Plastics never goes away
Plastic cannot biodegrade. It breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces called micro plastics. Hong Kong Plastic facts The Education University of Hong Kong found that the average amount of micro plastics on beaches in Hong Kong was 5,600 pieces per square meter – 50 per cent higher than similar study results in South Korea. Plastics contaminate our beautiful shores and most of the items found on the beaches are single use plastic items - plastic utensils, straws, bottles, cups, polystyrene foam boxes and food wrappings |
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Plastic is harmful to our health
Plastic absorbs pollutants and are then consumed by organisms up the food chain. The toxic chemicals leach out and get into the marine species’ blood and tissue and eventually in our bodies when we eat them. Studies showed 90% of the world’s most popular bottled water brands contained tiny pieces of plastics and sea salt around the world is contaminated with plastic. Exposure to plastic is linked to many chronic diseases such as diabetes, developmental disorder, cancers, birth defects, endocrine disruption and other health problems Hong Kong Plastic facts In a study conducted by the Education University of Hong Kong in April 2018, micro plastics were found in 60 per cent of wild flathead grey mullet in Hong Kong, with an average of 4.3 fragments in each fish. One fish has found to have ingested 80 pieces. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s division of life sciences found that micro beads – manufactured micro plastics used in products ranging from facial scrubs to toothpastes – ended up in the digestive tracts of fish and other marine creatures. Imported seafood are not exempted - For example, in a UK study, all mussels sampled from UK coastlines and supermarkets were found to contain tiny shards of plastic and other debris |
Plastics threatens wildlife and marine life
Wild and marine animals mistaken plastic for food and cannot digest it, resulting in death. They get trapped and entangled. Massive amount of plastic waste in the ocean and along the coast is causing habitat disruption, while micro plastics greatly exceeds zooplankton in numbers Hong Kong Plastic facts A large amount of plastic litter was found inside the gut of a green turtle, found dead in a beach in Pak Lap Wan in Sai Kung in 2015. The litter included plastic nylon ropes, plastic bags and packaging wrappers. Experts said marine garbage is one of the reasons that has been preventing the endangered green turtle to laid eggs in Sham Wan, off Lamma Island. In March 2018, rare Chinese white dolphins were spotted swimming through plastic filled seas. |
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Plastics accumulates in the environment
Thousands of tonnes of plastic trash are dumped in landfills everyday. Even the plastic collected for recycling from countries such as the UK, Australia and the US is being shipped and dumped on sites across the world, mostly in Asia, due to contamination and high cost for sorting With China imposing a ban on receiving recyclables from overseas starting January 2018, plastics are being piled up everywhere in the world, including Hong Kong. Hong Kong Plastic Facts Government figures show that in 2015, more than 2,000 tonnes of plastic, enough to fill 100 shipping containers, is sent to Hong Kong’s landfills daily. (SCMP) 179 tonnes of plastic utensils and foam takeaway containers, or the weight of 10 double decker buses is being thrown away each day (SCMP) Up to 14 million disposable plastic umbrella covers may be used during the rainy season in Hong Kong from June to September |