Karen Leonardo, Portion of my Paper 12/6

The issue of plastic pollution is a growing dilemma that if not resolved now will become a permanent problem to our planet. One major problem, caused by plastic pollution, is its effect on the ocean. Over thirteen million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year, that being bottles, straws, bags, shoes, cups, and more that were littered by the people. There are many places that people could litter in, the streets, their backyards, private property, public property, and beaches. All that plastic garbage that was littered will travel so much that it will eventually end up in the ocean affecting marine life. That plastic that ends up in the ocean will not only be there for days, weeks, or months, it will stay there for hundreds of years because garbage does not decompose as easily as people think. In the article, Plastic – A Time Bomb Waiting To Explode. Environmental Impacts of Plastic That Will Shock You, Felicia Nazareth (8), states, “Decomposing of the plastic product can last from 400 to 1000 years with newer “degradable” compounds. Before that degradation can happen, waste plastic will continue to clog our waterways, oceans, forests, and other natural habitats filled with animals who mistake dangerous plastic for food.” Not only does plastic take hundreds of years to decompose, it also stays in the ocean in the quality that it came up evading the lives of the innocent animals.