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The Earth is Covered in 5 Billion Tons of Plastic Waste
1 Min Read
An Australian organization has claimed that the amount of plastic wastes on the Earth is enough to cover the entire planet with plastic. The pollutants from 5 billion tons of plastic wastes produced on Earth could soon turn into fossil-like material underneath the Earth’s surface, according to a study conducted by paleontologist Jan Zalasiewicz.
In order to keep this from happening, experts suggest starting with increasing recycling efforts and lessening the production of non-biodegradable plastics.
Nature World News has more about the study and the Earth’s plastic crisis:
The amount of plastic wastes on the planet today is enough to cover the planet with plastic, according to an Australian organization. With 5 billion tons of plastic waste it looks like it is true. In an article by Faye Flam, she said that unless drastic changes are done when it comes to recycling and plastic item production, there's a change that the Earth could be covered in plastic in no time. She also said our generation will be known as the plastic era since plastic use, production and pollution balloon in our generation.
According to her study, plastic pollutants could turn into fossil-like material underneath the Earth's surface. Man begun producing plastic on the onset of the 20th century and since then there were 5 billion tons of plastic wastes.
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