war on plastic facts

A Crusade In The Philippines Takes On The Big Brands Behind Plastic Waste : Goats and Soda Every year, 8 million tons of plastic wash into … Plastic debris can get lodged in coral and affect the health of reefs; Microplastics are consumed by animals like plankton, passing the problem back up the food chain – to us. We must face the facts — Australians have a very serious junk problem. The word ‘plastic’ in plastic surgery is derived from the Greek word ‘plastikos’. First plastic compounds … It's also raining down on us from the air, in our domestic spaces, and may well be entering our lungs. A call to arms to fight the 'war on plastic' By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall War on Plastic, BBC One. A Brief History of Plastic's Conquest of the World. 1940s - Use of polyethylene in radar. Have efforts to solve the plastic pollution problem made it worse? Unless you’ve recently ditched plastic altogether, we can almost guarantee that a peek inside your kitchen or bathroom will reveal a lot of the stuff. Every minute of every day, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of plastic is emptied into the world's oceans. A local campaigner shares a message for the UK: “Please do not dump what you don’t want on our backyard, you are rich and we are a developing nation”. We’re turning the world’s waterways into “plastic soup”. 1. In a new three-part BBC series, presenters Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Anita Rani explore where this plastic problem is coming from and what we can all do to try and solve it. 'Pick up one piece of litter and rivers will be plastic-free', #Trashtag challenge to paddleboarding - the amazing ways you're cleaning our planet. Most of us use plastic every day. ©2021 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Anita Rani will look to tackle the UK's plastic waste problem in their new series, 4. More than 5 trillion pieces of plastic are already floating in our oceans. I do my recycling and I feel good about it. Parts of Australia have been hit by heavy floods. Inside Lush's First UK Plastic-Free Shop: From Solid Shower Gels to Naked Employees. “Once you start digging it feels endless,” Hugh says, sifting through people’s belongings. David Attenborough explores the consequences. Two-thirds of the UK's recycled plastic is exported to other countries - and Malaysia is taking 10 times more than it was before. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. In episode one of the series, we watch a truck pretending to dump plastic into the sea – highlighting the fact that much of our litter finds its way into streams, rivers and oceans. While as UK citizens we supposedly do our bit by separating out our plastic for it to be collected and taken away, this hard hitting programme highlighted that far from re-cycling, our plastic waste is shipped to Malaysia where it is often dumped illegally. Plastikos means molding or giving form. When we recycle our plastic in the UK, why is some of it ending up in landfills in Malaysia? So where does it go when we're done with it? Plastic - the facts. I feel embarrassed, I feel ashamed, I feel angry, I feel I've been lied to," says Hugh. Here are six things to watch out for in War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita. Published 10 June 2019. Every half second, this much plastic makes it into the world’s … Here are five eye-opening things we discovered about plastic via the show. That's around 12 million tonnes of plastic entering the world's oceans every year! We’re needlessly drinking bottled water when we have drinkable water on tap, and it’s time to instead swap to reusable bottles, says Hugh. From Lush To Boots: Is the Beauty Industry Doing Enough To Tackle Its Plastics Problem? 1-5 Interesting Facts About Plastic 1. She also joins two young girls who are campaigning for McDonalds to stop giving away plastic children's toys, which cannot be recycled. Plastic surgery patients were disproportionately depressed, disturbed and suicidal even compared the already high levels of psychological trauma caused by World War One. Supermarkets and companies need to do more to stop waste, where this plastic problem is coming from, recycled plastic is exported to other countries. Australia is one of the most wasteful countries in the developed world. With plastic so prominent in our everyday lives, Hugh puts micro-plastics under the microscope. The oceans, warned the documentary maker, is becoming a toxic repository, and humans are to blame. With most of our shopping items packed in plastic, which often is not recyclable, the series challenges supermarkets at a local and national level - with many doing very little to accept change. It’s a sobering example of our footprint on Earth. 1940 - First production of PVC in UK. Scientists tested top water bottle brands and found that when it comes to mineral content including calcium and magnesium, there is there was no benefit to drinking bottled water in the UK. Stop sending our plastic garbage thousands of miles overseas to end up in dumps like this," he adds. But do you know how much new plastic we’re using in the UK every year and what happens to it after you’ve dutifully recycled it at home? “Every single minute of … The EU is waging war against plastic waste as part of an urgent plan to clean up Europe’s act and ensure that every piece of packaging on the continent is reusable or recyclable by 2030. Here are ten shocking facts about how much plastic is in the oceans. Polyethylene (PE) was created in England in 1933 and was a closely held state secret, as the lightweight plastic was used to insulate radar cabling, sufficiently lightening them to be placed on airplanes and giving Britain’s planes a significant advantage against the Germans’. he volume of