Life

New Study: US 3rd worst ocean polluter

We’re told to recycle so it doesn’t end up in a landfill, but a recent study suggests, a sizeable amount of plastic trash in the US never even makes it there.

The Associated Press reports one to two million tons of plastics go astray every single year. That means it doesn’t end up in recycling centers or landfills.

Where does it go? As many as 1,300 plastic grocery bags – per person – end up on roadways and in waterways, including the oceans.

Previous studies appear to paint the US with a better brush than reality as they only looked at what actually ends up where it was supposed to be. Some researchers now think that up to 1.6 million tons of US plastics have ended up in the ocean. Making the United States the 3rd worst ocean polluter in the world.

Are you vigilant about recycling? Do you make it a habit not to use some plastic products? Would bio-degradable hemp-based plastics go along way to solving this issue?

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