Humanity produces more than 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that soon become waste, filling the ocean and, often, working their way into the human food chain. Here is our explainer on the plastic pollution crisis.

Humanity produces more than 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that soon become waste, filling the ocean and, often, working their way into the human food chain. Here is our explainer on the plastic pollution crisis

Over the past few years we’ve all become more aware of plastic pollution and its environmental impact. Yet, plastic provides a durable, mouldable and hygienic solution for much of our household packaging, and unfortunately, in most instances it can’t simply be replaced by other materials. So what actually are plastics, how do they differ, and which types should we be using more or less of?

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the global environment. As a typical emerging pollutant, its potential health hazards have been widely concerning.

Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources, and also the ecosystem. This can cause a range of potentially harmful effects on the species that drink the water.

Microplastics have been found in groundwater, often a source of drinking water, along with rivers, soils and oceans. Scientists are now starting to examine what human health impacts the presence of microplastics in waterways and groundwater may be.

Studies have shown microplastics significantly damage cells in the human body, leading to serious health effects, including cancers, lung disease, and birth defects.

Globally, burning plastic packaging adds 16 million metric tons of GHGs into the air, which is equivalent to more than 2.7 million homes' electricity use for one year.

Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water, and land

As populations have increased and we have relied on the Earth's natural resources—such as minerals, petroleum, coal, gas, and more—the Earth's biodiversity and creatures, from birds to insects to mammals, have declined in number.

Life is defined as any system capable of performing functions such as eating, metabolizing, excreting, breathing, moving, growing, reproducing, and responding to external stimuli, the period between birth and death, or the experience or state of being alive.

I declare this world is so beautiful that I can hardly believe it exists. The sky, the mountains, the trees, the animals, give us a delight in and for themselves.