The plastic waste crisis is not one to take lightly. Plastics and the byproducts of those plastics are littering cities, oceans and waterways as well as contributing to health problems within humans and animals. In 2019, more than 130 million metric tons of single use plastics were thrown out, most of which was burned, buried in landfills or dumped straight into the ocean. At the highest level, only 20 companies are responsible for  more than half of the worlds plastic waste, and the top 100, accounting for more than 90%. Plastic waste reduction requires cooperation from industries, governments, nongovernmental organizations and consumers. Without total cooperation the problem will continue to persist as it is the cheapest option in terms of packing, storing and other uses.

 

Since most plastics are made from oils and gases (especially fracked gas) the production of plastics is becoming a significant part of the climate crisis. 

 

Each year 8 million tonnes of plastic gets dumped into the ocean. Some predict that 8 million could double by 2025, others suggest that there could be more plastic than fish by 2050. Over time ocean currents pull trash into the center, resulting in huge underwater landfills of plastic developing. Eventually the push and pull of the current breaks the plastic down into millions of smaller pieces, polluting the environment and making it easily swallowable by marine life, causing animals to die.