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The video was published November 28th, 2016 by a group called Greenpeace Uk. Although they are from the United Kingdom, the video relates because it addresses facts that are happening worldwide. There’s no errors and the video informs and persuaded viewers to help.

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Join the fight against plastic pollution

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The video was uploaded September 16th, 2016 and it relates to the topic because of the awareness it shows. The source is from the group National Geographic. No errors are present and the purpose of the video is to inform us on the situation.

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How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic

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The comic was published in 2014 and it relates well to the theme. The illustrator is John S. Pritchett and there’s no errors present. The purpose is to show people that because of our human items, problems occur for many animals.

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The photograph was taken in the year 2018 by a photographer called Jordi Chias. The image relates to the topic because it shows how our plastic affects life on Earth.

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The comic was published May 16th, 2017 and it relates to the topic because it shows how land animals eat plastic too. The illustrator  is Rob lang also known as underdonecomics. There's no errors shown and the purpose is to inform us on the reality.

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The image was published April 10th, 2017 and the illustrator  is Dave Granlund. It relates to the topic and shows importance of a ban. There's no errors and the purpose of the comic is to inform.

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The picture was published June 7th, 2017 and it relates to the theme because of the problem showed in the image. The publisher is underdonecomics and they have no known errors in the picture. The purpose of this image is to point out one way plastic harms marine life.

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The article was published in 2020 and there are no updates at the moment. It relates to the topic by giving a con side for the argument. The publisher is Plastics Industry Association and there are no errors that I have encountered. The article is good for pulling out information on why plastic is helpful.

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Consumers benefit from the advantages in cost, convenience and energy efficiency that single-use items provide. But using items like plastic shopping bags, bottles, utensils and straws requires users to commit to disposing of them properly-whether that means recycling them or, at the very least, ensuring they make their way into a proper waste receptacle.

Many of these items were introduced for specific reasons. Disposable plastic utensils, for example, became popular with Americans in the 1960s. They were used at home and in restaurants to cut labor costs and the energy required to clean traditional silverware. They also cut down on the spread of diseases.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, plastic bags were introduced to address concerns about how many trees were being cut down in order to produce paper bags, which were more common at the time. Ever since then, the process of making these products has gotten more efficient.

Today, many other plastic items are designed to be used just once, delivering benefits beyond convenience and cost savings and ultimately supporting public health. For example, single-use plastic products that prevent the spread of infection are crucial in the medical industry. Instruments such as syringes, applicators, drug tests, bandages and wraps are often made to be disposable. Furthermore, single-use plastic products have been enlisted in the fight against food waste, keeping food and water fresher for longer and reducing the potential for contamination.

Because of its safety, flexibility and cost-effectiveness, plastic is the material of choice for these types of products.

We all benefit from single-use plastic products. But by choosing to use these products, people agree to dispose of them properly. There can be challenges when it comes to disposing of some single-use products. Many of them aren't designed to be reused, and because of their makeup, some can't be recycled using traditional methods. This means many people toss them in the trash-contributing to waste in landfills-or don't bother to dispose of them properly at all, littering them and ultimately sending them into the environment, where they can harm plants and wildlife.

While it's better for single-use plastic products to end up in a landfill than to become litter, the ultimate goal is that all these products can be collected and converted into energy or recycled.

The people of this industry are creating new ways to address challenges by making it more profitable to recycle a plastic product than it is to litter or landfill it. Examples include:

Trex: This decking company uses recycled grocery bags, bread bags, dry cleaning bags and more to make environmentally responsible outdoor products.

BD, one of the world's largest medical device companies, manufactures a number of products using a variety of recycled materials for its Recykleen™ brand.

Brand Pledges: Some of the world's largest companies have pledged to eliminate the amount of waste they send to a landfill or to use more recycled materials in their products and packaging, thereby creating a bigger market for recycled content and incentivizing recyclers to expand their operations to collect more material.

Coca-Cola pledged to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells throughout the world by 2030.

PepsiCo created a goal of designing all its packaging to be recyclable, compostable or biodegradable, while increasing its use of recycled materials and decreasing its packaging's carbon impact.

SC Johnson has set a goal to send zero manufacturing waste to landfill from its factories by 2021, a process that will include increased reusing and recycling.

