Plastic has created a crisis of waste. We must act | National Observer

Plastic has created a crisis of waste. We must act | National Observer
New research suggests Americans ingest an estimated 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles every year; these materials can absorb and leach out harmful chemicals, including persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PBTs), which can be harmful to our development, reproduction and nervous systems. By 2025, the World Bank estimates that globally, humans will produce nearly five trillion pounds of trash every year in urban areas alone — the equivalent of 6,850 Empire State Buildings. Already, Canada leads the developed world in per capita production of waste, with 1,587 pounds per person generated every year. The United States discards 500 billion pounds of solid waste every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Three-quarters of this waste can be avoided or put to secondary use, but only 30 per cent is currently recycled or repurposed.