Plastic or Not? (yes or no)
Do regular disposable coffee cups contain plastic?
Yes. To help prevent leaks and ensure the liquid does not soak into the paper, disposable coffee cups are usually lined with polyethylene (plastic). This makes the cup stronger, but also means the cups can only be recycled at a specialist recycling centre.
Do recycling facilities accept disposable coffee cups for recycling?
No. Recycling facilities often do not accept coffee cups for recycling, because the plastic has been contaminated
Does gum contain plastic?
Yes. The key ingredient in chewing gum is polyvinyl acetate, which is also used in the production of glue.
Since plastic does not biodegrade, littered chewing gum will remain in the place it was dropped until it is cleaned up.
Foil food packaging is made of metal, not plastic.
Actually, "foil" packets, such as the kind used for potato chips, are not made of metal foil, but metallised plastic film.
What is the average time that a plastic bag is used?
The average time that a plastic bag is used for is just twelve minutes
Is it accurate that, in the UK, it is estimated that 1/10 of clothing is made from plastic material, such as polyester, nylon and acrylic.
No. It is estimated that 2/3 of the clothing is made from plastic material.
Wet wipes are biodegradable.
No. Wet wipes are usually made by weaving together cotton and polyester. Adding polyester (plastic) makes the wipes stronger, but it means the wipes are not fully biodegradable.
Plastic is an ingredient in sea salt.
Plastic is not intentionally added to sea salt, however, sea salt has been contaminated with microplastics.
Glitter is made from aluminum, not plastic.
Most glitter is made from etched aluminium bonded to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Because pieces of glitter are under 5 mm, they are classed as a form of microplastic.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is just one of how many similar patches in the world?
5
Every time synthetic clothes are put into the washing machine, they shed tiny plastic fibres.
Yes, and these plastic fibres pass through wastewater treatment and into rivers and estuaries, and will often end up in the ocean.
Plastic is biodegradable.
No, rather than biodegrade, plastic photodegrades. Which means it begins to break apart when exposed to sunlight. It will begin to break into smaller and smaller pieces. Once these pieces are measured at 5 mm or under, they are classified as ‘microplastics’.
At the current rate, plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish by what year?
At the current rate, plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish by 2050
Even though glitter is small, when it is washed down a drain, it gets caught in sewage filters.
No, glitter can bypass sewage filters and head straight out to sea.
Fishing nets account for what percentage of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
45%, and it can continue to catch marine animals long after being abandoned.
What plastic item do sea turtles often mistake for food?
Sea turtles commonly mistake plastic bags for one of their staple food sources, jellyfish.
Researchers in Australia found that just ingesting just 14 pieces of plastic can be fatal for a sea turtle.
Most teabags are completely biodegradable.
No. Most major brands of teabags are only around 70% biodegradable. The remaining 30% is due to the plastic net that helps hold the tea in the bag, made from heat-resistant polypropylene.
Microplastics, such as the kind shed from clothing, are being ingested by fish and other marine life in our seas.
Yes. The microplastics will then transfer to other animals when they are eaten, passing up the food chain to humans. We could literally be eating the clothes we wear.
Animals that eat plastic often never feel full.
No. The microplastics can fill an animal's stomach, giving it the mistaken feeling that it is full. But it has filled up on plastic, and is not receiving the nutrients it requires. This can often lead to an early death.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located between what two US states?
Hawaii and California
During what decade did plastic start to be mass produced?
Plastic has only been around for a very short amount of time. It was only in the 1950s that plastic began to be mass produced.
What percentage of plastic bags are recycled worldwide?
Only 1 to 3% of plastic bags are recycled worldwide.
How many microplastic particles do most adults eat every year, just from eating salt on their food?
An adult average consumes around 2,000 microplastic particles every year from eating salt.
Cigarettes do not contain plastic.
It’s a common misconception that cigarette butts are made solely of cotton. In fact, they contain cellulose acetate, the same kind of plastic that is used to make sunglasses, textiles, photographic film, and much more.
Cigarette butts are the most common type of litter in the world.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is roughly three times the size of what country?
France