John Deere announced a pledge to recycle 75% of its total waste by 2018.

The Ford Motor Company set a five-year goal of reducing waste to landfill by 40% per vehicle and continues to expand the use of recycled content in its vehicles, particularly in the development of new upholstery fabrics.

Toyota's Environmental Challenge 2050 committed the company toward creating a recycling-based society through the use of eco-friendly materials, the use of auto parts for longer, the development of recycling technologies and the manufacture of new vehicles from end-of-life ones.

Nissan set a target of increasing the usage rate for recycled materials per new vehicles by 25% in Japan, the U.S. and Europe.

At its stores, ANN INC. provides shopping bags made with between 40% and 80% post-consumer waste.

Clorox set a goal to have 10 zero-waste-to-landfill manufacturing sites by 2020.

McDonald's pledged that its product packaging would come from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025.

Ecover, a company that makes environmentally friendly cleaning products, said all its bottles would be made with 100% recycled plastic by 2020.

Packaging company Amcor pledged to make all its product packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

The Danone water bottles used by the Evian brand will be made with 100% recycled plastic by 2025.

Unilever has committed to making 100% of its plastic packaging recyclable by 2025.

Walmart announced that by 2025, 100% of its packaging for its private-brand products would be recyclable.

By 2025, L'Oréal's plastic packaging will all be rechargeable, refillable, recyclable or compostable.

Through its Demand Champions program, the Association of Plastic Recyclers has secured commitments from a number of companies throughout the plastics supply chain to purchase more post-consumer recycled material. The list includes brand owners-such as Campbell's, Coca-Cola, Keurig, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and Target-as well as plastics companies-such as Berry Global, Champion Polymer Recycling, Clean Tech Incorporated, Denton Plastics, Envision Plastics, KW Plastics, Merlin Plastics and Plastipak.

It's paramount to dispose of single-use plastics properly. Every person who selects single-use products has the obligation to make sure these items are recycled or disposed of in a trash can and kept out of the environment. The industry is working to expand our nation's waste management infrastructure in order to increase access to recycling and to energy recovery technologies. When recycled or converted into energy, these items can continue to make a positive impact on our lives, extending their life and their value beyond a single use.

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The Purpose of Single-Use Plastics - This Is Plastics

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Consumers benefit from the advantages in cost, convenience and energy efficiency that single-use items provide. But using items like plastic shopping bags, bottles, utensils and straws requires users to commit to disposing of them properly-whether that means recycling them or, at the very least, ensuring they make their way into a proper waste receptacle.

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The article was published March 29th, 2018 and there's no update. It relates to the subject matter and is credible. The author is the staff of EDN (Earth Day) and the url domain is .org which is a organization. I have not found grammar errors and the article relates because it informs readers about the harmful things about plastic.

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Fact Sheet: Single Use Plastics - Earth Day

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END PLASTIC POLLUTION Fact Sheet: Single-Use Plastics The billions upon billions of items of plastic waste choking our oceans, lakes, and rivers and piling up on land is more than unsightly and harmful to plants and wildlife. Plastic pollution is very real and single-use plastics are small but have a large impact.

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The article was published January 19th, 2017 and was last updated June 19th, 2017. It does relate to the topic picked and it contains significant information. The source was created by EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and the url domain is a .gov which is a credible source by the government. There's no errors present and the article is great because it puts the concern on plastic situations.

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How are Trash and Marine Debris Related?

It is estimated that about 80% of marine debris originates as land-based trash and the remaining 20% is attributed to at-sea intentional or accidental disposal or loss of goods and waste. This breakdown can vary depending on factors like location of landmasses, population densities, and behavior of currents in surrounding marine waters.

In the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, Congress defined the term "marine debris" to mean any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes.

Marine debris affects the marine ecosystem directly, through ingestion, entanglement, and alteration of the ecosystem, and indirectly, by contributing to the movement of invasive species. Significant economic impacts occur when marine debris harms tourism, the fishing industry, and navigation. Plastic marine debris is of particular concern due to its longevity in the marine environment, the physical and chemical hazards it presents to marine and bird life, and the fact that it is frequently mistaken as food by birds and fish.

What Types of Trash is EPA Most Concerned About Harming Our Waters and the Environment?

