January 29th 2021
Plastic is a real danger !

What is the plastic pollution ?
The pollution of plastic is the fact of throwing a lot of plastic trash into nature.

The consequences…

For example in 1996 a new continent was discovered
by Charles Moore. It is a plastic continent also called “pacific thrash vortex”. It was created by the influence of currents. It’s located in the central North Pacific Ocean. It’s size is about 1.6 million square kilometer, it represents around 6 times the size of France ! This continent is a threat for animals and ecosystems.

Indeed, the Saida garbage mountain in Lebanon is a great example of how plastic pollution can affect a city. Saida is the third-largest city in Lebanon, the town has a rich history, it was one of the most important Phoenician cities, and it may have been the oldest. It is located about 40 km north of the famous city Tyr and 40 km south of the capital, Beyrouth. Furthermore, the city has many assets, like its very touristic fortress, called “Sidon Sea Castle” or the “Sidon Soap Museum” which traces the history of the soap making. It is also a very nice fishing port and it is located in Lebanon one hundred fifty coastline. However, all this cultural wealth is erased by the shade of the fifty meters mountain of shame, like Lebanese people call it. The dump started in the nineteen eighty’s during Lebanon Civil War when people began throwing out debris from the destruction. It caused health hazards, environmental risks and great damages in the development of the city. In 2013, the United Nations Development Program, UNDP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and the municipality of Saida organized a rehabilitation project of the garbage dump.

A lot of species are dying because of the plastic pollution.
For example, turtles believe plastic bags are jellyfish
and eat them. It’s a big problem because turtles are used
to regulate the number of jellyfish in the ocean. The fact
that they are wrong when they eat plastic causes them to
die and there is no more regularization of jellyfish.

What we can do to reduce our plastic consumption ?

Plastic is widely used for packaging, such as bottles or food wrapping. In order to reduce our consumption of plastic we can therefore buy in bulk, that is to say going to stores with your own container, jars for instance. We can do little actions and changes to tend towards a sustainable lifestyle. Instead of plastic straws, we can use stainless steel or bamboo ones, which are reusable. We should stop using plastic bottles and use flasks instead. We can also use wooden clothespins. There are plastic free alternatives cosmetics too, like solid shampoo, soap or toothpaste dots.
In conclusion, we can find a lot of alternatives to plastic to reduce our plastic consumption.

For several years now, plastic tools, plates, cups and glasses have been banned on the industrial market in certain countries. This material has been replaced by biodegradable and non-polluting material which will have no impact on the environment. This year, from January 1, 2021, the production of plastic utensils will be prohibited. The material is replaced as in other countries by non-polluting biodegradable.

Sources :
Comment lutter contre la pollution plastique en mer ? (francetvinfo.fr)
La plus grande opération de nettoyage de l’océan a officiellement débuté (clubic.com)
Saida Garbage Mountain, Lebanon | EJAtlas
Sidon Mayor : Mountain of waste in Sidon ‘will disappear’ – Lebanese Ministry of Information (ministryinfo.gov.lb)
Flash | Idée déco cuisine, Bocaux de cuisine, Bocaux en verre (pinterest.fr)
Magasins de vente en vrac : Paris lance un appel à projets (linfodurable.fr)
Pailles en Bambou Réutilisables (x6) - Achat Pailles Originales - Cookut®️ | Cadeau Maestro | Artisanats en bambou, Bambou, Paille (pinterest.fr)