Post by account_disabled on Feb 22, 2024 5:26:05 GMT -6
The weekly The Economist published an extensive article titled The known unknowns of plastic contamination: so far it seems less bad than other kinds of pollution (about which less fuss is made) . know about plastic pollution: for now it seems less bad than other types of pollution about which less fuss is made)) In the article they analyze this pollution, emphasizing aspects that do not seem so serious and others that are and who receive less attention. It is a very realistic analysis and very indicative of the true problem. Given the surprises that the reported facts and figures can produce, the first temptation is to doubt the article, but my experience is that the weekly is completely reliable (in this era of “ fake news ”), one can disagree with the opinions they express. and their political inclinations, but the facts and figures they report should not be questioned. Regarding plastic pollution, something so close and visible to everyone, to which we all contribute for good or bad, firmly rooted perceptions have been created in us, often based on superficial journalistic news and our casual observations, which do not allow us see reality in all its intensity and in all its breadth . This article aims to do this. To develop a more realistic vision of the problem and make it simple to understand and read, we will not do an article analysis, it could complicate the understanding of the problem, we will limit ourselves to highlighting the most relevant facts and figures to refine that perception. And although it may seem like it at first glance, the article is not an apology for plastic. You want to put the problem in context, which can help us take the measures that are most effective to reduce its environmental impact. Highlights of the article · billion tons of plastic waste have been produced, of which only 9% has been recycled, 12% incinerated and the rest, almost 80%, has been disposed of in landfills and the natural environment.
Coca-Cola has committed to collecting and recycling the Finland Mobile Number List equivalent of all the beverage containers it produces each year including 110 billion (!) plastic bottles (with our consumer preferences we can force them to do so). Some countries have banned the use of single-use plastic bags, others impose high fines, and even fewer make them pay in stores. The European Union has introduced a strategy to accelerate the reduction and recycling of this waste, [1] which is necessary, but not sufficient, its success will depend on the implementation and the behavior of the actors (who may not have the right incentives) . Salinity and sunlight can cause plastic to disintegrate into particles, but they maintain their chemical structure and do not break down. Plastic accumulates in the environment unless it is burned at high temperatures to produce carbon dioxide and water. The plastic that has been thrown into the waters is on the order of 10,000 tons. There are 50,000,000 million plastic microparticles in the oceans, which are irrecoverable. Ten rivers discharge 90% of plastics into the oceans, two in Africa and eight in Asia , the other 10% in the other three continents. At current disposal rates, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish, by weight, in the oceans . Only 10% of solid waste is plastic. Environmental pollution is estimated to kill about 7 million people annually, but plastic does not kill people . It is not a problem that has high priority among environmental issues. The social and environmental cost of plastic pollution has been estimated at US$139 billion annually, of which half corresponds to the climatic effects of its production and transportation, a third to the impact on health, crops and the environment, in addition of waste cost. Only 10% are attributable to the effect of marine pollution on biodiversity, fishing and tourism.
To put it in perspective, the damages from overfishing and fertilizer runoff are estimated at US$50 billion and between US$200 billion and 800 billion respectively. Damage from ocean acidification caused by the dissolution of carbon dioxide in the sea is estimated to reach US$1,200,000 million per year by 2100. Producing a kilo of plastic emits 2 to 3 kilos of carbon dioxide, about the same as the production of steel and five times that of wood. But, but, but, since plastic is much lighter, replacing it with other materials could multiply the environmental cost by four. A cotton bag should be used more than 130 times so that the emissions costs in its production and transportation are lower than those corresponding to plastic bags. The corresponding cost for a paper bag that is not recycled is four times that of a plastic bag. And plastic is irreplaceable in many uses and, for example, contributes to the preservation of food, whose poor consumption and waste is a major environmental problem. What can be done? An alternative is to make the plastic biodegradable with the addition of corn starch and vegetable oils, but this makes it non-recyclable. Increasing recycling as is done in Europe and the US solves part of the problem, although low oil prices can make virgin plastic more competitive, which conspires against investment in recycling plants and makes the supply and demand of highly variable recyclables. Incineration is losing competitiveness since power generation with natural gas is much more efficient, in terms of emissions and cost, than urban waste. New technologies are being tested for the conversion of plastic into hydrocarbons and some solid waste, with incineration at very high temperatures.
Coca-Cola has committed to collecting and recycling the Finland Mobile Number List equivalent of all the beverage containers it produces each year including 110 billion (!) plastic bottles (with our consumer preferences we can force them to do so). Some countries have banned the use of single-use plastic bags, others impose high fines, and even fewer make them pay in stores. The European Union has introduced a strategy to accelerate the reduction and recycling of this waste, [1] which is necessary, but not sufficient, its success will depend on the implementation and the behavior of the actors (who may not have the right incentives) . Salinity and sunlight can cause plastic to disintegrate into particles, but they maintain their chemical structure and do not break down. Plastic accumulates in the environment unless it is burned at high temperatures to produce carbon dioxide and water. The plastic that has been thrown into the waters is on the order of 10,000 tons. There are 50,000,000 million plastic microparticles in the oceans, which are irrecoverable. Ten rivers discharge 90% of plastics into the oceans, two in Africa and eight in Asia , the other 10% in the other three continents. At current disposal rates, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish, by weight, in the oceans . Only 10% of solid waste is plastic. Environmental pollution is estimated to kill about 7 million people annually, but plastic does not kill people . It is not a problem that has high priority among environmental issues. The social and environmental cost of plastic pollution has been estimated at US$139 billion annually, of which half corresponds to the climatic effects of its production and transportation, a third to the impact on health, crops and the environment, in addition of waste cost. Only 10% are attributable to the effect of marine pollution on biodiversity, fishing and tourism.
To put it in perspective, the damages from overfishing and fertilizer runoff are estimated at US$50 billion and between US$200 billion and 800 billion respectively. Damage from ocean acidification caused by the dissolution of carbon dioxide in the sea is estimated to reach US$1,200,000 million per year by 2100. Producing a kilo of plastic emits 2 to 3 kilos of carbon dioxide, about the same as the production of steel and five times that of wood. But, but, but, since plastic is much lighter, replacing it with other materials could multiply the environmental cost by four. A cotton bag should be used more than 130 times so that the emissions costs in its production and transportation are lower than those corresponding to plastic bags. The corresponding cost for a paper bag that is not recycled is four times that of a plastic bag. And plastic is irreplaceable in many uses and, for example, contributes to the preservation of food, whose poor consumption and waste is a major environmental problem. What can be done? An alternative is to make the plastic biodegradable with the addition of corn starch and vegetable oils, but this makes it non-recyclable. Increasing recycling as is done in Europe and the US solves part of the problem, although low oil prices can make virgin plastic more competitive, which conspires against investment in recycling plants and makes the supply and demand of highly variable recyclables. Incineration is losing competitiveness since power generation with natural gas is much more efficient, in terms of emissions and cost, than urban waste. New technologies are being tested for the conversion of plastic into hydrocarbons and some solid waste, with incineration at very high temperatures.