Although much of the marine debris research focuses on floating plastic debris, it is important to recognize that only approximately half of all plastic is positively buoyant, i.e., it floats. Buoyancy is dependent on the density of the material and the presence of entrapped air. After some amount of time in the ocean, floating plastic debris may become sufficiently fouled with biological growth that the density becomes greater than seawater, and it sinks.

There is a growing concern about the hazards plastic pollution in the marine environment. Plastics pose both physical (e.g., entanglement, gastrointestinal blockage, reef destruction) and chemical threats (e.g., bioaccumulation of the chemical ingredients of plastic or toxic chemicals sorbed to plastics) to wildlife and the marine ecosystem. Although plastics in the remote gyre accumulation areas of the oceans (like the "Pacific garbage patch") garner the most media attention, they are not the only water bodies polluted by plastics. Plastic trash and particles are now found in most marine and terrestrial habitats, including the deep sea, Great Lakes, coral reefs, beaches, rivers, and estuaries.

In contrast to other organic and inorganic marine debris, plastics and synthetic materials are typically persistent in the environment while maintaining their bioavailability. Plastic objects typically fragment into progressively smaller and more numerous particles without substantial chemical degradation. It is currently unknown how long traditional plastics persist in the environment, but degradation rates may be as slow as just a few percent of carbon loss over a decade. The physical breakdown of plastics is likely to decrease in the deep sea and non-surface polar environments, where weathering is less of a factor.

Although nearly every type of commercial plastic is present in aquatic/marine debris, the floating components are dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene because of their high production volumes, their broad utility, and their buoyancy. Low-density polyethylene is commonly used to make plastic bags or six-pack rings; polypropylene is commonly used to make reusable food containers or beverage bottle caps. The presence of plastics has been documented throughout the water column, including on the sea floor of nearly every ocean and sea. Global trends suggest that accumulations are increasing in aquatic habitats, consistent with trends in plastic production.

The Subset of Plastic Trash Known as Microplastics

It is estimated that approximately 90% of the plastics in the pelagic marine environment are microplastics (less than 5 mm in diameter) (Eriksen et al., 2013; Browne et al., 2010; Thompson et al., 2004). Microplastics arise from the fragmentation of larger pieces as they weather from the effects of ultraviolet rays, and wind and wave action. Recent information on the use of tiny plastic abrasives (commonly called microbeads or nanobeads), especially in personal care products and home cleaning products, and synthetic fabrics shedding during laundering has shown the prevalence of micro- and nanoparticle size plastics as being pervasive in some water bodies. (Eriksen et al., 2013). The plastics may not be removed as part of the wastewater treatment facility process and may pass through largely unchanged. These micro- and nanoparticle plastics, as well as other microplastics caused by fragmentation, are available for ingestion by a wide range of animals in the aquatic food web.

Although nearly every type of commercial plastic is present in marine debris, floating marine debris is dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene because of their high production volumes, their broad utility, and their buoyancy (Colton et al., 1974; Ng and Obbard, 2006; Rios et al., 2007). Low-density polyethylene or linear low-density polyethylene is commonly used to make plastic bags or six-pack rings; polypropylene is commonly used to make reusable food containers or beverage bottle caps.

Although much of the marine debris research focuses on floating plastic debris, it is important to recognize that only approximately half of all plastic is positively buoyant, that is, it floats (EPA 1992). Buoyancy is dependent on the density of the material and the presence of entrapped air (Andrady, 2011). After some amount of time in the ocean, floating plastic debris may become sufficiently fouled with biological growth that the density becomes greater than seawater, and it sinks (Ye, Andrady, 1991). The presence of plastics has been documented throughout the water column, including on the seafloor of nearly every ocean and sea (Ballent at al., 2013, Maximenko et al., 2012).

Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic Substances (PBTs) And Plastics

Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBTs) chemicals or substances pose a risk to the marine environment because they resist degradation, persisting for years or even decades. PBTs are toxic to humans and marine organisms and have been shown to accumulate at various trophic levels through the food chain. Even at low concentrations, PBTs can be insidious in the environment due to their ability to biomagnify up the food web, leading to toxic effects at higher trophic levels even though ambient concentrations are well below toxic thresholds. The subset of PBTs known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are especially persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (such as DDT, dioxins, and PCBs) (Engler, 2012).

