelted into ingots. The remaining glass and plastic fractions are separated by density and sold to re-processors. Television sets and monitors must be manually disassembled to remove lead from CRTs or the mercury backlight from LCDs.

Plastic recycling

Main page: Plastic recycling

Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastic and reprocessing the material into useful products, sometimes completely different in form from their original state. For instance, this could mean melting down soft drink bottles and then casting them as plastic chairs and tables. For some types of plastic, the same piece of plastic can only be recycled about 2-3 times before its quality decreases to the point where it can no longer be used.

Physical recycling

Some plastics are remelted to form new plastic objects; for example, PET water bottles can be converted into polyester destined for clothing. A disadvantage of this type of recycling is that the molecular weight of the polymer can change further and the levels of unwanted substances in the plastic can increase with each remelt.

Chemical recycling

For some polymers, it is possible to convert them back into monomers, for example, PET can be treated with an alcohol and a catalyst to form a dialkyl terephthalate. The terephthalate diester can be used with ethylene glycol to form a new polyester polymer, thus making it possible to use the pure polymer again. In 2019, Eastman Chemical Company announced initiatives of methanolysis and syngas designed to handle a greater variety of used material.

Waste plastic pyrolysis to fuel oil

Another process involves the conversion of assorted polymers into petroleum by a much less precise thermal depolymerization process. Such a process would be able to accept almost any polymer or mix of polymers, including thermoset materials such as vulcanized rubber tires and the biopolymers in feathers and other agricultural waste. Like natural petroleum, the chemicals produced can be used as fuels or as feedstock. A RESEM Technology plant of this type in Carthage, Missouri, US, uses turkey waste as input material. Gasification is a similar process but is not technically recycling since polymers are not likely to become the result. Plastic Pyrolysis can convert petroleum based waste streams such as plastics into quality fuels, carbons. Given below is the list of suitable plastic raw materials for pyrolysis:

Mixed waste plastic from waste paper mill

Multi-layered plastic

Recycling loops

The (ideal) recycling process can be differentiated into three loops, one for manufacture (production-waste recycling) and two for disposal of the product (product and material recycling).

The product's manufacturing phase, which consists of material processing and fabrication, forms the production-waste recycling loop. Industrial waste materials are fed back into, and reused in, the same production process.

The product's disposal process requires two recycling loops: product recycling and material recycling. The product or product parts are reused in the product recycling phase. This happens in one of two ways: the product is used retaining the product functionality ("reuse") or the product continues to be used but with altered functionality ("further use"). The product design is unmodified, or only slightly modified, in both scenarios.

Product disassembly requires material recycling where product materials are recovered and recycled. Ideally, the materials are processed so they can flow back into the production process.

Recycling codes

In order to meet recyclers' needs while providing manufacturers a consistent, uniform system, a coding system was developed. The recycling code for plastics was introduced in 1988 by the plastics industry through the Society of the Plastics Industry. Because municipal recycling programs traditionally have targeted packaging-primarily bottles and containers-the resin coding system offered a means of identifying the resin content of bottles and containers commonly found in the residential waste stream.

Plastic products are printed with numbers 1-7 depending on the type of resin. Type 1 ( polyethylene terephthalate) is commonly found in soft drink and water bottles. Type 2 (high-density polyethylene) is found in most hard plastics such as milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles, and some dishware. Type 3 ( polyvinyl chloride) includes items such as shampoo bottles, shower curtains, hula hoops, credit cards, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, and piping. Type 4 (low-density polyethylene) is found in shopping bags, squeezable bottles, tote bags, clothing, furniture, and carpet. Type 5 is polypropylene and makes up syrup bottles, straws, Tupperware, and some automotive parts. Type 6 is polystyrene and makes up meat trays, egg cartons, clamshell containers, and compact disc cases. Type 7 includes all other plastics such as bulletproof materials, 3- and 5-gallon water bottles, cell phone and tablet frames, safety goggles and sunglasses. Having a recycling code or the chasing arrows logo on a material is not an automatic indicator that a material is recyclable but rather an explanation of what the material is. Types 1 and 2 are the most commonly recycled.

Related pages

Images for kids

Some people in Brazil earn their living by collecting and sorting garbage and selling them for recycling.

In Spanish: Reciclaje para niños

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Recycling problems for kids - Google Search

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Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

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Recycling is an important part of living sustainably and reducing our environmental impact. By repurposing and reusing materials, recycling helps reduce our reliance on natural resources and conserve valuable materials. Here are the top 10 facts about recycling that you should know.

1. Recycling is the process of taking material such as glass, plastic, metal or paper, and processing it so that it can be used all over again!

The more we recycle the less new materials need to be created, chopped down or mined. This is better for the environment.

2. Less than half of plastic in the U.K is recycled

Every year the U.K throws away over 7 billion plastic bottles as well as other plastic rubbish from food packaging, toys and much more.

Despite how much plastic we use we only recycle 45% of plastic that we throw away in the U.K.

Find out more about Plastic in our Top 10 Facts about Plastic.

3. In the UK we throw away enough cans each year they could reach the moon three times

13 billion cans are thrown out every year. If we stacked them on top of each other you could make 3 piles of cans that would reach to the moon!

Cans are a great thing to recycle so make sure when you've finished with your baked beans you put the can in the recycling.

4. The energy saved from recycling 1 glass bottle is enough a power a light bulb for four hours

Recycling can save lots of energy. It takes lots of energy to make glass but by recycling glass that's already made we can save lots of energy - in fact it's enough energy to power a light bulb for 4 hours.

Recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a lightbulb for six hours.

5. 14 million glass bottles and jars are sent to landfill every day.

