SCIENCE P.B.L.

(Project Based Learning)

Students will show, through a ppt any item, its plastic
packaging and impact on our lives.

LET’S
WATC
H
The way we currently produce and consume plastics is not sustainable.
The massive production and consumption of plastics, especially single use plastic products, have
contributed greatly to the plastic pollution crisis.
Plastic pollution impacts our ecosystems, endangers animal lives and also threatens human health.
There is just too much plastic to be managed, and recycling itself is not enough.
Plastic pollution is a multidimensional problem that requires a holistic approach.
Tackling this issue and enhancing sustainable production and consumption of plastics requires
rethinking the way economic development is pursued.
Game-changing steps have to be taken by all economic players - producers, policy-makers,
businesses and consumers worldwide.
The crisis: Current unsustainable production and consumption of plastics
Over the past 50 years, global production and consumption of plastics have increased more than 20
times over, and plastic production has reached 320 million tonnes a year.
The impacts of plastic litter, especially of single-use and disposable items (e.g., bags, straws, coffee
cups, beverage bottles, most food packaging) are growing as each year more plastic waste
accumulates in our environment and oceans.
Single-use plastics are a major source of pollution, especially marine litter.
Around 18 billion pounds of plastics enter the ocean each year.
Plastic is choking our oceans and marine life: in March 2019, we’ve been shocked by the news that a
whale was washed up dead in the Philippines with 40 kilograms of plastic in its stomach. 
Also, plastic is a persistent material.
Once in the environment, it does not go away, it will take centuries to degrade.
To have an idea, one single water bottle can remain on the planet for around 450 years.
What's more, plastic often contains toxic chemicals, and exposure to plastics can impact human
health in different ways throughout the entire life cycle, for instance by entering our food chain as
micro particles (microplastics) that can concentrate toxic chemicals, such as persistent organic
pollutants.

As plastic production increases, this exposure will only grow.

