A recent study by the World Economic Forum found that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. At this stage more than $100-billion worth in plastic enters the world’s waste stream only after a single use, and the majority of the plastic is deposited into natural ecosystems, oceans in particular.

Some may be surprised at the size of some of the ocean’s plastic islands that circle the globe with the major currents, but most plastic waste does not conglomerate in this fashion; it spreads out and contaminates all areas in the ocean. Unfortunately, the plastic that we regularly dispose of in the oceans results in the loss of marine life, and the actual mass of plastic within the oceans is expected to double within the next 20 years. This is as plastic production is set to increase at a dizzying pace. Plastic is still considered the finest packaging material on the planet, and is used in almost all packaging and in all industries.

Plastic found in the body of a runner fish, which is the cause of millions of fish deaths.

 

This is not good use for the wildlife in our oceans. Plastic is often thrown away after its initial use and is hardly recycled. This is because plastic is relatively cheap to produce, and the recycling process actually costs more than the production process from petrolium to plastic. Plastic takes many hundreds or even thousands of years to degrade, and without proper recycling it will continually pollute our oceans and destroy marine life.

Recent efforts have been made to find ways of making the recycling process both cheaper and easier. Methods include converting recycled plastic into a hard hydrocarbon that can be used as a feed in plastic production, or as a heavy fuel for use in heating or power production.

Design Packaging & Tapes is a countrywide destributor of the finest quality plastic packaging materials that includes pallet-wrap, shrink-wrap and plastic bags. However, just because we produce excellent plastic packaging products from our factory-warehouse in Gauteng, does not mean that we advocate the littering and dumping of plastic materials. We encourage all businesses and individuals to find ways of recycling their plastic waste, or ensuring that it gets sent to a responsible waste management business that ensures the recycling of plastics. This is what is required if we ever hope to ensure the survival of many plant and animal species.

For your supply of quality plastic packaging materials, contact Design Packaging & Tapes today.