Plastic

Plastics

Photo: Cjp24, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The success and dominance of plastics starting in the early 20th century has caused widespread environmental problems, due to their slow decomposition rate in natural ecosystems. Most plastic produced has not been reused, or is incapable of reuse, either being captured in landfills or persisting in the environment as plastic pollution and microplastics. Plastic pollution can be found in all the world’s major water bodies, even creating garbage patches in all of the world’s oceans and contaminating terrestrial ecosystems. Of all the plastic discarded so far, less than 10% has been recycled. (Plastic, Wikipedia).

Basics

Latest Plastics Posts

  • PennEnvironment study finds Delaware River permeated by microplastics

    The latest report by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, Microplastics in the Delaware River Watershed, reveals widespread plastic pollution in one of the most beloved rivers in Pennsylvania. Read more…


  • Trex bench in Smedley Park

    Master Gardeners clean up plastic in Smedley Park to turn into benches

    For those who take a seat on one of four benches that the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Delaware County have installed at Smedley Park, they’d likely never suspect that they’re sitting on thousands of pounds of recycled plastic bags, bubble wrap and stretchy plastic film. Read more…


  • New documentary traces plastic pollution back to Pennsylvania and Louisiana

    The documentary tells the stories of two states with a major stake in the plastics economy: Louisiana and Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania segment focuses on Beaver County’s Shell ethane cracker plant, a massive facility for manufacturing plastics that began operations in the fall of 2022. Read more…


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