Alongside this massive plastic production came increased pollution.
Of the estimated 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced since the 1950s, only 9 percent has been
recycled.
4 In fact, the recycling systems in place have not kept pace with the excessive consumption of this
material.
Only an insignificant amount of the plastic on the market is recycled; most plastic goods and
materials ultimately become waste and are being dumped in landfills, littered, or burned.
The harm caused by plastic vastly outweighs the benefits it brings to society, and the profits realized
by companies will never compensate for the damage caused by the pollution it creates, including
increased greenhouse gas emissions, impacts on biodiversity, and impacts on tourism, fisheries,
public safety and human health.
The reason why we have reached such an unprecedented level of pollution is the way we currently
produce and consume plastics, which is linear 5 and inefficient.
Mostly plastic products are used in short-lived applications, which are not designed for re-use or
even for recycling.
Tackling this problem and promoting a sustainable use of plastics requires a drastic reduction of
plastic production, particularly of single-use, low-value, disposable plastics.
The movement for a change has (just) begun
Due to the impact and increased awareness of the effects of plastics on the world’s oceans,
environment and on our health, many organizations have gathered strength, unified by the same
vision: a future that is free from plastic pollution.
Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) is one of the biggest global movements envisioning a future free from
plastic pollution. 6 Since its launch in September 2016, nearly 1,500 organizations across the world
have joined to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and to push for lasting solutions to
the plastic pollution crisis.
These organizations share the common values of environmental protection and social justice, which
guide their work at the community and global level. Among their activities are brand audits based on
beach clean-ups, to identify the brands which are the biggest responsible for plastic pollution. 7 Last
year, BFFP member organizations engaged nearly 10,000 volunteers in 239 clean-ups in 42 countries
on six continents, collecting and analyzing over 187,851 pieces of plastic pollution. The action
revealed the top 10 polluters worldwide:
 Coca-Cola
 PepsiCo
 Nestlé
 Danone
 Mondelez International
 Procter & Gamble
 Unilever
 Perfetti van Melle
 Mars Incorporated
 Colgate-Palmolive
Also, BFFP members have produced and published reports alerting society and policy-makers to
plastic pollution and its hidden costs, which include the impacts on human health. 8
In Europe, BFFP is also represented by the Rethink Plastic alliance, which brings together 10 leading
European NGOs working closely with European policy-makers to design and deliver policy solutions
to curb plastic pollution. 9
Thanks to the influence and hard work of the movement to break free from plastic worldwide,
several countries have already taken important steps to cut down on single-use plastics.
In Europe, tackling plastic pollution has been a key priority on the EU agenda. In January 2018 the
European Commission launched its Strategy for Plastics in a Circuar Economy, and in December 2018
the EU agreed on pioneering new laws to reduce the environmental impact of certain plastic
products, the so-called Single-Use Plastics Directive. 10
The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive
The Directive includes a set of measures to tackle marine litter, 11 including:
A ban on selected single-use plastic products for which market alternatives exist: cotton bud sticks,
cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, balloon sticks, as well as cups, food and beverage containers made of
expanded polystyrene, and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic
Measures to reduce consumption of plastic food containers and beverage cups and specific marking
and labelling of certain products
Extended Producer Responsibility schemes covering the clean-up cost of litter, applied to products
such as tobacco filters and fishing gear
A 90 percent separate collection target for plastic bottles by 2029 (77% by 2025) and the
introduction of design requirements to connect caps to bottles, as well as a target to incorporate 25
percent of recycled plastic in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles by 2025 and 30 percent in all
plastic bottles by 2030.
Several other countries have already adopted legislation or are considering proposals to target
disposable plastic products. In early 2018, BFFP published a report listing existing national
prohibitions, restrictions and levies on single-use plastics worldwide, including in Belarus,
Montenegro, the UK, India, and many countries in Asia and Latin America. 12
But it is just the beginning. Because of the borderless nature of the plastic pollution, a global solutin
is needed.
The need for a global solution
There is no doubt that plastic pollution is a growing global problem. Plastics are transported by
ocean currents and end up beyond national boundaries. Many floating masses of plastics have been
discovered in the ocean - the so-called ‘garbage patches’ in oceanic gyres. 13 Actually, almost every
corner of the world has been impacted by this material, contaminating our environment and
harming living beings.
The international community needs to come together and agree on an ambitious framework to
resolve the crisis: we need a legally binding international agreement to tackle plastic pollution with a
full life-cycle approach and promote the prevention of plastic waste.
In fact, tackling plastic pollution has become an integral part of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Implementing SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production
patterns is especially important in curbing plastic waste generation. 14
Anchored by the SDGs, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) has recognized the plastic
crisis as a serious and rapidly growing issue of global concern, which requires an urgent global
response. At the close of the fourth session of the UNEA in March 2019, governments adopted a
Ministerial Declaration titled ‘Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable
Consumption and Production’, that commits to significantly reduce the manufacturing and use of
single-use plastic products by 2030. 15
Many civil society organizations and legal experts have identified huge gaps in the existing
frameworks addressing plastics and plastic pollution. The United Nations Environment Programme
(UN Environment) agreed that “current governance strategies and approaches provide a fragmented
approach that does not adequately address marine plastic litter and microplastics.” 16
The BFFP members call for a new global Convention on Plastic Pollution with a mandate to manage
the lifecycle of plastics, including production. “The new Convention should anchor, build upon, and
complement existing regional and global voluntary and binding frameworks, allowing them to
contribute within their core competencies.” 17
All sectors of the economy must be addressed with new global agreements, especially regarding
corporations, as the way they operate has a significant impact on how resources are deployed.
Producers are at the root of the problem by extracting fossil fuels (including by fracking, one of the
most environmentally damaging processes), to incessantly produce plastic and inundate the planet
with single-use goods.
In fact, plastic pollution does not start when it enters the environment, but from its very first
production stage. This is why tackling plastic requires a lifecycle approach, taking into account the
whole value chain. 18
The way is upstream: prevention and reduction
Plastic is one of the fastest growing pollutants in the world. The way we currently design, produce
and consume plastics is both unsustainable and inefficient. Tackling this issue and enhancing the
sustainable production and consumption of plastics requires rethinking the way economic
development is pursued. Game-changing steps have to be taken by all economic players - producers,
policy-makers, businesses and consumers worldwide.
Notably, urgent measures are needed in three key areas: reduction of plastic production and
consumption, redesign of plastic products to be safe and sustainable, and better management of
plastic waste.
Production and consumption patterns need to be ethical, and not solely driven by economics. Most
products are created purely in pursuit of profit, with little regard for their environmental and health
impacts. We need to shift away from economic models that value growth for growth’s sake, towards
a new mindset that respects planetary boundaries.
Changing the current way plastics are produced and consumed requires a fine balance between
regulations and incentives, and government policies have an important role to play in driving the
necessary paradigm shift from downstream solutions, such as recycling, to more upstream solutions,
such as reduction, prevention and alternative business models.
Recycling alone is not sufficient, neither are the heroic efforts of the ‘beach clean-up’ volunteers.
There is just too much plastic to be managed. Coca-Cola has recently declared that they produce
around 200,000 plastic bottles per minute. 19 We need to close the tap and get to the source of the
problem by preventing the generation of plastic waste in the first place, and build virtuous cycles
within resilient economic systems. successfully This can be done through upstream measures such as
redesigning plastics for circularity (e.g., quality long-life products free of toxic chemicals), and
implementing extended producer responsibility schemes (EPR) to ensure producers bear the full
costs of waste management and the clean-up of their products.
Plastics that cannot be recycled should not be produced in the first place, and single-use plastic
applications for which sustainable alternatives are widely available should be restricted from the
market. Also, reusable local schemes should be promoted and scaled up where possible. Countries
all over the world should follow the example of the new European Single Use Plastic Directive, to
implement the right economic incentives as well as bans on wasteful single-use products: such
measures can really open the door to innovative alternatives.
Zero Waste solutions already exist, and new business models are already proving successful
outcomes. Moving away from a disposable and packaging intensive market to more local and
resilient economies based on services and short supply chains is within reach. In fact, the transition
to a post-single-use plastic era can bring new jobs and thriving economies. However, for this to
happen, we need a solid and supportive legislative framework to put the right economic incentives
in place.
Plastic, from our money to our computers to our home appliances to even our trash cans, everything
has some or the other form of plastic. Packaging material, furniture, electronic devices, etc. all have
some or the other form of plastic. Ever since its invention in 1907, plastic has steadily become an
indispensable part of our day to day lives.

