From food packaging to household items, plastic is widely used for its versatility and durability.
With its convenience comes a harsh truth: it takes between 20 and 500 years to break down, and without proper recycling, it takes up space in landfills and pollutes the environment.
In landfills, plastics gradually break down into toxic particles that contaminate soil and waterways. Plastic pollution can also threaten marine life, increasing the risk of ingestion, suffocation and entanglement for marine species. This makes proper plastic recycling essential in keeping waste out of landfills and oceans.
Reducing plastic use and prioritising reuse should remain the priority. But when plastic is unavoidable, proper recycling is essential to reducing reliance on crude oil for plastic manufacturing - 98% of plastics are derived from fossil fuels - and mitigating climate change.