Generally PBTs have very low water solubility or are hydrophobic. For this reason, when in the marine environment, they tend to partition to sediment or concentrate at the sea surface (Hardy et al., 1990; Hardy et al., 1992) and not dissolve into solution. When PBTs encounter plastic debris, they tend to preferentially sorb (take up or hold) to the debris. In effect, plastics are like magnets for PBTs.

Different pollutants sorb to different types of plastics in varying concentrations depending on the concentration of the PBT in seawater and the amount of plastic particle surface area available. Plastics on the seafloor may sorb PBTs from the sediments (Graham, Thompson, 2009; Rios et al., 2007), in addition to sorbing them from the seawater. Concentration of PBTs such as PCBs and DDE (the breakdown product of DDT) on plastic particles have been shown to be orders of magnitude greater than concentrations of the same PBTs found in the surrounding water.

Overall, the potential for PBTs to sorb to plastic debris is complex because their behavior in the environment will vary; however, they are more likely than not to preferentially sorb to plastic debris. The particular affinity to sorb will depend on the PBT and type of plastic: polyethylene sorbs PCBs more readily than polypropylene does (Endo et al., 2005). The longer plastic is in the water, the more weathered and fragmented it becomes (Teuten et al., 2007). With increased fragmentation comes higher relative surface area, thereby increasing the relative concentration of sorbed PBTs (a process referred to as hyperconcentration of contaminants) (Engler, 2012).

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Toxicological Threats of Plastic | US EPA

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It is estimated that about 80% of marine debris originates as land-based trash and the remaining 20% is attributed to at-sea intentional or accidental disposal or loss of goods and waste. This breakdown can vary depending on factors like location of landmasses, population densities, and behavior of currents in surrounding marine waters.

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The article was published 2 years ago and it does not state if it was updated since then. The article was written by Malorie Macklin and the url domain is a .org which is sometimes a reliable source. There's no spelling or grammar errors. This article is perfect because it gives us percentages on valuable information.

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Plastic is certainly a superhero when it comes to making life more convenient. It can be made into dishes and eating utensils that you never have to wash. Single-serve beverages and snacks in plastic packaging are an easy grab-and-go option when you're running out the door for work or school. And how about plastic shopping bags so you don't have to remember to bring a gazillion reusable bags every time you head to the grocery store?

You may already be shaking your head at these excuses for using plastic, but the reality is that this material is very appealing to many for the fact that it makes life much more convenient. It can save you time and energy in your daily routine. And besides, a lot of those plastic water bottles and shopping bags end up in recycling centers where they're made into awesome new products, right?

Well, it is true that some plastics do end up in recycling centers and can be made into sweet new objects like a park bench or playground equipment. The reality is that the majority of plastics go un-recycled. In the United States, the EPA estimates that only 12 percent of plastic waste gets recycled. The plastic materials that don't end up recycled typically get sent to landfills where they may take as many as 1,000 years to decompose.

For something that is supposed to be quick and convenient, there is nothing quick or convenient about the complete lifecycle of a plastic object. It spends a mere fraction of its existence actually serving a purpose. And the rest of the time, you'll find, it is actually a nuisance and threatens the health of the environment, animals, and even people. How so? Read on.

1. To Make Plastic, We Need Oil...

Before we can even address the issues that improperly discarded plastics present to the planet, we have to talk about the dangers they cause to the environment as they're simply being produced. Petroleum and natural gas are required to manufacture plastics. For the 30 million plastic bags used in the United States per year alone, 12 million barrels of oil are required. And for all of the water bottles manufactured in the United States each year, roughly 17 million barrels of oil are needed. The drilling, transportation, and processing of this oil into plastic materials is an energy-intensive process that involves burning fossil fuels which ultimately furthers the effects of climate change. Estimates for the amount of carbon released from plastic manufacturing vary, but anywhere from 100 million to 500 million tons per year as the direct result of plastic manufacturing. That works out to the equivalent of emissions from between 19 million and 92 million vehicles on the road, depending on which estimate you're going with. So, even if you don't use a vehicle to get around on a regular basis, a plastic addiction may still be causing you to contribute pretty heavily to our growing problem with climate change.

2. Mountains of Plastic

While it would be nice to think that all plastic ends up in a recycling plant once it is done being used, that simply is not true. As has been mentioned, a majority of plastics actually don't end up making it to a recycling facility to be manufactured into a new object. Sadly, 80 percent of plastic water bottles used in the United States each year end up in a landfill. That's roughly 38 billion water bottles! The numbers for plastic grocery bags are even worse. Between 0.5 and three percent of plastic bags are recycled, sending an estimated 100 billion plastic bags to landfills in America each year.

With such poor statistics on recycling, it is obvious that the bulk of plastic has to go somewhere once it is discarded. And that somewhere typically ends up being a landfill. According to Zero Waste America, there are 3,091 active landfills in the United States. And while landfills are designed to withhold their materials and seclude them from the surrounding environment, landfills end up leaking a variety of nasty pollutants. Leachate, a liquid that forms as materials break down in a landfill, often leaks through the liners of the landfill and can pollute groundwater below. And greenhouse gases like methane are produced from decaying material inside landfills, leaking into the atmosphere, and furthering climate change. Plus, plastic has a tendency of finding its way out of landfills ... and ends up in local waterways.

3. Oceans of Plastic

You may already be familiar with the fact that there is a lot of plastic pollution in our oceans. Maybe you've seen a plastic bottle washing down a storm drain that would eventually empty into the ocean. And maybe you've seen a plastic shopping bag or two wash up on the sand during your last beach trip. Maybe you're already aware of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch where ocean currents have allowed a large swath of the North Pacific to collect a spinning mass of garbage that is largely made up of plastics.

But all of that anecdotal evidence of plastic in our oceans doesn't quite tell you the magnitude of the problem. A recent study released this year has scientists estimating that 8.8 million tons of plastic waste ended up in the ocean in 2010. And with plastic use becoming more and more popular for individuals all over the world, it is estimated this figure will increase 10 times over the next decade. Another recent study released by the 5 Gyres Institute estimates that there are currently 5.25 trillion plastic particles in the ocean. Sources of this waste are wide-ranging including plastic fishing nets, food and beverage containers, microbeads from personal care items, cosmetics, straws, and bags just to name a few.

And who is dumping all of this plastic into our oceans? Well, everybody. Countries with less advanced waste management systems are at risk of contributing more to the pollution. China leads the world in contributing to the plastic problem in our oceans, followed by the likes of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Even though the United States boasts a more advanced waste management system, it does rank 20 th on the list. There is still a dense population on the coast and plastic use in high demand, so there is a lot of available plastic that can slip through the cracks.

4. Marine Animals Eating Plastic

Plastic doesn't just accumulate in the ocean and make for an unsightly mess. It is hurting and killing a great deal of marine life all over the world.

Ingestion of plastic pollution can be downright deadly for marine animals. And sadly, it's a common occurrence. Last summer a necropsy on a deceased sei whale found in the Chesapeake Bay showed the animal had been unable to feed due to a laceration in its stomach caused by a plastic DVD case. In 2013 in Spain, scientists found a dead sperm whale and determined its cause of death was intestinal blockage. In its digestive system were 59 pieces of plastic waste totaling 37 pounds in weight. Sea turtles are now ingesting twice the plastic they were 25 years ago. In total, it is estimated that the ingestion of plastic kills 1 million marine birds and 100,000 marine animals each year.

Sadly, the ingestion of plastic isn't the only threat that this type of pollution poses to marine animals. Plastics can also entangle marine animals, making movement, feeding, and growth difficult or even impossible. Plastic-based ropes, fishing nets, and even soda can holders can get wrapped around heads, flippers, and tails of marine animals. A recent literature report released by NOAA states that roughly 200 different marine species worldwide have been reported suffering entanglements, with 115 of those species reported originating in the United States. And because some species happen to inhabit areas where plastic pollution is more common, a larger portion of their population is more susceptible to entanglements. This fact proves true for species like the Hawaiian monk seal which swim and feed in areas close to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

5. Killin' The Mood For Fish

Plastics in aquatic ecosystems don't just become a problem when they wrap around an animal or end up blocking digestive systems. Plastics can also introduce chemical warfare to the bodies of fish, and scientists are actually finding that it is killing the reproductive health of many fish species.

