RIC-20213 Primary Writing Year 5 – Reports

Report 1
Problems with plastic
It is estimated that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are now made and used each year. Waste plastic,
particularly in the form of used plastic shopping bags, causes immense problems worldwide for both land and
marine environments.
The problems they cause in the environment include blocking drainage systems, creating litter, adding to landfi ll
waste, choking marine life and consuming energy during the manufacturing process.
Most plastic bags are made from high density
polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is made from liquefi ed
petroleum gas (LPG). The amount of LPG needed
to make one plastic bag would drive a car about
100 metres. An enormous amount of LPG is used
to make the amount of plastic bags the world
requires.
Plastic bags decompose at a very slow rate, ranging
from 20 to 1000 years. This means that plastic
bags are continuing to accumulate. They may be
reused or recycled, but are not being destroyed.
On land, plastic bags block drains and gutters,
stopping the fl ow of rainwater and sewage, resulting
in pollution and threatening natural environments.
Land animals can eat or become trapped in plastic
bags. When the animals die, their bodies naturally
decompose at a much quicker rate than the bag.
The plastic the animal swallowed remains in the
environment to be swallowed by another animal.
Scientists believe more than 100 000 marine
mammals such as seals, whales and dolphins
die each year after being tangled in waste plastic.
The plastic becomes twisted around the animals’
limbs or fi ns, cutting into their fl esh. This slows
them down so they fi nd it diffi cult to catch or eat
food and makes them easy prey. Turtles are thought
to mistake fl oating plastic bags for jellyfi sh, their
favourite food. The plastic can choke the turtle or
block its stomach so it can not eat.
Birds are attracted to the bright colour of some
plastics and eat them. This can choke or poison the
birds. Dead chicks have been found to have plastic
in their stomachs. The parents had been feeding
them what they thought was food.
People can help solve this problem in the following
ways. They can reduce the use of plastic bags by
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using paper or cloth bags, and reuse and recycle
plastic bags as much as possible. People also
need to remember that plastic bags put in bins will
eventually end up in landfi ll, potentially at large in
the environment.
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