ENRM 1001 newsletter, Group 9

Environmental Defense

“THE FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS”

Environmental Defense

PLASTIC POLLUTION

GROUP 9

STEFAN RAMROOPSINGH ( 814000928 )

STEPHANIE POLLARD ( 813000525 )

TIANA ISSACS ( 814000

SAMANTHA SINGH ( 814000881 )

NARIK BHAGIRATH ( 814000

Plastic pollution is the accumulation in the environ-

ment of man-made plastic products to the point where

they create problems for wildlife and their habitats as

well as for human populations.

Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most polluted small

island states in the world due to the fact that we dump

almost 50 million plastic bottles in our dumps per

month. Consequently, when plastics are exposed to

heat one of the deadliest toxins is created in which we

breathe in.

Plastics have become a cause for concern as a result of

our high consumer ism rate. Due to the fact that plas-

tics are irresponsibly discarded, they do not degrade

easily, floats on water and is not enthralled by the envi-

ronment. This material can be given the title of poster

child for pollution and is synonymous with all that is

considered bad for the world we live in. Classic images

of plastic land pollution are the clogging of drains with

this material.

Plastic Pollution Problems: Land

28/11/14

Volume 1, Issue 1

PLASTIC POLLUTION ON LAND

Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 2

BY: SAMANTHA SINGH

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF PLASTIC ON OUR LAND

Plastics take approximately 500-1000 years to disintegrate and contain toxins such as Eth-

ylene oxide, xylene, and benzene that can be released when heat is consistently being

placed on the plastic materials and consequently as a result of exposure to these toxins,

harmful diseases are caused in humans. Doctors suspect that the rise in the rate of cancer

patients is due to the exposure to these harmful toxins.

During the rainy season, the plastic rubbish that has fallen on the road gets washed away

into the nearby water reservoirs, canals, and drains, leading to their choking up and over-

flowing. Also, the water quality gets spoiled due to the addition of these synthetic materi-

als.

Wind carries and deposits plastic from one place to another and as a result this will In-

crease land pollution. Plastic bags can be manipulated by the wind and get trapped on fenc-

es, trees and buildings which may cause animals that come into this vicinity to get tangled

and suffocated which may lead to their death.

Blockage as a result of plastic accumulation may form breading grounds for mosquitoes

and other harmful vectors insects, which might cause numerous diseases in humans.

The quality of drinking water on our planet is deteriorating, as plastic releases some toxic

chemicals such as Styrene Trimer, Bisphenol A, and a by-product of Polystyrene. These

products are deteriorating the drinking water condition. Bisphenol A, a harmful toxin re-

leased by plastics damages the reproductive system of animals and humans.


PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE OCEANS

PLASTIC PROBLEM?

In contemporary society the problems related to pollution is becoming very severe, we

live in a world where consumerism is at an all-time high and this if left unchecked has already

been devastating the natural environment in a number of ways. If left unchecked it may cause

further deleterious effects on the environment and result in many problems. One such major

pollution takes place in the sea and is mainly due to plastics the following attempts to bring

about the awareness of this issue, as to the negative effects of plastics in our oceans.

In recent studies done some very alarming results were obtained, according to

OceanCrusaders.org 2014 shoppers worldwide use approximately 500 billion single use plas-

tic bags per year, which translates to about a million bags every minute across the globe and

150 bags a year for every person on earth. They stated that if joined end on they would cir-

cumnavigate the globe 4200 times! This is very alarming as such plastics end up in our water

ways and make their way to our beloved oceans (Figure 1) leading to various deleterious ef-

fects. They continued to state there is 46,000 pieces of plastic in every square mile of the

ocean! Helium balloons, a single use item, which when released goes up into the atmosphere,

when the helium becomes denatured the plastic balloon falls and may end up in the ocean.

Plastics are very resistive to decomposition and it can take from 20 years to 1000 years

for a single piece of plastic to break up, not break down, but to break up into smaller pieces

which still exists in the environment

Plastic Pollution Problems: Oceans

28/11/14

Volume 1, Issue 1


BY: NARIK BHAGIRATH

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF PLASTICS IN OUR OCEANS

¨The death of marine creatures due to strangulation via entanglement, as they are stran-

gled in the plastics, up to 100,000 marine creatures a year are killed

¨Sea turtles who feed on jelly fish, easily mistake denatured helium balloons floating on

the surface of the water as the jelly fish as well as submerged floating plastic bags and try

to consume them. When it enters their body it is unable to be digested and therefore kills

them

¨Sea birds and Sea-lions become entangled in plastics and become suffocated as well as

some birds try to consume plastic materials and it remains in their digestive system which

ends fatally for them. Up to 1 million birds die a year from plastics

Ä single plastic bag can kill not only one, but many organisms as plastics are very resis-

