Biodiversity Loss: Plastic Pollution, Restoration, and Impacts

This report delves into the detrimental effects of plastic pollution on biodiversity, focusing on the impact on marine life and the broader ecosystem. It examines the sources of plastic waste, the ways it harms species, and the potential for restoration through methods like polishing car headlights and using biodegradable plastics. The report highlights the importance of reducing plastic usage and implementing effective waste management strategies, including the use of dustbins, to mitigate pollution. It also discusses both short-term and long-term goals for plastic restoration, emphasizing the need to eliminate harmful plastics and conserve sea life. The report references relevant studies and provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and potential solutions related to plastic pollution and its impact on biodiversity.

PLASTICS KILL BIODIVERSITY
Plastic pollution
Effect of Plastic on Biodiversity
• According to United Nations, almost about 800 species in
worldwide seas and lands are viciously affected by lump of
marine debris of which 80 percent of this litter is waste
plastic(("Plastic Pollution Affects Sea Life Throughout the
Ocean", 2019)
• Seabirds, sea fishes, sea turtles, and marine mammals
gets entangled in the debris, ingesting plastic debris,
causing suffocation, poisoning and drowning.
• While non biodegradable plastics are somewhere
estimated to take about hundreds and hundreds of long
years to completely decompose but thermal, chemical and
catalytic degradation of plastics can form harmful
substances affecting sea life, viciously.
Say no to plastic
Plastic Restoration Methods
How plastic kills sea life
The end goal of restoration project
• The end goal of plastic restoration project is to conserve sea life
and all other forms of life including human from the harmful effects
of plastic pollution
• The idea to eliminate this form of unnecessary pollution from
biosphere.
Long term and Short term goals of
Restoration
References
• Plastic Pollution Affects Sea Life Throughout the Ocean.
(2019). Retrieved from https://
www-aws.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/20
18/09/24/plastic-pollution-affects-sea-life-throughout-the-oce
an
• Brodhagen, M., Peyron, M., Miles, C., & Inglis, D. A. (2015).
Biodegradable plastic agricultural mulches and key features of
microbial degradation. Applied microbiology and
biotechnology, 99(3), 1039-1056.
• Car headlights is made up of long-lasting polycarbonate, which
also degrades over period of time, affecting the clarity with
appearance of exterior headlights. Hence these headlights are
thrown adding to plastic pollution. Fortunately though,
polishing these surfaces can actually restore polycarbonate
again. The car also must be washed nicely to wipe off
excessive dirt. The adjacent area around of the headlights
should always be masked off totally with a tape to prevent any
sort of surface damage. Abrasive materials like sandpaper can
be used to wipe and remove the outer hazy layer caused by
oxidation.
• Using dustbins to fill in the dumps and usage of ploy-hydroxy butyrate
bio degradable plastic is an important restoration method (Brodhagen
et al., 2015).
• The short term goal which is to provide, encourage the use to
dustbins to dump wastes can be achieved within nine months to
one year.
• Usage of bio degradable plastic on an extensive basis and
eliminate the usage of other harmful plastics – a complete
replacement is a long term plan which might take around 2 years.