plastic waste is predicted to increase three fold, Hugh says. "Now we have to stop, take a long hard look at this and work out the right way to do things. Anita and Hugh visit a street in Bristol, England to uncover the overwhelming amount of single-use plastics we have in our homes. Some key facts: Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years. Cheap plastic has unleashed a flood of consumer goods. Furthermore the volume of casualties meant that not everyone who needed treatment got it, and those who did couldn’t rely on getting the best out of their surgeons. We hear a lot about the measures supermarkets are taking to reduce plastic – whether that’s introducing packaging-free aisles, or swapping plastic microwave meal packaging for cardboard. Did you know that Australians use over 10 million plastic bags every day and are one of the most wasteful countries in the developed world? In total, researchers counted 15,774 pieces of single-use plastic. That's around 12 million tonnes of plastic entering the world's oceans every year! From detergent sprays to milk bottles; butter tubs to fruit cartons; shampoo bottles, toothbrushes and shower gels – plastic is everywhere. Copy link. The BBC’s new series ‘The War on Plastic” aired last night highlighting the UK’s total shame with regards to plastic re-cycling. There is a… 1940s - Plastics in War. War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita starts Monday 10 June at 9pm on BBC One. Hugh even headed out to the high street (in disguise) to sell bottled tap water in order to find out if people could taste the difference – spoiler: they didn’t. See 30+ alarming statistics shared by Craig Reucassel in the ABC series War on Waste. Some of the plastic waste facts might surprise you: In the North Pacific Ocean, there are 6x more plastic debris than plankton. But, the documentary shows, supermarkets could be doing a lot more to make it easier for shoppers to cut back. The War on Plastic team convinced residents of one road in Bristol to bring out all the single-use plastic in their homes into the street. More than eight million tons of plastic eventually finds an oceanic destination. He travels to Malaysia where he is horrified to find mountains of British plastic waste rotting on illegal dumpsites, and local families suffering from its toxic effects. The story of plastic is the story of the fossil fuel industry – and the oil-fuelled boom in consumer culture that followed the second world war. We have an island in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – which is mostly composed of plastic. They explore the difference between bottled water and tap water, discovering that they're both pretty much the same. To use comments you will need to have JavaScript enabled. During Season 1 of ABC’s War On Waste, we learned that 1 billion coffee cups end up in landfill and our oceans every year. According to National Geographic, 73% of all beach litter … – Source 2. A plastic is a kind of material that is made by people and can be formed into almost any shape. Hugh goes to Grangemouth, a plastic-producing factory owned by one of the richest men in Britain. He is stunned to discover that at a time when everyone is more aware than ever about the importance of trying to reduce the plastics in our lives, the UK plastics industry has big plans to expand the amount they make. During World War II plastic production in the United States increased by 300%. Every piece of plastic that was ever produced still exists. In this blog post, I will expose a few controversial facts about plastic pollution and explain why the war on plastic is in fact not working! In a determined fight against the war on plastic, free water refill points will be available in every major town and city in England by 2021 (BBC News, 2018). "Every minute of every day a truckload of plastic is finding its way into the oceans.". Anita reveals that our wet wipes are 80% plastic, and challenges companies who make them why they aren't telling us about the plastic they contain. [Read More: 11 small changes you can make at home to help save the planet]. Plastic: we’re all very aware of it and many of us are taking steps to reduce our use and recycle it. Most plastics are strong, long-lasting, and lightweight. They found there was a price difference (of 42% and 19% more expensive respectively) – with the loose goods costing significantly more. They challenge its residents to try and reduce the amount of single-use plastic to discover how easy - or difficult - it is to live without it. Facts about Plastic. “[It] shows how much we believe the bottled water marketing hype,” he says. About sharing. We watched on in discomfort as we discovered that the average Australian household wastes $3,500 worth of food per […] But … Collectively, residents on that single street had 7,145 pieces of plastic in their kitchens, 5,241 in their bathrooms, and 3,388 single use items from everywhere else in the home and garden, including DIY materials. How kids in Norway recycle plastic bottles. All around the world the governments have launched laws against plastic in order to save our oceans, beaches and marine life. close. At least I used too - I don't feel so good now. Every day tons of plastic are swept into the Pacific Ocean. Researchers then set about counting every single item – and the result was shocking. Hugh designs his own marketing ploy to see if the general public can tell the difference between them. "When we put this in our recycling back in the UK, we think we're doing the right thing. Sign up and we'll email you a daily dose of lifestyle stories, covering sex, relationships, health, wellness, money, and green living. What is the Census and why does it matter? “Every single minute of every single day a truckload of plastic is finding