Single Use Plastics

by Chloe Lee

People use single use plastic in the everyday world, which has been increasing throughout the past decades. Some of the most common types include plastic bags, plastic straws, and plastic bags. Due to the overproduction of single use plastic in companies, more and more people are littering plastic items; and this majorly contributes to the escalation of climate change. According to Our World Data, plastic production has increased more than 220 times since 1950, showing a sharp increase over the past 70 years.

Not only humans get affected by the excessive amount of single use plastic, but terrestrial animals and marine animals are also deeply influenced. Over time, larger plastic items break down into smaller fragments known as microplastics, which measure less than 5mm in size. Due to the littered plastic by humans, animals get entangled or ingest plastic waste, blocking their digestive system and leading them to drown and starve. This eventually causes them to die.

Single-use plastics also play a big role in worsening climate change. The production of single-use plastics relies heavily on fossil fuels. Burning these fuels releases gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, making the Earth warmer. This shows that the single-use plastics don't only affect plants and animals, but they're also part of the escalation of the climate crisis, leading to extreme weather and rising sea levels.

And the production process of single use plastic releases greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to the warming of the planet. Additionally, when single-use plastics are disposed through burning, they release further greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the breakdown of plastics into smaller particles, known as microplastics, can also release greenhouse gases as they degrade over time. Thus, reducing the usage of single-use plastics is not only crucial for mitigating pollution but also for combating climate change and promoting a more sustainable future. As a result, climate change can lead to extreme weather events and loss of species.

Works Cited

Cucow, Shane. “10 of the most dangerous plastics polluting our oceans.” Australian Marine Conservation Society, 21 April 2020, https://www.marineconservation.org.au/10-of-the-most-dangerous-plastic-products-polluting-our-oceans/. Accessed 1 May 2024.

Reddy, Simon. “Plastic Pollution Affects Sea Life Throughout the Ocean.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, 24 September 2018, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2018/09/24/plastic-pollution-affects-sea-life-throughout-the-ocean. Accessed 1 May 2024.

Ritchie, Hannah, et al. “Plastic Pollution.” Our World in Data, https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution. Accessed 1 May 2024.

Shaw, Allyson. “Climate change.” National Geographic Kids, https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/climate-change. Accessed 1 May 2024.

Vasarhelyi, Kayla. “The impact of plastic on climate change | Environmental Center.” University of Colorado Boulder, 15 December 2023, https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2023/12/15/impact-plastic-climate-change. Accessed 1 May 2024.

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