Njengoko sele sithethile ngezinye izihlandlo, iplastiki yeyona nto ingcolisa iilwandle neelwandle zethu. Izigidi zeetoni zeplastiki zigcinwe kwiilwandle zethu, zibangela iimpembelelo ezimbi kwiintyatyambo kunye nezilwanyana ezihlala kuzo.
Kukho malunga nezigidi ezili-12 zeetoni yenkunkuma yeplastiki elwandle. Oku ngcoliso akubonakali njengezinye iindlela zongcoliso, kodwa ngokucacileyo kuyingxaki yehlabathi. Iingcali ziqikelela ukuba ukuya kutsho kwisihlanu ekhulwini kuzo zonke iiplastiki eziveliswa ehlabathini lonke ziphela ziyinkunkuma elwandle. Kodwa kwenzeka ntoni ngezi plastiki? Yaye yintoni imiphumo yako kwindalo yaselwandle?
Ungcoliseko lweelwandle neelwandlekazi
Iiplastiki ezininzi zifikelela elwandle ngemilambo. Nje ukuba le nkunkuma ifikelele elwandle, isasazwa yimisinga yaselwandle, ichaphazela iindawo ezinkulu. I-Debris ayifumanekanga kuphela kumanxweme, kodwa naphezu komhlaba nangaphantsi kolwandle. Ngaphandle koko, I-80% yongcoliseko lwaselwandle ivela emhlabeni, ngelixa kuphela i-20% iveliswa yimisebenzi yaselwandle efana neenqanawa.
Inkunkuma yeplastiki inokufikelela elwandle ngenxa yolawulo olungachanekanga lwenkunkuma, umoya nemvula ezirhuqela emilanjeni, nangenxa yokuchitheka ngempazamo. Xa sele beselwandle, ikamva labo aliqinisekanga: banokudada, batshone okanye baginywe zizilwanyana zaselwandle. Oku kusizisa kowona mba wothusayo wale ngxaki yokusingqongileyo: microplastics.
Ingxaki ye-microplastics
Enye yeengxaki ezinkulu kungcoliseko lweplastiki yangoku yi-microplastics. Ezi ziincinci zeplastiki ezincinci, umphumo wokuthotywa kwezinto ezinkulu okanye iinqununu ezikhutshwe ngokuthe ngqo kwimo engqongileyo ngokusebenzisa izimonyo okanye i-tair abrasion. Ngoku kuqikelelwa ukuba I-5 yeebhiliyoni ze-microplastic particles Zidada kwiilwandlekazi zethu, ezinobunzima obuziitoni ezingama-270.000. Ngokutsho kophando, i-94% yeentaka zaselwandle ezifa kunxweme lwaseJamani zinee-microplastics esiswini.
I-Microplastics kunzima ukuyisusa kwindawo kwaye isasazeke ngokulula. Ubuncinci bazo buthetha ukuba izilwanyana ezininzi ziyazitya zicinga ukuba kukutya, nto leyo ebangela iingxaki zokwetyisa, ukungondleki kwaye, ngamanye amaxesha, nokufa. Ukongeza, ngokungena kwikhonkco lokutya, abantu banokutya ii-microplastics ngokutya kwaselwandle.
Iingxowa zeplastiki kunye nengxaki yamazwe asakhulayo
Kumazwe amaninzi aphuhlileyo, anjengeJamani, iingxowa zeplastiki ziya zithintelwa ngakumbi okanye zipheliswe. Nangona kunjalo, kwamanye amazwe asakhulayo, ukusetyenziswa kweplastiki kuyaqhubeka nokukhula ngenxa yokukhula kwamashishini. Oku kwandisa kakhulu ungcoliseko lweplastiki. Ngokweenkcukacha zamva nje, malunga ne-150 yezigidi zeetoni zeplastiki sele zidada elwandle.
Kule mimandla, ukuqokelelwa kwenkunkuma kunye neenkqubo zokulawula azanelanga okanye azikho. Ukunqongophala kweziseko zophuhliso ezaneleyo kwenza kube lula ukuba inkunkuma yeplastiki iphelele emilanjeni, ize iye elwandle, ibe yingxaki yehlabathi. Umzekelo, kuphela yi-9% yeplastiki ephinda isetyenziswe kwihlabathi jikelele, nto leyo eyenza ibe mandundu ingxaki yenkunkuma yeplastiki. Ungcoliseko olubangelwa ngamazwe asahlumayo luyichaphazela ngokunzulu inkqubo yendalo yaselwandle kwaye imele umngeni wehlabathi.
