Project on Plastic pollution in which includes:
* Introduction to Plastic and its History
* Types, Uses and Disadvantages of Plastic
* Introduction to Pollution and Plastic Pollution
* Causes, Effects and Facts about Plastic Pollution
* And Some Case studies
* Some Ways to reduce Plastic Pollution
2. TABLE OF
CONTENTS
01 INTRODUCTION TO PLASTIC AND
ITS HISTORY
TYPES, USES AND DISADVANTAGES
OF PLASTICS
INTRODUCTION TO POLLUTION
INTRODUCTION TO PLASTIC
POLLUTION
CAUSES, EFFECTS AND FACTS
ABOUT PLASTIC POLLUTION
CASE STUDIES
SOME WAYS TO REDUCE
PLASTIC POLLUTION
02
03
04
05
06
07
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4. WHAT IS PLASTIC?
PLASTIC
• Plastics are a wide range of
synthetic or semi-synthetic
materials that use polymers as a
main ingredient.
• Their plasticity makes it
possible for plastics to be
moulded, extruded or pressed
into solid objects of various
shapes and sizes. Plastics
typically are made through
human industrial systems.
Image source – unsplash.com
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5. HISTORY OF PLASTIC
• It was in 1862 that Alexander Parkes introduced
the world’s first ever man-made plastic, at the London
International Exhibition.
• “PARKESINE”, as it was called , was marketed as
an alternative to ivory and horn that Parks discovered
while trying to develop a synthetic substitute for shellac
for waterproofing.
• Though the product was not a commercial success ,
Parkesine represented an important first step in the
development of man-made plastic.
• The material didn’t start to truly show its potential
value and diversity of applications until John Wesley
Hyatt in Albany, New Work discovered a way to
manufacture an improved version of Parkesine, most
commonly known as Celluloid.
Image Source – solenplastics.co.uk
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6. B
C
D
TYPES OF PLASTIC
A
There are two main types of plastic they are:-
• Thermoplastics – A thermoplastic is a material,
usually a plastic polymer, which becomes more soft
when heated and hard when cooled. E.g.- Acrylic,
polyester, nylon, polystyrene and Teflon.
• Thermosets–A thermosets polymer, often called a
thermoset, is a polymer that is obtained from
irreversibly hardening by curing from a soft solid or
viscous liquid prepolymer (resin). E.g.- Epoxy Resin,
Phenolic (Bakelite) , Polyester and Cyanate ester.
Image Source – Buzzle.com
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7. USES OF PLASTIC
• The ability to be moulded makes plastic an ideal
packaging material. Plastics in packaging help to keep
foods safe and fresh.
• Being durable and lightweight , plastics have helped in
the electronic field. From computers and cell phones to
television and microwave , almost all appliances
around us make some use of plastic.
• Plastics are used to make safety gear like helmets ,
goggles etc. Plastics are used in the construction
industry due to their low maintenance and high
durability.
• Plastic is strong and lightweight , that is why useful in
making toys , electrical switches and other household
products. Image source – unsplash.com
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8. DISADVANTAGESOFPLASTICS
• Natural decomposition of plastic can last from 400-1000 years
and few types of plastics are non-degradable as well.
• Plastic materials dog waterways, oceans, seas, lakes etc. 1 in 3
species of marine mammals have been found entangled in
marine litter.
• Many animals eat plastic materials and die. Over 90% of all
seabirds have plastic pieces in their stomach.
• Plastic is widely used in packaging. Eating food out of plastic
contains may cause cancer.
• Both creation and recycling of plastic produce toxic gases and
residues which causes air and water and land pollution.
• Plastic cause many fir hazards.
• Disadvantages of plastic bags are well known, this is the reason
why use of plastic bags have been restricted in most of the
countries in the world.
Images source – unsplash.com
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9. POLLUTION
WHAT IS POLLUTION?
• Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the
natural environment that cause adverse change.
Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or
energy, such as noise, heat, or light .
• Pollutants , the components of pollution,
can be either foreign substances/
energies or naturallyoccurring
contaminants.
Image source – unsplash.com
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10. PLASTIC POLLUTION
WHAT IS PLASTIC POLLUTION?
• Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic
objects and particles in the Earth’s
environment that adversely affects wildlife,
wildlife habitat , and humans.
• Plastics that act as pollutants are
categorized into micro-, meso-, or
macro debris, based on size.
Image source – unsplash.com
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11. 1. RISING HUMAN POPULATIONAND DEPENDENCE ONPLASTIC.
2. THE FOOD INDUSTRYWHICH PACKS EVERYTHING ONPLASTIC.
3. PLASTIC BOTTLES ANDCONTAINER CAPS.
4. PLASTIC BAGS AND CARRIERS.
5. PLASTIC STRAWS AND STIRRERS.
Globally, more than 8 billion metric tons of plastic have been
produced since its first large - scale use in the 1950s.Plastics take
hundreds of years to degrade. On January 1, 2018 , China stopped
accepting used plastic for recycling because most of the recyclables
were received from countries like USA which were contaminated due
to which it caused many problems in the recycling facilities of China
and threatened its environment. As a result , many governments have
simply ended their recycling programs.
