Shocking Truth: You Ingest a Credit Card’s Worth of Plastic Weekly
Shocking Truth: You Ingest a Credit Card’s Worth of Plastic Weekly
What should we do with waste? The first thought is to throw it away. However, this harms the environment. Waste is one of the most serious environmental problems our planet faces. Just look at these figures and facts—they speak for themselves.
The Scale of Waste Production
On average, each person on the planet produces 1 kg of waste per day. This means that nearly 8 million tons of waste are generated daily. In Belarus alone, this figure is around 3 million tons.
Waste Management in Sweden
In Sweden, only 0.8% of all waste ends up in landfills. The rest is either recycled or incinerated for energy. In 2019, Sweden ran out of waste and had to import it from other countries.
The Waste-to-Goods Ratio
For every truckload of goods, there are 35 truckloads of waste. This staggering ratio highlights the inefficiency of our current consumption and waste management practices.
Space Debris
In 100–200 years, the layer of waste around Earth could become so dense that spacecraft may not be able to pass through it. This space debris consists of old satellite fragments, lost items, and paint droplets.
Glass Waste
Glass takes 1000 years to decompose. This means that 12–15 generations will encounter our glass fragments. Recycling one glass bottle can save enough energy to power a television for 1.5 hours. Glass can be recycled infinitely, reducing the need for new production.
Metal Waste
An aluminum can takes 500 years to decompose, a tin can takes 90 years, and an iron can takes 10 years. The energy one person uses in 20 years is equivalent to the energy required to produce 1 ton of aluminum. Recycling aluminum uses 95% less electricity than producing new aluminum.
Paper Waste
Office paper takes 2 years to decompose. About 400 million tons of paper are produced globally each year. If this paper were made only from trees, it would require 5 to 10 billion adult trees. Recycling 1 ton of paper can save up to 17 trees and 20,000 liters of water, as well as the electricity and fuel needed for production.
Plastic Waste
Plastic items take between 400 to 700 years to decompose. A plastic bottle takes 450 years, and a plastic bag takes about 200 years. Each week, humans ingest 5 grams of microplastics—the weight of a credit card—through water, air, and food. Since the mass production of plastic began, 9 billion tons have been produced, with 7 billion tons already becoming waste. This means plastic is barely recycled and mostly ends up in soil and the ocean.
On average, a Dane uses 4 single-use bags per year, a global citizen uses 125, and an American uses 365. Denmark was the first country to introduce a tax on bags in 1993.
Battery Waste
Batteries take 100 years to decompose. A single AA battery can contaminate about 20 square meters of land with heavy metals. In a forest, this area could be the habitat for two trees, two moles, one hedgehog, and several thousand earthworms. More than 10 billion batteries are produced worldwide each year. The European Union, a leader in battery recycling, recycles just under 50% of them.
Tire Waste
Car tires take 120–140 years to decompose. About 7 million tons of tires are discarded each year. In Finland, and many other developed countries, 100% of used tires are recycled. In CIS countries, only about 10% are recycled.
The Evolution of Waste
Just 150 years ago, all waste was natural and could be buried to decompose. Today, waste contains dangerous chemicals that seep into the air, soil, and water when dumped or incinerated. The only way to manage waste effectively is through recycling.
For more information on environmental issues, you can visit EPA.