However, the environmental effects of plastic on the world have been alarming and this has made
many experts and environmental experts question our dependence on plastic today. Many have
suggested that we consider alternatives of plastic such as Glass, Plastic, Steel, Paper and also
Aluminum. We decided to take a deeper look at how each of these materials stack-up against plastic.
Plastics are used to make bicycle helmets, child safety seats and airbags in automobiles. They're in
the cell phones, televisions, computers and other electronic equipment that makes modern life
possible. They're in the roofs, walls, flooring and insulation that make homes and buildings energy
efficient.
The most visible and disturbing impacts of marine plastics are the ingestion, suffocation and
entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fishes and
turtles, mistake plastic waste for prey, and most die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with
plastic debris.

1. Bring your own cup everywhere.

3. Skip the lid and the straw.
4. Keep utensils and Tupperware in your car
5. Refuse bags and really reuse the ones you have.
8. When buying products, choose plastic-free when there is an option. Here are some examples of
when you can make these choices:

Choose jars over plastic containers (ex. mayonnaise, mustard).

Choose loose produce over produce that is packaged. Cut up your own butternut squash!
Choose produce not in plastics or shop at stores (especially local farmers markets) that don’t do this.
In 2018, plastic food wrapping was the number one trash product found on beach cleanups.
If you have children, choose cloth diapers over plastic ones and try to purchase plastic free toys
(such as wooden ones). My friend makes wooden toys. You can purchase them here.
Use bar body soap sold loose or in a paper package over body wash in a plastic bottle.
Buy plastic free toilet paper. Order cases of Seventh Generation toilet paper or subscribe to Who
Gives a Crap? I recently subscribed to Who Gives a Crap. You can get 27% off your order with this
code.
10. When traveling internationally, bring a Steripen to sterilize your water rather than buying bottled
water.

SteriPEN
I love my SteriPEN and it’s so easy to use. I also love that I don’t have to buy water when I travel.
11. Instead of plastic wrap, put a plate upside down over leftovers or move leftovers to Tupperware.
You’ll save money and plastic. I also just put food directly in the fridge without any cover on it. Since
when did we decide that we need to cover everything inside a fridge? If you really need a wrap,
choose beeswax wraps.

12. Choose natural clothing fibers (cotton) over synthetic. Synthetic fabrics are made of plastic. As
they are washed, they shed plastics.

13. Save and reuse plastic bags that you already have. I used to buy salmon from Whole Foods that
comes in these large plastic bags. The salmon is already in plastic, so the plastic bag is not
contaminated. I use them a lot for travel, for example to put my shampoo bottles in or dirty flip
flops. I also wash them out and reuse them if they get dirty.

14. If you buy plastic, buy things in the largest container possible. I try to eat vegan, which is better
for the environment, but to get protein, I eat some things that come in plastic (like tofu and protein
shakes). I drink a Vega One protein shake every morning (recipe here) and upped the size of the
container that I buy.

