Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. This includes items like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging.
Out of all the plastic waste, single use plastic bottles have wreaked a havoc on the planet. Only 20% of single use plastic bottles get recycled while the rest end up in ocean beds or landfills, where these bottles slowly degrade into microplastics. These small particles can enter the human food chain when we eat seafood or drink water contaminated with microplastics. Research is underway examining the impact of microplastics on human health.
If strict measures are not taken right now, the whole planet will become a wasteland, and it will impact every living organism. Recycling needs to be promoted on a large scale. Here are some interesting statistics related to worldwide consumption and recycling of single use plastic bottles.
