Presentation by (Student Name) on (Date)

When did plastics become so popular?

Post-war boom in plastics production

Throwaway Living

1950s

What’s Made of Plastic?

What is Plastic Made of?

How many plastic beverage bottles get used every year in the US?

Q:

Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan

We use 50 billion plastic beverage bottles

every year in the US

DETAIL

50,000,000,000

Chris Jordan

Chr

is J

orda

n 100 billion plastic bags get

used each year in the US.

100,000,000,000

ACUTAL SIZE

This is an artist’s visualization of what gets used in just five seconds

“But I Recycle…”

.

What percentage of plastic gets recycled in the U.S.?

Approximately 10% recycled…So where does the rest go?

CIWMB White Paper

Puente Hills Landfill

Plastic recycling in China

(California Integrated Waste Management Board, “Plastics White Paper” 2003)(California Integrated Waste Management Board, “Plastics White Paper” 2003)

Municipal Waste 50%

Recycled 5%

Durable Goods 20%

Unaccounted for 25%

Where our plastic waste goes

The “missing” 25%

LA Beaches After The Rain

Ballona Creek Algalita

Santa Monica Beach Ben Kay

Great Pacific “Garbage Patch”

NORTH PACIFIC GYRE•A massive current system that circulates plastic trash•Twice the size of the continental US•Plastic trash accumulates, but doesn’t biodegrade

Captain Charles Moore and The Algalita Marine Research Foundation

5 Gyres where plastic accumulates

How does plastic waste impact

our oceans?

All of this (more than a half-pound of plastic) was removed from the stomach of

an albatross, a large sea bird

Seattle, WA - Gray Whale Necropsy - April 19, 2010

20 plastic bags

30

86%

44%43%

(Derraik, 2002)

How do plastics affect our

health?

Plastic particles attract chemicals in the ocean

Stomach contents of a lantern fish: plastic particles(2-30 cm sizedeep sea fish)

2008 Lantern Fish study

Plastic in your sushi?

17 pieces of plastic in the stomach of a fish caught in the middle of the Pacific.

Plastics Leach toxic chemicals

Bisphenol A (BPA)• Plastic hardener• Used in DVDs, canned food

lining, baby bottles, water bottles• Chemical found in 93% of

Americans over the age of 6

Phthalates• Plastic softener • Found in toys, food packaging,

shower curtains, nail polish, hair spray and shampoo, baby teething rings

These Chemicals are ‘hormone mimickers’ that affect the

Endocrine System.

Plastic Bath

A study of 20 teens across America detected 16 chemicals from 4 chemical families including plastic (phthalates) in their

blood and urine.

Look up your products at SKIN DEEPwww.cosmeticsdatabase.com

How do How do we solve we solve

this this problem problem

together?together?

39 39

SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO BAN DISPOSABLE PLASTICS

BAGS, BOTTLES, AND STYROFOAM

BRING YOUR OWN• WATER BOTTLE

(stainless steel)• BAG• CUP• TUPPERWARE• SILVERWEAR• REUSE A GLASS JAR

BIOPLASTICSPlant based, biodegradable plastic

We can change the material design of plastic

THINK TWICE•Do you really need a bag for your bag of chips?•Ask the waiter to wrap in foil instead of styrofoam•Ask for “no straw”•Don’t buy things with excess packaging•Buy the can instead of the plastic bottle•Shop at the local farmer’s markets•Bring your own salsa/jam jar to parties. Its free!

REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE… then RECYCLE

Encourage “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR)

Companies that make and package products are held responsible for the end life of these products - collection and disposal.

EPR Motivates producers to reduce the waste they produce, and make products more recyclable.

Adopted by Germany in 1991

Packaging waste reduced by 14% in first four years

Recycling rose to 75%!

Spread the Word…with a SMILE

Share what you’ve learned

• Lead by example

• Ask your friends and family to join you

• Speak to city council

• Write letters to government officials

• Get your school involved

• And come to the Plastics Are Forever Youth summit in 2011!

THE BOEING COMPANY CHARITABLE TRUST

Special thanks to:

Jordan Howard & Rudy Sanchez

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