Using recycled materials reduces carbon dioxide emissions by almost 40%. Paper is recycled to a greater extent than plastic. In Sweden, 80% of paper is recycled annually but only 20% of the plastic. The rest is incinerated which further contributes to carbon dioxide emissions.

 

Globally, only 9% of plastic is recycled and 12% is incinerated. As much as 8 million tonnes of plastics end up in the ocean every year due to wash offs from landfills or improper storage. The plastic ending up in the ocean do not only cause suffering and damage to wild life, but is also gradually broken down into microplastics ingested by all living things. As much as 90% of all fish contain microplastics and 90% of all seabirds have ingested microplastics in their bodies.

 

Our drinking water is also polluted by microplastics and is one of the largest sources from which we ingest microplastics. We also ingest mircoplastic through food, like salt, beer and seafood. Approximately 2,000 microparticles of plastic is ingested weekly by an average person, corresponding a plastic credit card of 5 grams. Plastic also contains many harmful chemicals such as endocrine disruptive phthalates and bisphenol A.

 

Plastic is produced on a large scale as it is a cheap, durable and resistant material. However, this also means that plastic is slowly decomposed. A plastic bag take between 50-400 years to be decomposed. A plastic bottle between 500 - 1000 years. In addition to the lengthy decomposition, harmful microplastics and chemicals residues are left.

 

In 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. With these figures, it is obvious that our plastic consumption must  be heavily reduced and more sustainable alternatives must be used.