台灣環境資訊協會 編譯
塑膠污染正在扼殺我們的星球、侵害我們的海洋，世界地球日今年鎖定「終結塑膠污染」為行動目標，呼籲正視以下十大真相，號召周遭的親友、同事和社區採取行動，響應世界地球日終結塑膠污染的目標。
  1. 從1950年代以來，人類已製造83億公噸的塑膠。一年生產的塑膠重量相當於全人類的體重總和。
  2. 人類所製造的塑膠，除了少數被焚化燒掉外，至今都依舊以某種形狀存在著。
  3. 91%的塑膠未進入回收系統。絕大部分的塑膠無法分解，將繼續存在數百年甚至數千年以上。
  4. 美國每天使用5億隻吸管，這數量足可圍繞地球兩圈。
  5. 全世界每分鐘發送出將近200萬個一次性塑膠袋。
  6. 美國每年使用1000億個塑膠袋，將它們綁在一起的長度，足可環繞赤道773圈。
  7. 全世界每分鐘售出100萬個塑膠瓶，總計到2021年，全世界將售出5000億個。但回收量不到一半。
  8. 每年有800萬公噸塑膠垃圾進入海洋。足以堆滿全世界的每一吋海岸線。
  9. 海洋裡的微塑膠數量，相當於銀河系裡的繁星那麼多。
  10. 再不減少塑膠生產量，到2050年，塑膠垃圾量將大於全球魚類總重量。
Plastic pollution is killing our planet! It's choking our oceans, poisoning our food and water supply, and wreaking havoc on the health and well-being of humans and wildlife worldwide.
Use these ten shocking facts about the scope of plastic pollution to educate, inspire and mobilize your friends, family, coworkers and community to join the movement to END PLASTIC POLLUTION this Earth Day.
  1. 8.3 BILLION Metric Tons (9.1 BILLION US Tons) of plastic has been produced since plastic was introduced in the 1950s.[1] The amount of plastic produced in a year is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. [2]
  2. Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form (with the exception of the small amount that has been incinerated).[3]
  3. 91% of plastic waste isn’t recycled. And since most plastics don’t biodegrade in any meaningful sense, all that plastic waste could exist for hundreds or even thousands of years.[4]
  4. 500 MILLION plastic straws are used EVERY DAY in America. That’s enough to circle the Earth twice.[5]
  5. Nearly TWO MILLION single-use plastic bags are distributed worldwide every minute.[6]
  6. 100 BILLION plastic bags are used by Americans every year. Tied together, they would reach around the Earth’s equator 773 times![6]
  7. ONE MILLION plastic bottles are bought EVERY MINUTE around the world — and that number will top half a TRILLION by 2021. Less than half of those bottles end up getting recycled.[7]
  8. 8 MILLION METRIC TONS of plastic winds up in our oceans each year. That’s enough trash to cover every foot of coastline around the world with five full trash bags of plastic…compounding every year. [8]
  9. There is more microplastic in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way.[9]
  10. If plastic production isn’t curbed, plastic pollution will outweigh fish pound for pound by 2050.[10]

參考資料

  1.  Science Advances, http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782
  2.  The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change
  3.  Science Advances, http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782
  4.  National Geographic, https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/07/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment
  5.  National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/commercialservices/greenline_straw_free.htm
  6.  Earth Policy Institute, http://www.earth-policy.org/press_room/C68/plastic_bags_fact_sheet
  7.   The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change
  8.  Science Advances, http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782
  9.  United Nations, https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/02/552052-turn-tide-plastic-urges-un-microplastics-seas-now-outnumber-stars-our-galaxy#.WLA81BLyvBJ
  10.  World Economic Forum Report, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf