Especially in the last hundred years, plastic pollution has become more and more of a problem. Plastic pollution is when plastic objects, like water bottles, are left and not recycled. But the question is: why is leaving a bottle on the floor so bad?
To understand this better, I will use the story of three plastic bottles, which all follow a different path.
Starting with number one, it is sent to a landfill where mass amounts of rubbish are dumped. From there, it is left to decompose, which can take hundreds or even thousands of years.
Next is bottle two, which is washed away into the ocean. This may seem like a better way, as the ocean is so big, but there are consequences, such as sea creatures eating the rubbish. There are five huge piles of litter in the ocean where thousands of pieces drift to each day.
Finally, there is bottle number three, which is sent to a factory to be recycled. The object will be melted down and formed into a new shape, like a jug of milk or a shampoo bottle, ready to be used and recycled all over again.
As you can tell, the best fate is to be recycled, so that’s what needs to be done. We have sent robots and many people to litter-pick, but we must stop this before it gets too late.
Thank you for reading!