CAUSES OF PLASTIC POLLUTION
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12. EFFECTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION
• At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in oceans every year,
and make up 80% of all marine debris from surface water to
deep sea sediments.
• Marine species ingest or are entangled by plastic debris
which causes severe injuries and deaths.
• Plastic Pollution threatens food safety and quality, human
health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change.
• Plastic waste clogs drains and in many cities increasing flood
damage.
• Plankton, fish, and ultimately human race, through the food
chain, ingest these highly toxic carcinogens and chemicals.
Consuming the fish that contain these toxins can cause an
increase in cancer, immune disorders, and birth defects.
• Plastic also causes groundwater, air and land pollution.
• Not only animals sea birds are also affected by plastic
pollution. In 2004 it was estimated that gulls in the North Sea
had an average of thirty pieces of plastic in their stomachs.
Images source – unsplash.com
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13. FACTS ABOUT PLASTIC POLLUTION
• Since the 1950s, around 8.3 billion tons of plastic have
produced worldwide.
• In some parts of the world, using plastic is already illegal.
• 73% of beach litter worldwide is plastic.
• A million plastic bottles are bought around the world
every minute.
• Worldwide, about 2 million plastic bags are used every
minute.
• 90% of plastic polluting our oceans is carried by just 10
rivers.
• Plastic is killing more than 1.1 million seabirds and
animals every year.
• The average person eats 70,000 microplastics each year.
• The average time that a plastic bag is used for is … 12
minutes.
• Over the past 50 years, would plastic production has
doubled.
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Image source – unsplash.com
14. CASE STUDIES ON PLASTIC POLLUTION
• Galapagos Green Turtle –
➢ Galapagos Green Turtles are found in subtropical waters in the Pacific Ocean and
are the only species of green sea turtle to nest on the beaches of the Galapagos
Islands.
➢ They differ from other marine turtles as they have serrated lower jaw and scales
which cover their eyes, like eyelids.
➢ They can grow to 84cm long and weigh up to 136kg. Galapagos Green Turtles are
extremely fast swimmers, their powerful flippers allow them to travel at speeds up to
35mph.
➢ They mainly feed on molluscs, crustaceans and seaweed, but also eat jellyfish and
fish eggs.
➢ Females return to the same beaches where they hatched to lay their eggs, laying
between 50 and 200 eggs in nests dug out of the sand. After approximately two
months the hatchlings emerge and immediately head for the sea.
➢ Those who make it can take up to twenty years to mature and return to lay their own
eggs. Males can spend their whole lives at sea. They are an endangered species.
➢ Many turtles ingest plastic bags mistaking them for jellyfish, causing fatal blockages
in their guts or starving them because they feel full.
➢ Turtles also face the risk of becoming entangled in plastic debris such as plastic
twine and nylon fishing lines, causing fatal injuries or drowning as they cannot
surface to breath.
Image source – unsplash.com
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15. • Zooplankton –
➢ Zooplankton are organismsdriftingin oceans, seas and bodiesof fresh water.
➢ The word zooplankton comes fromthe Greek zoon, meaninganimal and
planktos, meaning wandererordrifter. Zooplanktonare usuallymicroscopic
–copepods,a type of zooplankton could fit on the head of a pin.
➢ However,some suchas jellyfishare largerandvisibletothe naked eye. They
have hard shells and antennae to sense predators. Some copepodscan
move very quicklythroughthe water at speeds up to one hundred times
faster than Usain Bolt, relative to their size.
➢ Zooplankton are foundin surface waters where food is abundant, they feed
on bacterioplankton, phytoplankton (tiny plants) and other zooplankton as
well as ‘marine snow’(tiny pieces of organic matter including dead
animals). They are foundin abundance across the ocean, their numbers are
affected by water salinity and temperature.
➢ They play a vital role in aquatic food webs as they are eaten by many
higher consumers such as fish. Recent research into copepodshasbeen
investigatingwhetheringestionof microplastics affects the health of these
tiny creatures, which maythenaffectthe carboncycleandwhetherthereare
wider implicationsforanimalsfurtherup the foodchainwhoeat them.
Image source – unsplash.com
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16. • Wean yourself off disposable plastics.
• Stop buying water.
• Boycott micro beads.
• Cook more so that you don’t have to buy plastic
container containing cooked food.
• Purchase items second hand.
• Recycle.
• Support a bag tax or ban.
• Buy in bulk.
• Bring your own garment bag to the dry cleaner.
• Avoid synthetic clothing or buy a filter for your washing
machine.
• Do not launch balloons at a party as they are very
harmful.
• Clean up plastic waste if you find it.
• Be careful with Paint.
• Drive less by car and choose a lightweight car.
• Avoid plastic packaging .
SOME WAYS TO REDUCE PLASTIC POLLUTION
Image source – shutterstock.com
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