NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF PLASTIC

• Plastic is not biodegradable so it never goes away.
• Plastic is harmful to our bodies because it releases toxic chemicals
• Plastic is found in our food chain because we eat animals that eat plastic.
• Plastic threatens wildlife animals because they can get caught in the plastic.

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PLASTIC

• Plastic is good for recycling because it doesn’t biodegrade.
• Plastic is durable.
• Plastic is cheap to produce.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Cancer
• Birth defects
• Endocrine disruption
• Impaired immune system
• Reproduction problems

SOURCES

• The World Bank
• Zendesk
• Ncsl.org
• Plastic bag laws.org
• Curver.com

STATISTICS

• 500 million plastic straws are used daily in the U.S.
• 35 billion plastic water bottles are thrown away annually in the U.S.
• 50% of the plastic we use is thrown away after a signal use. (Plastic doesn’t decompose, but it does break down into smaller pieces).

IMPROVEMENTS

• Plastic can be recycled during manufacturing.
• Certain policies and laws regarding plastic can be put in place to decrease the amount of plastic harm.
• Campaigns can be held to promote how to properly use plastic.

IMPROVEMENTS CONT.

• State level-bans and fees are put in place regarding plastic use.
• National-The Plastic Bag Reduction Act of 2009. This act places a 5 cent fee on single bag uses.

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VOCABULARY

• Plastic-a non-biodegradable material used to make many different products.
• Biodegradable-decomposable\ can be broken down.