15. Reuse disposable razors. I did this even before I really became attuned to the plastic crisis
because I am cheap and they work just fine over and over again. I use mine for an extremely long
time – 6 months+! They work fine. Just run water over the blades to get out the hair.

16. Give up glitter or go biodegradable. As a fancy scientist, this one truly breaks my heart. I LOVE
glitter! It is so beautiful! But glitter is essentially just really small pieces of plastic that will eventually
end up in our water systems. Animals will eat it and it will become part of the food chain, which
ultimate affects us if you eat seafood. Luckily, some companies do make biodegradable glitter, so if
you really need it, you can get your fix guilt free!

17. Choose gum that isn’t made out of plastic. Gum is made out of PLASTIC!!! How crazy is that? If
you are a gum addict (I am, which is why I can’t buy it), there are some plastic-free options out there
like Glee.

18. Choose your wine wisely. Choose wines that have natural corks. Other corks contain plastic and
wine with screw-off caps also contain plastic.
19. If you’re a woman, choose feminine products only made with paper and cotton or switch to
reusable ones. I have used a Diva Cup for many years and love it.

20. Compost food waste to reduce kitchen trash bags. Composting not only reduces food waste, but
it also reduces the number of bags you have to use. Once I started using CompostNow, the number
of bags I use in my kitchen is like 1 a month! If even that.

CompostNow
CompostNow makes composting so easy! It’s great for people with dogs too.
21. Pay your bills electronically. Don’t let companies send you bill through the mail. Many of these
envelopes contain plastic envelopes. This also reduces paper waste.

22. Was your hair less. I used to wash my hair every single day. I can skip one day without any
additional products, but for more than that, I have to use dry shampoo. Most dry shampoos come in
plastic plastic bottles, but I still feel like this reduces waste because I use less dry shampoo than
shampoo and conditioner when I wash. Now I wash my hair 1-2x a week. Another secret is to just
wear your hair up when it gets dirty!

23. Purchase a bamboo toothbrush or one made out of recycled plastic.

In addition to making these changes, it really helps to keep the pressure on companies. With the
news of dying whales and the effect of BBC’s Blue Planet, companies are starting to pay attention.
Write and/or put social media pressure for them to ditch the plastic and support companies that are
doing their best to reduce plastics and/or use recycled plastics. I’m excited to try Rothy’s, a company
that makes shoes out of recycled plastic.

1.  Stop using plastic straws, even in restaurants.

2. Use a reusable produce bag. 
3. Give up gum. 
4. Buy boxes instead of bottles. 
5. Reuse containers for storing leftovers.
6. Use matches instead of disposable plastic lighters or invest in a refillable metal lighter. 
7. Don't use plasticware at home and be sure to request restaurants do not pack them in
your take-out box.
8. Ask your local grocer to take your plastic containers (for berries, tomatoes, etc.) back. If
you shop at a farmers market they can refill it for you.
9. The EPA estimates that 7.6 billion pounds of disposable diapers are discarded in the US
each year. Use cloth diapers to reduce your baby's carbon footprint and save money. 
10. Make fresh squeezed juice or eat fruit instead of buying juice in plastic bottles. It's
healthier and better for the environment.
11. Make your own cleaning products that will be less toxic and eliminate the need for
multiple plastic bottles of cleaner.
12. Pack your lunch in reusable containers and bags. Also, opt for fresh fruits and veggies and
bulk items instead of products that come in single serving cups.
13. Use a razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable razor
 Plastic pollution involves the accumulation of plastic
products in the environment that adversely affects
wildlife, wildlife habitat or humans.
 Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into
 Micro debris
 Meso debris
 Macro debris
Based on their sizes.
 The prominence of plastic pollution is correlated with
plastics being inexpensive and durable which lends to
high levels of plastics used by humans.
 However, it is slow to degrade.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to
be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable
future for all. 
The SDGs were set in 2015 by the United Nations
General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by
the year 2030.
They are included in a UN Resolution called the 2030
Agenda or what is colloquially known as Agenda 2030.
  Plastic pollution involves the
accumulation of plastic products in the
environment that adversely affects
wildlife,wildlife habitat or humans.
 Plastics that acts as pollutants are
categorized into
 Micro debris
 Meso debris
 Macro debris
Based on their sizes.
 The prominence of plastic pollution is
correlated with plastics being
inexpensive and durable which lends to
high levels of plastics used by humans.
 However, it is slow to degrade.

Responsible recycling of plastics is the only solution to the problem of us heading towards
a plastics planet. ... Half of all plastics becomes waste after four or lesser years of use.