Despite how much energy and raw (new) materials recycling glass can save we still send 14 million glass bottles and jars to landfill every day in the U.K.

6. Every tonne of paper recycled saves 17 trees

Using recycled paper saves trees from being cut down so always check to see if your paper is recycled.

Another good way to save paper and trees is to make sure you use the front AND back of paper.

7. We throw more rubbish into landfill than we recycle

The U.K creates 26 million tonnes of rubbish every year.

12 million tonnes is recycled, and 14 million tonnes is sent to landfill sites.

8. Making one can from raw (new) materials uses the same amount of energy that it takes to recycle 20 cans.

This means recycling cans is really important. Aluminium cans are one of the most recycled waste items in the world - over 50% of cans in the world are recycled.

9. In less than 2 hours the UK produces enough waste to fill the Albert Hall in London

Recycling is one way to help tackle how much rubbish we make but we should also think about wasting less.

Using a reusable water bottle and eating all our food and not throwing it away are just some of the ways we can make sure we create less rubbish. Find out more about reducing your waste and carbon footprint here.

10. Up to 60% of the rubbish that ends up in the bin could be recycled

Not everything can be recycled but unfortunately more than half of the things we put in the bin to go to landfill could have been recycled.

Make sure you are checking if your rubbish can be recycled before putting it in the non-recycling bin.
If you would like to find a recycling point near where you live, check out

www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk.
Send us your favourite facts!

Is there something we've missed? Got a fact you're dying to tell us? Submit it below and we could use it on a future Top 10 Facts page!

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Top 10 Facts about Recycling! - Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

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Recycling is an important part of living sustainably and reducing our environmental impact. By repurposing and reusing materials, recycling helps reduce our reliance on natural resources and conserve valuable materials. more "

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What is climate change? What could happen? Get all the facts you need to know.

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Can I help nature to help us?

Yes! We can all take notice of our environment. We can learn how our planet works. We can learn how to live on it without making a mess of it. We can help to keep it magnificent for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, and other living things besides us.

Some of the ways you can help may have to wait until you are a little older-like choosing an energy-efficient car, installing solar panels on the roof of your house, or choosing a "green career."

But there are many important ways you can help right now.

You can help by growing your own vegetables and fruits. You can help by planting a tree. Your new plants and trees will help to remove the greenhouse gas CO ₂ from the air. If you grow some of your own food, you will also help to prevent more CO ₂ from entering the air from the fossil-fuel-burning trucks, planes, and ships that transport your food to you from far away.

How can I reduce my "carbon footprint"?

Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air because of your own energy needs. You need transportation, electricity, food, clothing, and other goods. Your choices can make a difference.

Swap old incandescent light bulbs for the new compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). They use only 25% as much electricity to give the same light. They last ten times longer.

Turn off lights, TVs, computers, when you do not need them.

Unplug! Any electronic gadget you can turn on with a remote (TV, DVD player, Nintendo, Xbox) uses power even when it is "off." Appliances with a digital clock (like a coffee maker) or a power adapter (like a laptop computer) also suck power like a sneaky vampire. Plug these kinds of things into a surge protector or power strip that has an on/off switch. Then you can shut off all the power without unplugging each gadget.

There are even power strips that glow to show you how much power is going through them, and power strips you can control from your computer or iPhone.

Turn up the thermostat on the air conditioning when it's hot. Use fans if you're still hot. They use much less power.

Turn down the thermostat on the heating when it's cold. Sweaters, blankets, and socks are good for you and better for the planet.

Walk or ride your bike instead of taking a car everywhere. Even a 2-mile car trip puts 2 pounds of CO ₂ into the atmosphere!

If you must ride, carpool.

Stay out of the drive thru! When you go to a fast-food place, ask your driver to park the car and let you walk inside, rather than sitting in a line of cars with the engine running and polluting.

How can I reduce my trash pile?

Ask your parents to buy reusable grocery bags. Help them to remember to get them out of the car and take them into the store.

Recycle everything you can. If your city does not pick up recycled materials, find out who you can talk to about starting this service. You should be recycling paper, aluminum cans, cardboard, food cans, plastic, glass, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, phone books, and anything else made of paper.

Shop thrift stores. "BYOM." Bring your own mug. That's what you can tell your parents when they stop to buy their morning coffee. Use less paper whenever possible. Save the trees.

Drink tap water-filtered, if you like-instead of bottled water. Carry your drinking water in a reusable bottle. Plastic water bottles are an environmental disaster!

Use fewer containers. Buy the product that uses less packaging material. Even if you recycle packaging materials, it takes energy to create them in the first place and energy to remake them into something else.

Practice by playing "Recycle This!."

Do I need to save water too?

People and animals in many parts of the world do not have clean, safe water to drink. As many more regions are hit by drought, this problem will become even more serious. The sooner we start conserving water, the better off we all will be. Be aware of how much water you use.

Imagine you live in a recreational vehicle (RV), and your water tank holds only 50 gallons. Every time you turn on the water, the noisy electric water pump has to turn on too, sucking up your RV's battery power. Would you keep the water running while you brush your teeth? Would you spend 15 minutes in the shower using up all the water in the tank and depleting the battery? Would you plant a thirsty lawn in front of your RV if you were parked in the desert? Of course not!

How can I make a real difference?

You can choose a "green career." You can help to solve climate change problems and challenges. These are the exciting careers of the future. They range from designing satellites for NASA to fixing wind-energy generators to planning drought-tolerant landscapes for homes and parks. Many of the possible careers haven't even been thought of yet. You could invent your own career! Check out some Green Careers.

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We can do a lot, including planning for a green career.