Activity 3.3.3 – My Plastic Use

       Although it may be convenient, plastic is dangerous to human health and the environment. It can take years to break down into the earth and during that process can harm human and animal life. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that measure less than five millimeters long that can be harmful. (NOAA, 2023) Plastic is used all over the world for packaging and everyday life. It can be very useful for things like dishware and utilities. These might sound great, but over time, they will be destroying our planet. 

       Microplastics can be found in the stomachs of several different wildlife creatures, air, tap water, sea salt, beer, and bottled water. (NOAA, 2022) This is why recycling used plastic bottles and other items is important so they can be reused for other purposes. When people dispose of their trash incorrectly, the plastic can make its way into oceans, rivers, and the habitats of animal life. This can cause the breakdown of plastic in their homes and cause harm to the animals. Even when plastic gets broken down into sewers, it can get into our tap water and into the water we drink, and even our pets.

      According to the University of Plymouth, microplastics are dangerous to do to their presence in oceans and the physical and toxicological risks they pose to several different organisms. In the future, it is possible that the effect of microplastics on our environment can pose potentially irreversible changes. Some people forget that Earth is not bulletproof. Our actions and decisions on earth can affect the way we live, and the generations after we live. In the movie The Lorax, people have destroyed the earth so badly that there are no more trees in their town. The mayor has to sell air in cans, bottles, and jugs so that people can continue to live. This can tie into how we live today. If we continue to mistreat our planet, we might have to enact extreme solutions to problems that can be easily fixed. Microplastics can contain harmful chemicals like flame retardants and pesticides. Once humans ingest these plastics, those chemicals can be released, which can lead to cancer, chronic inflammation, and other side effects. (Ordonez, 2022) Why would we knowingly continue to misuse plastic that has the power to kill us? Humans have the power to create a beautiful and safe environment for ourselves and animal life, so why not take it? Life is short, so we can take advantage and have a peaceful and happy life. With factors like microplastic, we cannot do that. Especially concerning something that can be solved so easily, why continue to use it? 

       Overall, microplastics found in our environment can be harmful to human, and animal life. Even organisms as small as plankton can be affected by microplastics. It's mind-blowing how dangerous something so small can be, yet we disregard it and continue to put our planet in danger. If we dispose of our trash responsibly and reuse it, we can save so many lives and habitats. 

The image above shows the plastic I used in one day. The water bottle, zip lock bags, plastic straw, hair clip, makeup, granola bar wrapper, contacts, and plastic cup are all of the items I used today. These are all everyday items I use that I can recycle so they can be made into something new instead of being wasted and harming our environment. 

References:

Ordonez, Maya. "Microplastics and Health Risks: What Do We Really Know?" WebMD, 28 Oct. 2022, www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20221028/microplastics-health-risks-what-do-we-really-know#:~:text=Microplastics%20as%20Carriers&text=%E2%80%9CThese%20chemicals%20are%20known%20environmental,inflammation%2C%20or%20other%20unknown%20effects.

University of Plymouth. "Are Microplastics a Big Problem?" University of Plymouth, www.plymouth.ac.uk/discover/are-microplastics-a-big-problem#:~:text=Microplastics%20are%20of%20concern%20because,small%20invertebrates%20to%20large%20mammals. Accessed 3 Apr. 2023.

NOAA. "What Are Microplastics?" NOAA, 26 Jan. 2023, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html. Accessed 3 Apr. 2023.