Plastic Pollution: History and Issue

Intro-Overview

In the world we have a very important and rising epidemic known as plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is when plastic items and products made using plastic accumulate in the environment. Plastic pollution does not only happen on land it also happens in the ocean. Plastic pollution is very harmful to the wildlife and the environment since it is not only producing greenhouse gasses it is also damaging marine and land animals.

History

In the year 1862 the first man made plastic was showcased at the Great International Exhibition in London.

The plastic was called P arkesine and it was made from cellulose. In 1907 another type of plastic was invented known as Bakelite named after his name, Leo Baekeland. Bakelite was the first synthetic, fossil-fuel based plastic made from phenol which is a mixture of coal and a chemical called formaldehyde. At New York in 1946, a National Plastics Exhibition was founded.

It was the first of its kind and its purpose was to increase sales of consumers plastic products marketing them as very helpful products in WW2.

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This was the start of the plastic pollution issues as plastic production increased 4-5 times the amount it was the previous year. In the 70's a scientific report came out about the frequency plastic pellets in the Atlantic Ocean, this caused researches to research the impact plastic is having in the ocean and how it affects marine animals.

Issue

Plastics are so heavily used because these are so simple and inexpensive to make, and they can last for an enormous amount of time for the relatively cheap price.

Sadly, because of these fantastic quality's, plastics have been over mass-produced causing a huge plastic pollution problem. Because plastic products are so inexpensive a lot of people take plastic products for granted and throw them out easily.