Included in the chemical cocktail aquatic animals are hit with from pollution is something called " endocrine disruptors." These impact the endocrine system, obviously, which can be detrimental to the immune system, reproductive system, development, neurological responses, and overall growth. Bisphenol A or BPA is found in many plastics entering the ocean and, unfortunately, it acts as an endocrine disruptor for fish. Scientists have observed BPA exposure to some freshwater fish species as a source of confusion for the fish, make it difficult for them to pursue their own species to mate. Clearly, a fish of one species attempting to mate with a fish of another species will not result in reproductive success for either.

Lines between fish species not only become blurred by plastics. This type of pollution is also impacting gender in some fish species as well. Chemicals in plastics are one of several types of pollution that are feminizing male fish. When fish are exposed to chemicals that mimic estrogen during development, their ability to develop into males is thwarted and female characteristics develop instead. There have also been scientific observations in which fish become intersex due to their exposure to BPA, among other pollutants. There have been promising results when water can be treated in a treatment plant that removes some of these chemicals. But the problem of plastic pollution is very widespread and difficult to address on a large scale. Until we can get a handle on it, the reproductive rates of some fish will continue to be at risk.

6. Plastic On Your Plate

If you thought plastic pollution in the environment was not something that could directly impact human health, you were wrong. And, depending on your diet, you may actually be eating a variety of nasty chemicals as the result of plastic pollution.

Fish consume plastics both intentionally and unintentionally. And these plastics, depending on how long they've been floating in the water, may have a variety of chemicals attached to them such as heavy metals, PCB's and other pollutants. Once fish absorb these chemicals from ingested plastic, the chemicals are then free to enter the bodies of anything higher up on the food chain, including humans. While some fish sold in the United States is tested for contaminates by the EPA, the amount of dangerous chemicals in most seafood harvested outside the country is not known. By including fish in your diet, you may be exposing your body to a variety of chemicals you'd never willingly ingest. With the amount of plastics that fish are exposed to in aquatic environments, it really does become a gamble with your own health to rely on fish as a source of nutrients in your diet.

Is it Worth the Convenience?

Even if you're a recycling rockstar when it comes to plastic, you may now be considering whether the convenience of using plastic is actually worth the cost. It may be difficult to avoid plastics in all aspects of life, but surely you can find ways to reduce your dependence on plastic. Since you can't guarantee that everything you toss into the recycling bin will actually end up at a recycling plant, reducing your dependence on plastic is really the way to go.

Luckily for you, One Green Planet is here to help you break free from plastic. Consider these 10 Life Hacks To Help You Get Plastic Out of The Picture. Replace those microbeads with coffee grounds for your exfoliating routine. Plan ahead to buy what you can in bulk without packaging in order to avoid extra plastic. And think about storing your produce in towels as opposed to plastic bags. Tell that plastic to take a hike!

If you're still itching for more, check out these 20 Switches to Get Plastic Out of Your Life. There is a multitude of materials out there to replace your plastic materials- stainless steel, glass, ceramic, bamboo, canvas, etc. The possibilities are limitless!

Kicking plastic to the curb will take some effort. But doesn't it sound like the more convenient choice for the planet?Together, we can take action and
#CrushPlastic once and for all for the sake of marine life - and importantly, us.

Let's #CrushPlastic! Click the graphic below for more information.

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter ! Lastly, being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
Lead image source: Rich Carey/Shutterstock

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Is it Really Worth the Convenience? 6 Ways Plastic is Harming Animals, the Planet and Us

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Plastic is certainly a superhero when it comes to making life more convenient. It can be made into dishes and eating utensils that you never have to wash. Single-serve beverages and snacks in plastic packaging are an easy grab-and-go option when you're running out the door for work or school.

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The article was published Match 8th, 2008 and was last updated July 30th 2015. The article informs us that plastic harms the environment and how it does. The article was written by Stephanie R. Kinnon and there are no spelling or grammar mistakes. The url domain is a .com and the passages were meant to inform readers.

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What's sterile, strong, and everywhere around us? Plastic. Used in everything from food containers to shoe soles, this popular polymer is quickly revealing itself to have adverse health effects. Find out how you can protect yourself from endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and learn proper recycling protocol to minimize impact on the environment.

Plastic Fantastic

The benefits of plastics are unmatched by any other material, says the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI). It is light, easily shaped, strong, and inexpensive. Its ability to guard against contamination makes it useful in sterile medical environments such as hospitals.

