Top 5 Facts about Plastic

In an ambitious but respectable move by Lego, the world-famous Danish toy company has set a goal to completely re-haul their production process and rid their use of ABS, an oil-based plastic, by 2030. This proves to be a daunting challenge, as Lego produces over 60 billion ABS-based bricks a year and must invest millions of dollars in finding a new, oil-free alternative that will still feel and look exactly the same. Luckily, there are various alternatives in the production of plastic. Scientists from Stanford University have found a way to produce plastic from inedible plant material and carbon dioxide, a concoction that could potentially replace petroleum-based plastics. There also exists a synthetic plastic called galalith, which comes from a protein found in milk called casein. Unfortunately, galalith cannot be moulded, and production stopped during World War II as milk was rationed and used as food.

As if plastic wasn't controversial enough, research has found that it can be extremely detrimental to one’s health and well-being. Phthalates, which are used in plastic products, can cause birth defects if pregnant women are exposed to a high quantity of them. This can cause intellectual deficits in children, development and behavioural issues, and even genital abnormalities in males. New research done at UCLA also shows that the chemical BPS, a replacement for the controversial BPA, can alter reproductive systems and accelerate embryonic development. Their research was tested on zebrafish, where the egg hatching process unnaturally quickened, resulting in a premature birth. Oh, and that diabolical plastic packaging that everyone hates? You know what we’re talking about. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 6,000 Americans are sent to the emergency room every year for injuries from trying to open these packages. 

It's no secret that there is an overabundance of plastic litter in the ocean. This contentious matter has been the topic of discussions for years, but the situation could get a whole lot worse. A recent study published in Environmental Science & Technology suggests that microscopic feces stemming from zooplankton could be filled with plastic. These zooplankton eat tiny pieces of plastic that are smaller than one millimeter, and when they go to defecate, these microplastics mix with their feces and float to the ocean depths. It is estimated that there are over 5 trillion pieces of microplastics currently floating in the water. This is also problematic because many creatures ingest plankton feces as a food source. As you could imagine, consuming plastic causes a host of problems on an ecological scale.

Luckily for our oceans and the creatures living within them, there are ideas that will hopefully reduce the massive amount of plastic waste currently floating in the water. A group called The Ocean Cleanup currently have an idea to place long, floating barriers in the water that can “catch” and stop the trash as it floats by on the ocean currents. This trapped debris will then be extracted back to land for recycling. The company is preparing for deployment in 2020, and they claim that a 100 kilometer-long clean-up array can remove up to 42% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch over a ten-year period. There is also a device called the seabin, which aims to be in use by late 2016. Effectively acting like a fish tank filter, the seabin literally sucks up trash and other harmful debris while spitting clean water back into the ocean. This operates 24/7, and is completely safe for fish and other aquatic animals! 

On land, plastic clutters landfills, as it takes hundreds of years for a piece ofplastic to fully decompose. However, put a piece of plastic in the ocean and it degrades surprisingly quickly. Researchers from Nihon University have discovered that polystyrene decomposes in water within a year when under the right weather conditions. Interestingly enough, there are some surprising ways in which plastic can safely decompose. For example, students from Yale University recently discovered a type of fungus in the Amazon that can survive on a diet of polyurethane, a popular form of plastic. Scientists have also recently found that bacteria in the gut of a waxworm could also degrade polyethylene. Finally, researchers from North Dakota State University have made a discovery that could lead to a fully degradable plastic when exposed to a specific type of light. While solutions are still being sought, it's comforting to know that there is some hope for the future.

So, what is your opinion on plastic? Do you think that The Great Cleanup will be a success? For more biodegradable top tens and plastic pooping top fives, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.