8module in Environmental Science
8module in Environmental Science
Plastic Pollution
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-philippines-survey-plastic.html
Introduction
More than 8 million tons of plastic gets dumped in our ocean and circle the earth about 4 times
a year. The Philippines is hit with an average of 20 typhoons a year, thus flood is inevitable, and the
problem is made worse because of plastic garbage dumping, a habit practiced by Filipinos. It has been
found that the Philippines generate 2.7 million tons of plastic wastes annually that leaks into bodies of
water. To mention a few, plastic labo at 45.2 million pieces per day and 3 million diapers daily not to
mention the single use plastic sachet (Vila, 2018).
There is now 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in the ocean and 46,000 pieces in
every kilometer of ocean weighing up to 269,000 tons. Everyday around 8 million pieces of plastic make
their way to the ocean.
Learning Objectives:
1
Pre-Assessment
Lesson Presentation
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles in the environment that
adversely affect wildlife, habitat, and humans. Plastic that act as pollutants are categorized into micro,
meso, or macro debris, based on size.
The Philippines has a plastic pollution crisis on its hand and poverty makes it even worse. Single-
used sachets are sold in most developing countries, but the number consumed in the Philippines is 163
million pieces a day. For the multinationals that manufacture them, it’s a way to increase sales by
targeting customers who cannot afford bigger quantities (Gualva, 2019).
2
A 2015 report on plastic pollution by the Ocean Conservatory Charity and the McKinley Center
for Business and Environment ranked the Philippines as the world’s third largest ocean pollution despite
a waste management act coming into effect 18 years ago. the reasons are attributed to corruption, lack
of political will and an addiction to single-use plastic sachets.
CAUSES
The main cause of plastic pollution is negligence. It is estimated that 80% of marine litter comes
from land. This pollution comes from household waste, which is poorly recycled, dumped in landfills or
abandoned in nature. In addition, it is also caused by:
1. Increase in population
2. Most widely available container because they are cheap and convenient
3. Very slow decomposition – it takes 400 years or even more to decompose
4. Items made of plastic is a necessity like, nets used for fishing
5. Mismanaged disposal of plastic
6. Can be easily transported by current/wind
EFFECTS
8. Kills animals
3
6. Share what you know to friends, family, and companies/businesses
7. Get involved
Reference:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_RozqiF_0k
Assessment
Single-use disposable plastic is the greatest obstacle to sound waste resource management. In
adequate waste management system and human negligence are often cited as the main contributors to
plastic leakage into the environment. Unfettered production of throw away plastic continues unabated;
cities and municipalities will find it difficult to cope. Disposable plastic is a pollution problem and the
only way to prevent it is to stop it at source.
1. List down at least 15 most common items in your house which is made up of plastic.
4
Buy more bulk food and fewer packaged products
Carry lunches in reusable stainless containers or cloth bags when going out
Avoid non-stick cookware and choose stainless steel
Avoid furniture and toys that are made from plastic
Reinforcement
It is estimated that more than 8,300 million metric tons of virgin plastic have been produce
globally. Cheap variety of plastics have been used for a variety of purposes, from car parts, to product
packaging. However, its end-of-life management particularly for plastics that are single-use in nature is
currently in question. Only around 9% of discarded plastic have so far been recycled. The rest are either
burned landfilled or released to the waterways.
It is high time that man should stop doing activities that disrupt the balance of nature and
become a responsible steward of God’s creation.
After presenting the effect of human activities on the balance of nature, the next module will
present the different types of ecosystem, terrestrial and aquatic.