What is the problem with plastic?

Part ofThe Regenerators

Part of Pollution and waste topic

Welcome to The Regenerators.

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Introduction

Plastic is a really useful man-made material that has transformed our lives, but what happens after we throw it away is causing a big problem for our planet.

Plastic waste can last for hundreds of years, spoiling beaches, hurting wildlife and contaminating our food.

We all need to work together to solve this problem and there are lots of things you can do to help.

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You've got a message!

Catch up with Kayla (from the future!) to discover some ways we can solve our problem with plastic.

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Uses of plastics

Since being discovered over 100 years ago, plastic has completely changed our lives.

We use it to make an incredible range of useful things, including household items, food packaging, fishing nets, medical products and technology.

An array of plastic objects - clothes, shoe, phone, lunchbox, football, camera

Find out about some of the different ways we use plastic in the slideshow below.

Skip image gallery
  1. A football, boots and an astroturf pitch, all made of plastic.

    Sports

    The ball, the boots and even the pitches in football now contain plastic.

The properties of plastic mean that it’s lightweight, strong and waterproof, which is great for making durable products that last a long time. However, these properties also make it a problem for the environment.

Most plastic cannot , which means it doesn't rot, like paper or food. Instead, plastic waste can last for a very long time after it is thrown away.

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Plastic in our oceans

Even if you don’t live by the sea, the plastic that you throw away can find its way into the ocean.

Around 80% of the plastic in the ocean comes from the land. Here, it can pose a huge threat to marine life.

plastic in the environment infographic
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Impact of plastic

Plastic floating in the ocean
Once in the environment, plastic can take hundreds of years to break down.

Animals can become caught in pieces of plastic or mistakenly see it as food. If they cannot digest it then the animal may become ill and die.

Over time, plastic can be broken into smaller and smaller pieces. These tiny particles of plastic, known as microplastics, are eaten by fish and other sea creatures.

The chemicals from the plastic are passed along the food chain and can ultimately end up in the food we eat.

Plastic floating in the ocean
Once in the environment, plastic can take hundreds of years to break down.
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Join Lindsey from Blue Peter as she travels to Bass Rock in North Berwick, Scotland to see the impact that our plastic waste is having on the thousands of seabirds living there.

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Did you know?

Originally, the invention of plastic helped protect some animals that had been hunted for their .

Plastic was used to replace materials like ivory (from elephant tusks) and tortoise shell.

These materials had been used to make furniture and objects like combs, jewellery and piano keys.

Did you know?
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What can we do about it?

There are lots of people working hard to tackle plastic pollution, from scientists and engineers, to charities and governments.

However, we all have a part to play to fix this, and there are lots of ways you can make a difference.

To start with, you can remember three simple rules to help cut down your plastic waste:

Reduce

Reducing the number of plastic things we buy means we end up reducing the amount of rubbish we produce.

Reuse

Reusing things multiple times is a great way of reducing the rubbish we throw away too.

Recycle

Lots of things can be recycled and made into something else. Look at the label and find out how recycling works in your local area.

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Doing things differently

The best thing we can do is reduce the amount of plastic we use, especially, found in things such as plastic bags, bottles, straws and crisp packets.

We can do this by switching to alternative materials or items that can be used again and again. Have a look at some different examples in the slideshow below.

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  1. Someone wrapping food in beeswax paper on a kitchen surface top.

    Beeswax paper

    Instead of plastic bags or clingfilm, beeswax paper is an alternative because it easily cleaned and is reusable.

To reduce the amount of plastic we use there is sometimes a charge. For example, plastic shopping bags now cost money to encourage people to reuse their own bags instead.

Lots of companies and business are changing too, including making their products and packaging easier to recycle or even plastic free.

We've also stopped producing certain plastic items altogether. There is now a ban on single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers in England.

However, cutting out plastic completely would be impossible, so more of us are recycling it. This means that it can be used again to make something new and it stops it from becoming litter.

To deal with the problem we need to think about how use plastic and how we get rid of it in a way that doesn't damage our environment or become a problem for other people and living things around the world.

The plastic problem is a big one and you might think that you can only play a small part, but if we all change things together, we can make a big difference!

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Top tips

Kayla saying top tips
  • Think ahead by keeping reusable plastic items to hand, like a water bottle or reusable shopping bag.
  • Find out which plastics your local recycling centre accepts and make sure you recycle them.
  • Be creative and reuse old items for something new.
  • Clean up your local environment. Every piece of plastic litter you pick up is one less piece in nature.
  • Talk to people about your ideas and what you’ve done, as this might encourage them to make a change too.
Kayla saying top tips
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Lesson complete!

Well done, you've completed this lesson. Now let's see what you can remember.

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Plastic investigation

This investigation looks at what plastic is, what it’s used for and how it impacts on the environment.

Watch the film below before carrying out the investigation.

Equipment

  • A synthetic fleece
  • A bowl
  • Warm or cold water
  • A funnel
  • A jug
  • Two sheets of filter paper

Expected duration

Approximately 45 mins

A pen and paper

Download the accompanying BBC Bitesize for Teachers resource sheet.

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