What is plastic waste? How long does plastic waste take to decompose?

What is plastic waste? How long does plastic waste take to decompose?

Plastic waste is a worldwide problem. Currently, countries around the world are working to eliminate pollution caused by plastic waste.

So what is plastic waste?

Plastic waste is a substance that is difficult or takes a long time to decompose. For example, plastic bags, plastic boxes, bags or old items... Plastic waste includes polyethylene (PE) plastic packaging that becomes waste after use. Domestic waste also contains waste plastics. Plastic waste is actually a mixture of plastic, in which most of it is PE plastic.

How long does plastic waste take to decompose? Photo 1

Normally, the garbage after being thrown will be sent to the garbage disposal area, but a large part of the waste will end up in landfills or worse, drift or release into the sea. So what will that garbage be like and how long will it affect the earth?

The type of waste with the most long-term consequences is plastic, because they are difficult to decompose but easy to produce. This type of waste has a very long decomposition time, up to hundreds of years. Once they decompose does not mean it is safe, the small pieces will continue to move to destroy the ocean, the earth.

Below will tell us about the life cycle of plastic waste!

Plastic bags take up to 10-100 years to decompose.

Toothbrushes are usually made of hard plastic and nylon, which take over 500 years to decompose.

Thick plastic bags, if left deep beneath a landfill, can last indefinitely.

Each year, up to 0.8 billion kg of waste from cigarettes is discharged into the environment.

On average, during her lifetime, a woman will generate 28,189 kg of waste from tampons.

Other parameters of plastic waste in the world.

See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_pollution