A problem with plastic

[Egbert]

I recall reading somewhere that nearly 400 million tons of plastic is produced every year worldwide.
About 10% of plastic is recycled.
A plastic bottle can take over 4 centuries to degrade.

If we make 360 million tons a year for 400 years it means that at current rates we will have a vast quantity of plastic laying around at some point in the future.
(Assuming after 400 years old plastic is degraded and new plastic still being made)

144,000 million tons.

A very very rough estimate, and terrifying.

Any thoughts?

[BeBMan]

I read there are fancy technologies in research to deal with da prob, like having bacteria eating it up. No idea when this will be in practical use

[Berzerker]

as it erodes microplastic gets into everything, including life

[Egbert]

as it erodes microplastic gets into everything, including life

We are just getting started with plastis and already we are seeing serious problem.

We have really only making plastics on a big scale since the 1950s and 1960s giving us around 60 years of accumulated plastic rubbish. I hate to think what it will be like after a few centuries.

We are a messy lot.

[Egbert]

I read there are fancy technologies in research to deal with da prob, like having bacteria eating it up. No idea when this will be in practical use

If it works and if anybody will pay for it.

[Proteus_MST]

as it erodes microplastic gets into everything, including life

Maybe one day humans will end up as plastic people ... like Buzz Lightyear ... due to the constant ingestion of microplastic

[EPW]

Any thoughts?

Welcome to 1993.

[N35t0r]

I recall reading somewhere that nearly 400 million tons of plastic is produced every year worldwide.
About 10% of plastic is recycled.
A plastic bottle can take over 4 centuries to degrade.

If we make 360 million tons a year for 400 years it means that at current rates we will have a vast quantity of plastic laying around at some point in the future.
(Assuming after 400 years old plastic is degraded and new plastic still being made)

144,000 million tons.

A very very rough estimate, and terrifying.

Any thoughts?

This will eventually get buried and over several millions of years form the new fossil fuels that the cockroach civilization will use for their industrial revolution, once we've caused an ecological catastrophe that destroys our civilization

[ZEE]

now we're talkin.

[My Wife Hates CIV]