Plastic kitchenware offers a practical alternative to glass and ceramic dishes. Plastic preserves flavour and freshness when used to store food and beverages. Leak-proof and child-resistant plastic containers are useful for holding dangerous household products such as bleach, ammonia,and other caustic cleaners.

Plastic packaging withstands the rigors of shipping, and plastic containers provide good storage solutions at home and in the office. It seems that the benefits of using plastic are boundless-but are they really?

Problems With Plastic

"Our obsession with plastic is loading up the planet with toxic chemicals, and we're only beginning to understand the serious consequences these substances have on health," says Lisa Gue, environmental health policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation.

Gue says that chemicals contained in plastic migrate into the environment when the plastic products containing them are discarded. These chemicals are building up in our bodies and in our environment.

But according to the SPI, only 9 percent of waste in landfills is plastic. They say plastic can be an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative to other products. Think for a moment of plastic grocery bags. They take up one-seventh of the space paper bags do in landfills and don't produce toxic fumes when incinerated, says the SPI, who also note that incinerated plastic helps the waste mix burn more efficiently.

Is It Safe?

When it comes to the impact on public health, the widespread use of plastics is a contentious issue.

"There are some places that plastics just don't belong," says Jill Thompson, Citizens for Change coordinator with the BC Chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada. "Our food and water shouldn't touch plastic, at least not in the way it is currently manufactured."

The concern is that plastic food-storage containers are leaching chemicals such as bisphenol A into our food. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used during the manufacturing of certain hard, clear plastics (the kind reusable water bottles, baby bottles, and sippy cups are made from). It mimics the hormone estrogen and disrupts reproductive functions, Gue explains.

Studies have linked bisphenol A to prostate cancer, miscarriages, and birth defects. However, Health Canada says that the level of BPA in these products is low and normal use doesn't pose a risk to your health.

Also of concern are phthalates (pronounced thay-lates), which give plastic its pliable, flexible properties, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, used as a fire retardant. Studies link both to hormone- and reproductive-system damage.

What Should You Do?

"Plastics can and do make sense in some contexts," says Thompson, noting that plastic automobile parts have made lighter cars that consume less fossil fuel. "But we aren't yet doing enough when it comes to plastic recycling," she says.

Still, like 'em or not, plastics are here to stay. So do your part and become plastic savvy. Familiarize yourself with what plastics can be recycled, and keep reusable plastics out of landfills.

For more detailed info on plastics recycling in Canada, visit cpia.ca/epic. Check out myplasticbags.ca for lists of municipalities and retailers in your area that recycle their own plastic bags.

Plastic Recycled-What Your Common Household Plastics Can Be Recycled Into:

household product: disposable utensils, meat packing type of plastic: polystyrene recycled into: CD cases, office accessories

household product: bottles, peanut butter jars type of plastic: polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) recycled into: stuffing for pillows, carpet backing, and even certain types of sweatshirts

household product: shampoo bottles type of plastic: high-density polyethylene recycled into: other bottles, plastic lumber

household product: most bottle tops type of plastic: polypropylene recycled into: ice scrapers, industrial packing cases

household product: bottles, film for wrapping meat type of plastic: polyvinyl chloride recycled into: insulation for cables and drain pipes

household product: bags, grocery bags type of plastic: low-density polyethylene recycled into: plastic lumber and compost bins

Tips for Consuming Less Plastic:

Make an effort to purchase products with minimal plastic packaging.

Use cloth bags for grocery shopping.

Reuse plastic containers within your home. For example, plastic grocery bags can be reused for additional trips to the grocery store, as lunch bags, gym bags, and garbage can liners. Yesterday's yogourt container can become tomorrow's lunch pail. Old margarine containers can become storage vessels for an assortment of household items.

Familiarize yourself with plastic recycling in your community.

BPA and You

BPA is a chemical used during the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastic.

What products is it in?

It's found in baby bottles, sippy cups, and reusable water bottles.

Should you be concerned?

Studies link it to prostate cancer, miscarriages, and certain birth defects, but Health Canada says it does not pose a health risk.

If you're concerned about the health and environmental risks, avoid reusable plastic water bottles, other hard plastic bottles, and sippy cups.

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