its way into the world’s oceans – and once it’s there it sticks around for hundreds of years,” explains Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita at the head of the Bristol community’s single use plastics (Photo: BBC) By Laura Martin June 10, 2019 5:35 pm (Updated September 16, 2020 4:02 pm) Ditching Bottled Water Is A ‘No-Brainer’, Says Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall], 11 small changes you can make at home to help save the planet, Why Crisp Packets Should Be The Next Single-Use Plastic You Ditch. Oil spills, toxic wastes, floating plastic and various other factors have all contributed to the pollution of the ocean. Read about our approach to external linking. You’d think that the recycling you dutifully rinse and sort into your recycling bins would be properly disposed of, right? Several plastic materials are swept into … Our habit is turning rivers and oceans into a type of plastic soup, and it’s blighting the planet, according to War on Plastic, a new BBC One documentary series featuring Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Anita Rani. When you pay £1 or £2 for a bottle of branded water you’re paying for just that: a brand. After experiencing the Great Depression and then World War II, Americans were ready to spend again, and much of what they bought was made of plastic. The only problem is that it cannot be molded once set. The resulting product is odorless, insoluble in water, biodegradable, antiallergenic, antistatic and virtually nonflammable. There are also council recycling bags from Wales, Essex and Milton Keynes – and the volume of plastic waste is predicted to increase three fold, Hugh says. Share page. Extinction: The Facts in 6 minutes A million species are at risk of extinction. War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita - BBC’s War on Plastic shocks viewers by revealing ‘hidden plastics’ we all have at home. The surge in plastic production continued after the war ended. In addition, plastics can be made in many colors. A staggering number of plastic and chemical innovations emerged in the period surrounding World War II. Part of HuffPost Lifestyle. They ban plastic straws, encourage us to recycle and to use plastic less. A type of plastic can be made from Milk. [Read More: Ditching Bottled Water Is A ‘No-Brainer’, Says Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall]. They are causing deaths to ur marine animals who mistake them for food. During the experiment, Anita and Hugh put our household items under scrutiny, revealing our addiction to bottled water. 1939 - Outbreak of war – strategic stockpiles, plastics in war. One million seabirds die from ingesting plastic every year, in addition to more than 100,000 other marine animals. Multiply that by the number of households in the UK, and the programme argues that there are 19,500,000,000 pieces of plastic inside UK homes at any one given time. Fathers of the modern plastic industry were chemists Leo Baekeland, Alexander Parkes, Jacques E. Brandenberger, Chemist Roy Plunkett and Daniel Fox. They resist damage by water, heat, chemicals, and electricity. TO HAVE BEAUTIFUL BLUE PLANET, NOT A PLASTIC HELL! In one example, inspecting the stomach contents of a sea turtle that died from ingesting plastic refuse, Marine Conservation Institute scientists found more than a hundred drinking straws, alongside plastic bags, cigarette butts and plastic bottle tops. And, Hugh explains, what’s really troubling is that lots of plastic isn’t even visible because over time it has broken down into microscopic pieces and is now passing up the food chain - from fish, to humans. The new innovations in plastic surgery techniques began during World War. The researchers bought a basket of goods from the UK’s largest supermarkets – Tesco and Sainsbury’s and bought the same items packaged and without packaging. Plastic is found in the deepest reaches of the ocean, and even in remote Arctic sea ice. Hugh experiences first-hand the devastation that plastics are having on our planet during an investigation into our recycled plastic. Our supermarkets create around one third of all plastic produced in the UK. In the documentary, we hear about a Greenpeace investigation which discovered that household recycling is not always being dealt with properly, and is even finding its way to illegal dumps in Malaysia. A local campaigner shares a message for the UK: 42% and 19% more expensive respectively) – with the loose goods costing significantly more. P.S. Here are 25 Kickass and Interesting Facts About Plastic. He discovers that plastic is leaking out of our polyester clothes in washing and even shedding from us as we walk down the street. 1940 - DuPont introduces polyacrylonitrile (PAN), an early engineering product Every minute of every day, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of plastic is emptied into the world's oceans. Visiting one site, which Hugh describes as a “dystopian nightmare”, he finds mountains of recycling that’s come straight from our homes – with Sainsbury’s, Tesco, M&S, Flora, Celebrations, Milky Way, Asda and Aldi branding clearly visible. 2. Hence, the belief that that plastic surgery is an artificial one is just a misconception. That's a whopping 19,500,000,000 pieces of plastic inside UK homes - based on 27 million households in Britain. Share. WAR ON PLASTIC has 11,930 members. 73% of beach litter worldwide is plastic. Since plastic was invented, we've produced 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste globally, and only 9% of this has been recycled. On a mission to reduce our plastic consumption at a national level, Anita confronts organisations contributing to the crisis. Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. 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