tive to decomposition (no known organism can decompose plastic) as a result when one

animal is entangled in the plastic and they die, their body decomposed by the plastic re-

mains, over time another animal may fall victim and have the same faith as the one prior

to it


HARMFUL EFFECTS OF PLASTICS IN OUR OCEANS

Äcidification of the oceans occur due emissions of carbon dioxide, this can be related

to plastics as seen in Australia where 582.9 million liters of bottled water was produced

in 2009-2010 alone, producing and delivering a liter of bottled water can emit hundreds

of times more green-house gases than tap water. These emissions when in contact with

water ways lead to acidification of water ways, i.e lowering of their pH. Some marine

organisms are very sensitive to changes pH such as calcifying plankton find it harder to

create CaCO3 shells in acidic waters and so are unable to survive (Oceana.org 2014).

This can have major effects on the ecosystem and cause food webs to collapse, that is

because these planktons are what smaller fishes and whales eat, if no plankton are pre-

sent, the food supply for the small fish will be lost. This will result in their population

decreasing. As the smaller fish population decreases there is less food for fishes on the

2nd trophic level and so on, leading to increased competition and limited food supply

which has detrimental effects on the organisms.

Äs acidification disrupts food webs of the ocean, eventually it will affect us humans as

well, as we depend on fish as a source of food therefore we will need to find alternate

means of replacing this large food source

¨Plastics that are broken up into small pieces are

consumed by fish as well as chemicals from plastics

(lead, cadmium and mercury) are released into the

water and absorbed by fish. Humans use fish as a

means of meeting their protein requirements and so

by eating these fish we unknowingly consume all

the chemicals and pieces of plastic as well, as it is

present in the fish. This can have negative health ef-

fects on our health

Ït can be very aesthetically displeasing, the ocean is such a divine beauty, and due to

the increasing presence of plastics it is becoming a “plastic soup” which is very unap-

pealing to look at.


Let’s talk about REDUCE:

Living on this earth

amongst all this plas-

tic waste isn’t safe or

healthy. What can we

do? What is already

being done? Can we

follow from these ex-

amples and have bet-

ter lifestyles? Yes!

Yes we can. Plastic

products are so con-

venient in this throw

it “away” society.

Where does it go?

Away? We are living

in a world where we

consume more and

more plastic every

year in every aspect

of our lives. When the

earth is over populat-

ed by plastic waste

build up what can are

we going to do? Our

options are to live

amongst it or to uti-

lize it. Have you ever

heard about the 3R’s?

REDUCE, REUSE

AND RECYCLE

Reducing is the act of

breaking down or us-

ing less of a sub-

stance in this case we

want to reduce the

use of plastic con-

sumption. Even

though plastic seems

convenient, there are

many other alterna-

tives that we can use

instead of disposable

plastic items.

The 3 R’s

28/11/14

Plastic Pollution Recommendations: Land

Volume 1, Issue 1

PLASTIC POLLUTION ON LAND


BY: STEPHANIE POLLARD

Plastic bags are a major

source of plastic waste pile up

which can be replaced by eco-

friendly bags or reusable bags

at the grocery store, in shop-

ping centres and sometimes

some items do not require

baggage. Countries such as

India has banned the use of

plastic bags in certain villag-

es and major stores such as

Price Mart shopping centre

do not offer

packaging of

items in

plastic wrap-

ping or bags.

-Water bottles and any other

plastic items that can hold

soil can be used as a planting

medium.

-Get creative! : Donate plastic

packaging such as egg crates

to schools or centres or create

Reuse is the act of using an

item that has already been

used for its main purpose.

Many everyday items can be

reused:

Plastic bags can be reused to

line garbage bins.

your own

home project

such as mak-

ing a piggy

bank or bird

seed holders.

Now Is The Time To REUSE:

as birds. A refill lighter can

make a major difference.

Intersecting with reduction

would be reuse where plastic

containers can be reused

which also reduces your con-

sumption of plastics.

Purchase item that can be re-

filled instead of buying indi-

vidual items such as laundry

detergent and buy in bulk

bins where you can buy items

loose and refill your goods. A

simple item such as a dispos-

able lighter over times accu-

mulates in landfills and may

be consumed by animals such

“India has banned the use of

plastic bags in certain villages

and major stores “

Reducing:

Don’t need it, replace it


Recycling is more commonly

associated with the process

where old goods are re-

manufactured, allowing them

to be turned into new prod-

ucts.

Recycling of plastics are al-

ready being done worldwide.

Plastic waste are collected

and sorted and then manipu-

lated to create new products.

This process may also be

called down cycling.

Recycling and reuse are both

interrelated and one can col-

lect their plastic trash and

carry it to recycling plants in

their area.

