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Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. [1] [2] Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized by size into micro-, meso-, or macro debris. [3]
An open access study published in 2022 concluded that 75% up to 86% of the plastic pollution is from fishing and agriculture with most identified emissions originating from Japan, China, South Korea, the US and Taiwan. [1] However, there is evidence naming the U.S. as the third-largest contributor of plastic pollution in coastal environments. [36]
Art made of commodity materials sometimes uses found objects made of plastic. [3] [4] Plastic containers are useful in papier-mâché for building frames.[5]Environmental artists are using salvaged beach plastic to create art as a means of bringing awareness of plastic pollution in Earth's oceans.
According to one state analysis, 2.9 million tons of single-use plastic and 171.4 billion single-use plastic components were sold, offered for sale, or distributed during 2023 in California.
One of the most plastic-emitting rivers in the world, contributing around two percent of global plastic pollution emissions into oceans annually. [168] Highly polluted with untreated sewage, industrial waste, tons of sediment (garbage) and blackwater from Guatemala City carried by the Río Las Vacas tributary. [169]
Marine plastic pollution is a type of marine pollution by plastics, ranging in size from large original material such as bottles and bags, down to microplastics formed from the fragmentation of plastic material. Marine debris is mainly discarded human rubbish which floats on, or is suspended in the ocean. Eighty percent of marine debris is plastic.
The word plastic draws from the Ancient Greek πλαστικός (plastikós), which means 'to mold' or 'to shape'. [3] It has long preceded its dominant modern meaning as a synthetic material. The term plastic arts has been used historically to denote visual art forms (painting, sculpture, and ceramics) as opposed to literature or music.
In researching the subject, she discovered that "plastic photodegrades or heat-degrades by breaking apart, but does not disappear." [ 5 ] In 2009, after learning about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch , she founded the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) with her sister, Julia Cohen, Manuel Maqueda, Daniella Russo and Lisa Boyle.