Just a few days back, we’ve celebrated this year’s Environment Day. WED-2025 placed a strong emphasis on eliminating plastic pollution. The theme guiding the global efforts has been ‘Beat Plastic Pollution.’ Notably, this focus on plastic is not unique to this year; the theme of World Environment Day in 2023 was also centered on plastic, titled ‘Solutions to Plastic Pollution.’
The issue is evident for all to see. Over the past several decades, plastic pollution has spread to every corner of the world. It is ubiquitous, can be found in our drinking water, in our food, and alarmingly, inside our bodies, circulating through the bloodstream. Microplastics have even been detected in the placenta, the organ that connects a developing fetus to the mother’s womb. This pervasive presence of plastic pollution has become a serious environmental concern and stands as one of the most urgent ecological challenges of our time!
Considering these concerns, three years back now (in 2022), leading nations around the world came together to establish a ‘Plastic Pollution Treaty.’ The agreement aimed to reinforce the global commitment to curb plastic pollution. The Global Plastic Treaty is a legally binding international accord, with the goal of ending worldwide plastic pollution by 2040.
Currently, approximately 400 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, and it is also projected that, by 2060, this figure might triple. Alarmingly, only about 9% of all plastic produced is recycled. The rest is either buried, or indiscriminately discarded, accumulating in the environment and contaminating local ecosystems. Furthermore, huge quantities of plastic enter the sea, as these wastes are dumped into the oceans. It is feared that by 2050, the oceans may contain more plastic than fish by weight. Many species of marine mammals and seabirds die each year due to plastic pollution. These statistics are deeply troubling.
Roughly 118 years ago plastic was first invented. The invention of the first fully synthetic plastic is credited to Leo Baekeland, a Belgian American chemist, in 1907. His invention, Bakelite, was a groundbreaking material made by combining two chemical substances (phenol and formaldehyde). Today, the term ‘plastic’ in the first place brings to our mind everyday disposable items such as carry bags, teacups, or mineral water bottles. However, from a scientific perspective, plastics are broadly classified into two categories: thermoplastics and thermosets. The thermoplastics can be repeatedly softened by heating and reshaped, whereas thermosets, once hardened through heat, cannot be re-melted.
Among thermoplastics, there are six primary types; (i) Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), used in water bottles and textile fibers; (ii) High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), used in milk containers and water jugs; (iii) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), used in piping, medical devices, and construction materials; (iv) Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), used in plastic bags and food packaging; (v) Polypropylene (PP), used in automobile parts; and Polystyrene (PS), used in disposable cutlery and insulation. Likewise, Thermosets also have four main types: (i) Epoxy, used in adhesives like industrial glues; (ii) Polyurethane, used in foam production; (iii) Polyesters, used in reinforced composite materials; and (iv) Bakelite, used in bottle caps and automobile components.
In recent years, there has been growing concern over microplastics. These are synthetic solid particles or polymeric matrices that may or may not have a defined shape. Their size ranges from 1 micrometer (1 μm) to 5 millimeters and they are insoluble in water. Microplastics pose serious risks to both human health and the environment.
Microplastics are of two types: primary and secondary. Primary microplastics are deliberately manufactured to be less than 5 mm in size and are used in products such as cosmetics, different items needed for our personal care, and for industrial applications. Secondary microplastics generally result from the degradation of larger plastic objects (like water bottles, bags, or fishing nets) into smaller fragments, usually under 5 mm in size. An even smaller category, nano-plastics, is more alarming. These plastic particles are smaller than 1 micrometer (i.e., less than 1,000 nanometers). Their minute size makes them especially concerned due to their potential environmental and health impacts. Nano-plastics may originate from the breakdown of larger plastic materials (primary or secondary plastic particles) or may be purposefully manufactured.
One global concern of plastic accumulation is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). This patch stretches from the coast of California to the Hawaiian Islands and as far east as Japan. The GPGP is not a solid island of waste, rather an expansive zone filled with enormous quantities of plastic debris, ranging from microplastics to larger items like bottles and fishing nets. On a conservative estimate, about 75% to 86% of this debris emanates from marine fishing activities. The patch goes on peripheral expansion by the whirlpool of rotating ocean currents, which draws debris inward and allows it to accumulate over time. Similar plastic ‘monsters’ are now forming in nearly every ocean around the globe. Regrettably, the misdeeds of mankind have given rise to this and enormous other environmental threats. Addressing them is no longer optional, it is an imperative for the survival of the planet and future generations.
(Author of this article is Dr.Parthankar Choudhury, Professor and Dean,E. P. Odum School of Environmental Sciences, Assam University, Silchar. He can be reached at parthankar@rediffmail.com )