In Texas, Henry Sullivan re-

cycles plastic waste to make

rail roads tiles and in India

plastic bags are recycled to

make decorative handbags

and jewelry.

Recycling, A New innovation:

Environmental

Defense

To learn more or ask questions

plastics.

-Help set up recycling plants

and volunteer in the recycling

process.

Other than the basic reduce,

reuse, recycle, there are many

more ways in which plastic

pollution can be eliminated.

-Spread the word! Educating

others about plastic pollution

and ways to eradicate it.

-Countries can consider plac-

ing a ban on certain types of

There is More YOU and Your Country Can Do To Make A Difference!

Did you know?:

Coca Cola cleans their plastic

bottles which can be used up to

20times.

Page 9 Volume 1, Issue 1

PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE OCEANS

Plastic Pollution Recommendations: Oceans

28/11/14

Volume 1, Issue 1

Water covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface and is a very important resource for people and

the environment. Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers,

oceans, aquifers and groundwater). Water pollution occurs when pollutants are directly or in-

directly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful com-

pounds.

One of the most serious threats to oceans is plastics pollution. Plastic make up about 90% of

the total surface floating trash, with 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile. Plastic unlike

other types of materials does not biodegrade; instead, it photo-degrades with sunlight, break-

ing down into smaller and smaller pieces. The physical wave action breaks up plastics over

time, but only into smaller bits that remain in the water and they never really disappear.


BY: TIANA ISSACS

What are the solutions to this increasing threat? There is no one solution to the water plastic waste prob-

lem. The most effective way to stop plastic pollution in our oceans is to make sure it never reaches the

water in the first place. The first and most practical solution would be reduction. Reduction of plastic

waste is possible with the use of alternative materials. The use of wood, paper and even glass can reduce

the need for plastic. Society however has become very plastic dependent. They prefer plastic as opposed

to other materials for the mere fact that it is light-weight, cheap, strong and ‘disposable’.

In addition, legislations can be made and implemented to addresses this issue of plastic pollution. Legis-

lations can include harsh penalties for dumping of refuse and taxes on industries that produce excessive

plastics. Many states hold producers of materials like paint and carpet responsible for recovering and re-

cycling their product after it is used. Producers of plastic packaging should be required to find innovative

ways to design better packaging that can be more fully recovered for recycling or reuse, and they should

help cover the costs required to keep plastic out of the environment.

Innovation is another solution to the plastic waste problem in the ocean. Our capacity to come up with

smarter approaches, ideas, and materials is limitless. Businesses must continue reinventing the way we

make and consume our products, helping to forge a more sustainable world, and supporting communities

that demand better alternatives. Responsible legislation creates opportunity for these alternatives. Steel

water bottles and cloth grocery bags, biodegradable plastics and green chemistry, closed loop product

lifecycles – these innovations and reinventions move us towards a more sustainable society.

Furthermore recovery and recycling can have a great effect of helping alleviate this problem. Communi-

ties manage waste with landfills and recovery centers and can recycle a lot of plastic waste. Many per-

sons are becoming very innovative in their recycling of collected waste materials and are fashioning

many items out of this durable material. Trevor Williams and his team at Recycling in Motion (RIM)

recycles more than two million pounds of plastic per year. At the company's warehouse in Champs

Fleurs, there are large cardboard boxes filled with recycled granulated plastic pieces that are then export-

ed to begin their lives over as bags, container and even clothing. Unfortunately, recycling plastics has

proven difficult. The biggest problem with plastic recycling is that it is difficult to automate the sorting

of plastic waste, and so it is labor intensive.

Lastly, the second most practical solution or recommendation is the physical action of removal of the

waste. Although the degree of plastic pollution cur-

rently in our oceans is so extensive, many NGO’s as

well as government agencies has attempted to help

remove some of this waste. It can be debated whether

their actions have had any real impact on the issue

but with the continuous production of plastic and the

mere fact that it doesn’t degrade, they help slow

down the rate at which plastic consumes the oceans.

Some people however, believe that cleaning up plastic pollution from the world’s oceans is impractical.

In all, just as plastics are a common material used in many aspects of our lives, plastics are also a com-

mon component of marine debris. As plastic usage has increased over the years, so has the amount of

plastic entering water bodies. Plastics are a pervasive environmental problem, but they are a material

that can be managed and a resource that can be conserved. Reducing the plastic component of marine

debris depends upon better management of this resource, legislations, recycling and innovations and the

cleaning and removal of plastics from water bodies.


