The oceans of the future

The production and consumption of plastic is increasing in the world at a dizzying rate and the consequences are increasingly visible on our planet. The figures are alarming because the sea receives between 5 and 13 tons of plastic per year. These reach the sea through various routes; water drainage systems in urban areas, water flowing through landfills, deliberate garbage dumping, abandoned waste, accidental dumping from ships or through effluents from sewage treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants.

One of the sectors that uses the most plastics is supermarkets. The excessive distribution of bags and the packaging of all kinds of products with this material makes this sector one of the most reported. Their role is crucial and organizations like Greenpeace are asking for alternatives. That is why they have launched Ocean of the Future, a piece that emphasizes the consequences that we will see in the future in all the world’s oceans if there is no change.

Single-use plastics affect marine species and in a less direct way, humans. In addition to the fish getting tangled in plastics, they can ingest them, which is concerning considering the amount of chemicals these materials contain.

In addition to individual conscience, it is necessary for large companies and industries to do their part to prevent what we see in Ocean of the Future from happening. Reusable shopping bags are being used more and more and more and more consumers are giving up buying plastic bags when their purchase is minimal. In the same way, we should ask ourselves the following; Do we need single-use packaging to be laminated? Finding an alternative is essential if we want our oceans to remain the same color as today.