Positive thinking

Alex McGoran, Royal Holloway Ever since the issue was highlighted in shows like “Blue Planet 2”, plastic pollution in the world’s oceans has generated a wave of concern among the public . It might surprise people to learn that despite comparably less attention, many of the world’s rivers are just as polluted, if not more so . Around 80% of marine litter starts on land and rivers help transport it out to sea. In this way, plastic pollution is not just a problem for the distant open ocean – it’s an issue on our doorstep. For this reason, I chose to focus on the River Thames and the impact that plastics are having close to home. There are currently no estimates for the amount of plastic in the Thames, but the world’s rivers are estimated to carry up to 4,000 kg of plastic out to sea every day . Despite much of the plastic in the Thames making it to the North Sea, a portion is permanently accumulating in the catchment. A large wet wipe reef on the south bank just upstr...

Laurie Wright, Solent University We’re all too aware of the consequences of plastics in the oceans and on land . However, beyond the visible pollution of our once pristine habitats, plastics are having a grave impact on the climate too. Newly published research calculates that across their lifecycle, plastics account for 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s almost double the emissions of the aviation sector. If it were a country, the “Plastic Kingdom” would be the fifth-highest emitter in the world. Demand is set to rise, too. At 380m tonnes a year, we produce 190 times more plastic than we did in 1950. If the demand for plastic continues to grow at its current rate of 4% a year, emissions from plastic production will reach 15% of global emissions by 2050. Plastic across the lifecycle More than 99% of plastics are manufactured from petrochemicals, most commonly from petroleum and natural gas . These raw materials are refined to form ethylene, propy...