PLASTIC POLLUTION

28/11/14

Plastic Pollution Innovations: Land & Oceans

Volume 1, Issue 1

The increasing use of plastics in our daily lives has led to mass pollution of plastics

in our landfills, dumps, waterways, oceans and our surroundings. This is of great

concern to Caribbean countries, where most of the island’s main economy is based

on the Tourism sector, which plastics both in the land and oceans can have adverse

effects on the country’s flora and fauna. While there are measures already being

taken to combat this issue, more needs to be done too help combat this issue, as the

rate of plastics being added to the environment is far greater than the rate at which

persons are currently dealing with the issue. From laws and legislation, to collection

and processing, the more that can be done to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics that

enter the environment will greatly help in curbing the current issue.


BY: STEFAN RAMROOPSINGH

Firstly we can begin this change by raising public education and awareness on the harm-

ful impacts of plastics, both when being used for food and drinks, as well as its pro-

cessing and after disposal. The mass media, as well as schools and open forums are good

mediums to highlight this issue, and also prompt persons to decrease the amount of plas-

tic items they purchase, encourage proper disposal of plastic items, and also for persons

to reuse plastics in instances where possible.

Also, there needs to be more laws and stricter enforcement put in place, with regards to

the type of plastics being used, with possible bans on plastics that may cause significant

harm to persons or the environment when used or disposed. Enforcement of the laws is

also critical to ensure that persons abide by the laws, and act as a deterrent to improper

disposal of waste. The government can also provide incentives for persons bringing in

items that can be alternatives to plastics, while imposing taxes on plastic items which can

be substituted. This move by the government will only help persons change their mind

set and approach to plastics.

Additionally, persons should be encouraged to follow trends in Kenya and India, where

they try to salvage and reuse as much plastic as they can, both as parts for electronics, or

in Kenya, where villagers have made clothing, bags and decorations out of discarded

plastic items. While reducing plastic waste, this system also provides jobs for unem-

ployed persons and gives them a source of income to better themselves and move them

out of poverty, increasing the country’s GDP and HDI. On a larger scale, companies can

also use waste plastics for railroad tyres, and the production of ‘fluff’ which can be used

as a growing medium for plants.


Finally, plastics are nearly in every part of our lives and cannot be easily replaced, how-

ever plastic companies can look into producing more organic plastics, as done by Plantic

Technologies Limited in Australia, where they are producing plastics which can be easily

dissolved in water, and other companies which use organic products to produce plastics,

thus reducing the need for fossil fuels as well as using creating plastics which can be

used after as an alternative energy source, reducing the carbon footprint we make.

In closing, there are numerous ways which we can use to tackle the issue of plastic pollu-

tion in the environment, as well as more ways that we can implement. However, these

measures can only work via the cooperation of the entire population, via education and

awareness, changing habits, laws and legislation, proper collection and handling of plas-

tic waste, and finally, new types of plastics which will have less harmful effects on hu-

mans and the environment.


References

"What Is Ocean Acidification?" Oceana. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. http://oceana.org/en/our-work/

climate-energy/ocean-acidification/learn-act/what-is-ocean-acidification

"Effects of Ocean Acidification on Marine Species & Ecosystems." Oceana. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov.

2014. http://oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/ocean-acidification/learn-act/effects-of-ocean-

acidification-on-marine-species-ecosystems

"Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans." Plastic Pollution in Oceans. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov.

2014. http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/plastic-ocean/

"Plastic Statistics." Ocean Crusaders. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

http://oceancrusaders.org/crusades/plastic-crusades/plastic-statistics/

"Plastic Contamination in the Atlantic Ocean." Earth Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

http://www.earthtimes.org/pollution/plastic-contamination-atlantic-ocean/377/

"Plastic Pollution." Coastal Issues / Coastal Care. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

http://coastalcare.org/2009/11/plastic-pollution/

Gaikwad, Amruta. "Effects of Plastic Pollution." Buzzle. Buzzle.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http://

www.buzzle.com/articles/effects-of-plastic-pollution.html>.

"T&T among Most Polluted in World." The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

<http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-03-22/tt-among-most-polluted-world

Kevin Byrne, Environmental Science, Nelson Thornes Ltd, 2001

Daniel B. Botkin and Edward A. Keller, Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet, John Wiley

& Sons Inc, 2011

>.


http://oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/ocean-acidification/learn-act/what-is-ocean-acidification

http://oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/ocean-acidification/learn-act/what-is-ocean-acidification

http://oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/ocean-acidification/learn-act/effects-of-ocean-acidification-on-marine-species-ecosystems

http://oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/ocean-acidification/learn-act/effects-of-ocean-acidification-on-marine-species-ecosystems

http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/plastic-ocean/

http://oceancrusaders.org/crusades/plastic-crusades/plastic-statistics/

http://www.earthtimes.org/pollution/plastic-contamination-atlantic-ocean/377/

http://coastalcare.org/2009/11/plastic-pollution/

Education

ENRM 1001 newsletter, Group 9