Quiz Yourself
Plastic Pollution Quiz
Plastic Pollution Quiz
How much do you know about the threats that our planet faces from plastic pollution?
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What happens to plastic waste when left in the environment?
The correct answer is it breaks into little pieces. Plastics at SEA (Sea Education Association): North Pacific Expedition 2012, a 36-day nautical research journey through the the North Pacific subtropical gyre down to the Hawaiian islands, found this to be true. The team was studying plastic pollution in the ocean and found that out of the 66,077 pieces of plastic collected in samples, 95% of it was millimeters in size. For more on their incredible journey, check out the crew’s journal log.
Why is plastic dangerous for marine life?
Many marine creatures are harmed by plastic. It undergoes ingestion, suffocation and entanglement. Marine creatures such as seabirds, whales, fish and turtles mistake plastic for food and sometimes die because they are full of plastic. Plastic debris can carry pathogens and trigger an infection.
How many million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year?
According to the UNEP, at least 11 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans each year. That’s the equivalent of dumping one garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute. If nothing is done, this will increase to two garbage trucks a minute by 2030 and four per minute by 2050!
True or False: There are many alternatives to single use plastic products.
There are some substitutes for fossil fuel-based plastics that we can use. From plastic to plastic from processed corn, various plastic replacements already exist or are being invented.
How many marine species are harmed by plastic pollution?
Compiled reports recorded from around the world found evidence of more than 800 species becoming entangled or swallowing plastic debris. According to the UN it has increased from 663 to 817 since 2012
What percent of its plastic does the U.S. recycle?
Only about 5 percent of 51 million tons of U.S. plastic waste was recycled in 2021.
Approximately, Americans use about how many plastic drinking straws per day?
On average, Americans use 1.6 plastic drinking straws every day, totaling to 500 million per day. That’s enough to fill up 125 school buses a day, or 45,625 school buses a year! Drinking straws may not seem like a lot of plastic but they add up quickly. Instead of getting plastic straws at restaurants or cafes, you can bring your own reusable straw or simply go straw free.
What percentage of global oil consumption does plastic production account for?
Roughly 6% of the world's total oil consumption is attributed to plastic production. While this proportion might appear relatively small on a global scale, this is equivalent to the oil consumption of the global aviation sector.
On average, how long is a plastic bag used by a person before being thrown away?
According to the UN Environment Programme, 15 minutes is the average “service time” of a plastic bag before it is thrown away. Globally, 500 billion plastic bags are used annually.
By what year do scientists predict plastic will outweigh fish in the ocean, pound for pound?
A report done by the World Economic Forum found that there are over 150 million tonnes of plastic in the oceans today. That is about 1 tonne of plastic for every 3 tonnes of fish. Keeping up a business-as-usual trend will have plastic outweighing fish in the ocean by 2050.
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