How Is Plastic Recycling Good for the Ecosystem?

The United States discarded 13 million tons of plastic in 2008.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States added 13 million tons of plastic to the municipal solid waste stream in 2008. In addition to clogging landfills, errant plastic waste ends up in our oceans and other natural habitats, damaging the ecosystem. A better alternative to manufacturing new plastic is to recycle it. Plastic can be recycled into many things, from carpet fibers to clothing to plastic decking. Recycling benefits the environment by keeping ecosystems intact.

Pollution

Wayward plastic pollutes the environment.

Plastic is often used because it is inexpensive, lightweight and shatterproof, but, as the National Resources Defense Council points out, it does not biodegrade in landfills. Wayward plastic ends up tangled in trees, floating in the ocean and otherwise polluting natural habitats and harming or killing wildlife.

Petroleum Usage

Drilling for oil causes damage to the environment.

Plastic is made from petroleum. In the United States, 10 percent of the petroleum used annually is used to make plastic. Both onshore and offshore drilling cause damage to ecosystems by displacing or otherwise harming marine life and wildlife, damaging native plants and polluting the drilling areas.

Manufacturing

Plastic manufacturing is an energy-intensive process.

The process of manufacturing plastic from petroleum is energy-intensive and accounts for a large portion of greenhouse gases that are the leading cause of global warming. As the climate changes rapidly, ecosystems are unable to adapt at the same rate. Coral reefs, for example, are dying at a devastating rate due to a water temperature increase believed to be caused by global warming.

References

• Environmental Protection Agency: Plastics
• National Resources Defense Council: End of the Affair: Plastic bags lose their luster
• American Chemistry: How is Plastic Made
• Metabolix: Biobased Chemicals & Products, A New Driver of U.S. Economic Development and Green Jobs
• World Book at NASA: Global Warming