Everyday items such as plastic bottles, toothbrushes, plastic bags, etc. seem so harmless. But these items and others composed of plastic do not break down for tens to hundreds of years. They either persist in landfills or are eventually washed into the waterways and the ocean. In the ocean, plastics either remain in whole pieces or are broken down into tiny pellets. Ocean currents and storms carry these plastic items far out to sea or where they accumulate in gyres (large areas with water moving in a vortex pattern) or even wash up on remote islands. Tiny filter-feeding animals often ingest the plastic pellets. Larger animals, such as sea turtles and sea birds, mistake the larger plastic pieces for food, or prey on these smaller animals so that the plastic particles travel up the food chain.
What are solutions to the plastics problem? Bioplastics—plastics made of plant materials—are becoming widely available as an alternative to regular plastics, which are manufactured from petroleum. In an effort to cut down on plastic waste, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens use biodegradable cutlery and plates made from sugarcane in many of the parks’ restaurants. Bioplastics may seem like the ideal solution, but some sources of bioplastics like corn and soy, are also important food crops and could contribute to a decrease in availability of these crops for consumption.
How can you help? Have your class investigate and discuss the pros and cons of bioplastics. Ask the students, “Are bioplastics a solution?” and “What kinds of bioplastics are more sustainable?” Can your class come up with other simple solutions to deal with the problems of plastics? For example, each year SeaWorld and Busch Gardens recycle millions of pounds of plastics and other materials, including computers and other plastic-containing electronics. We invite you to discuss and share these solutions with other teachers and educators on this blog.
