As you know, plastic is everywhere and has become an indispensable part of our lives. However, this kind of plastic does more harm than good to every living thing on the planet. We can summarize the many reasons for recycling plastic waste, the following are a few of them.

Reason 1: Plastic waste is not easy to decompose

Although many people have some theories that it takes about 500 years for plastics to decompose, unless we actually see it happen, there is no definite way to know. Since plastic itself was invented in the last 100 years, we do not know how long this waste will stay in the environment, thereby destroying various resources and living things on the planet.

Reason 2: Plastic waste harms the ecosystem

Ecosystem refers to the natural resources we have, the food chain and the living things on the earth. Since plastic pollution is increasing every year, it not only takes up space in landfills but also damages the environment.

Reason 3: Plastic waste will have serious consequences for future generations

Plastic waste is dumped in landfills and the ocean. These wastes are then decomposed into microplastic waste, which then enters the food we eat and the water we drink. In one study, by collecting water samples from five continents, almost 83% of the water was contaminated with plastic. As plastic has entered our system, the amount of plastic we keep wasting will only increase. This will cause serious health complications and new diseases, and reduce the effectiveness of the next generation’s immune system.

Tips for better recycling of plastic

  • Shred large plastic waste into small sizes. When recycling, larger plastic or empty plastic waste will take up a lot of space. Therefore, when distributing empty plastic bottles, plastic boxes and other similar things for recycling, they should be crushed as much as possible.
  • Do not leave food residues in the plastic you want to recycle. Food waste in plastic containers may contaminate other types of waste. These pollutants may even change the nature of waste and make them impossible to recycle. Therefore, please make sure to wash plastic items and remove all food residues when recycling plastic.