We have been hearing for many years about the negative effects of plastics. Some types of plastic leak endocrine-disrupting chemicals into food, while others choke or fill the stomachs of marine animals until they die a torturous death. There are also the plastics that move in our oceans, and microplastics, which have found their way into shellfish, sea salt, and even bottled water. Yes,we’re definitely all eating plastic.
Now, a researcher at the University of Hawaii inMānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology(SOEST), Sarah-Jeanne Royer, has discovered that lPlastics also release methane and ethylene – greenhouse gases directly related to global warming.As it is, our reliance on plastic is not only cluttering the beaches with horrendous pollution and suffocating sea turtles, but is also contributing to global warming.
During tests investigating how much methane came from normal biological activity in seawater, he discovered that the plastic bottles in which he put the water samples generated more methane than the organisms in the water. It wasan unexpected discovery.
“The team of scientists tested polycarbonate, acrylic, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), materials used to store food, textiles, construction materials and various plastic items,” they detail the authors in the journalPloS One.
The worst thing is not that polyethylene, used in supermarket bags, is the most produced and discarded synthetic polymer worldwide, but that it is the most prolific emitter of methane and ethylene, which means that we are releasing both gases in all parts.
Considering that this source is not cataloged to assess global methane and ethylene cycles, it means that, because this is a new finding, these gases have not been taken into account when calculating and modeling future climate change scenarios, thus which is evidence that we have missed a possible major source of greenhouse gases. It is the tip of the iceberg (plastic).
To top it off, the greenhouse gases released by plastics are likely to continue to rise, as the rate of plastic production is forecast to double over the next two decades.
Are the companies that make plastic aware of this particular environmental effect?
It is impossible to know, but it is most likely that they know this point and want to ignore it for economic interests.
We can do something?
Of course! We can do a lot of things: First, we can keep pushing food and beverage companies to come up with alternative plastic materials that don’t pollute the environment, while holding them accountable for the waste they produce and leave it to the end user. (which is us) to deal with it (recycle it).
We can also reject plastic as much as humanly possible in our everyday lives. Use cloth or paper bags at the supermarket, reject plastic straws, opt for a reusable coffee cup to go. Collect the garbage you generate on the beach, and also in the city (a large amount of plastic reaches the ocean through storm drains). Do what you can at the office, at school, in your neighborhood … And keep this in mind when it becomes tedious: 40-50 years ago before plastics spread in the world, everyone lived without plastic . They didn’t need it. They had parties, beach vacations, morgas, and drank coffee and soft drinks. They stored food and cooked exquisite dishes and desserts. And they lived without plastic. Why can’t we too?
Reference: Production of methane and ethylene from plastic in the environment. Sarah-Jeanne Royer, Sara Ferrón, Samuel T. Wilson, David M. Karl. PLOS ONE 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200574