Iindleko zokucoca unxweme lwekhilomitha nje enye zinokufikelela 65.000 euro ngonyaka, nto leyo ebeka umthwalo omkhulu wemali koorhulumente basekhaya.
Impembelelo kwizilwanyana zaselwandle
Impembelelo yeplastiki kubomi baselwandle iyingozi kakhulu. Engaphezulu kwe Iindidi ezingama-600 Iindawo zaselwandle zichatshazelwa yinkunkuma yeplastiki, mhlawumbi ngokuginya okanye ngokubanjiswa kuyo. Imikhomo, iidolphin kunye neefudo zaselwandle zidibanisa inkunkuma yeplastiki kunye nokutya kwabo, okunemiphumo emibi. Ngo-2018, umnenga wafunyanwa eMurcia nge Iikhilogram ezingama-30 zeplastiki esiswini sakhe, nto leyo eyabangela ukufa kwakhe ngenxa yosulelo lwesisu.
I-Microplastics ayilimazi kuphela iintlobo ezinkulu, kodwa ichaphazela iintlanzi ezincinci kunye nezinye izidalwa zaselwandle. La masuntswana aqokelelana kwizinto eziphilayo kwaye, xa etyiwa zizilwanyana ezinkulu, angene kwikhonkco lokutya. Ekugqibeleni, abantu banokusebenzisa ezi microplastics xa besitya ukutya kwaselwandle okungcolisekileyo.
Iplastiki kunye nobudlelwane bayo nokutshintsha kwemozulu
Iplastiki ayinaziphumo ezibi kwindalo yaselwandle kuphela, kodwa ikwaphembelela utshintsho lwemozulu. Engaphezulu kwe I-90% yeplastiki Into esiyisebenzisayo namhlanje yenziwe ngamafutha efosili njengeoyile negesi. Imveliso yeplastiki ivelisa izixa ezikhulu zekharbon diokside (CO2), enye yeegesi eziphambili ezinegalelo ekufudumaleni kwehlabathi. Kwi-2015, ukukhutshwa kwehlabathi jikelele okunxulumene nokuveliswa kweeplastiki kwakuyi-1,7 gigatonnes ye-CO2. Ukuba ukuveliswa kweplastiki kuyaqhubeka kwizinga langoku, ngo-2050 ezo kukhutshwa zilindeleke ukuba ziphindwe kathathu ukuya kwi-6,5 gigatonnes.
Kwakanye kokusingqongileyo, iiplastiki ziyaqhubeka nokuba negalelo kutshintsho lwemozulu. Uphando lubonise ukuba xa iiplastiki zibekwe elangeni, ziyakhulula i-methane kunye ne-ethylene, iigesi ezimbini ezinamandla zegreenhouse ezifak’ isandla ekunyukeni kobushushu bomhlaba.
Izisombululo ezinokwenzeka kunye nemigaqo-nkqubo engenye
Ejongene nale ngxaki, amazwe amaninzi kunye nemibutho iye yaqalisa ukuphumeza imigaqo-nkqubo yokunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kweeplastiki kunye nokukhuthaza uqoqosho lwesetyhula. Le migaqo-nkqubo igxile ekunciphiseni ukusetyenziswa kweeplastiki ezisetyenziswa kanye, ukukhuthaza ukurisayikilishwa nokuphuhlisa imathiriyeli eyenye ehambelana nokusingqongileyo.
IManyano yaseYurophu izithintele iimveliso zeplastiki ezisetyenziswa kanye kuphela, ezinje ngeendiza, izinto zokucheba, iipleyiti kunye necotton swabs. Ukongeza, iiplastiki ezinokubola ezisekelwe kwizinto zendalo ezifana nesitatshi kunye ne-algae ziyaphuhliswa. Nangona ezi zikhetho zingekabi sisisombululo sigqibeleleyo, zimele inyathelo lokuqala elisingise kwikamva elinokuxhomekeka kancinci kwiplastiki.
Kwinqanaba lehlabathi, ezinye iindlela ziyaqwalaselwa, ezifana noxanduva olwandisiweyo lwabavelisi, apho iinkampani ezenza iimveliso zeplastiki kufuneka zihlawule iindleko zokulawula inkunkuma yazo. Oku kunokubandakanya yonke into ukusuka ekusetyenzisweni ngokutsha ukuya ekucocweni iilwandle ezingcolisekileyo.
Njengabathengi, sinokuba yinxalenye yesisombululo ngokunciphisa ukusebenzisa kwethu iiplastiki, ukurisayikilisha ngokufanelekileyo kunye nokukhetha ezinye iindlela ezizinzileyo.
Iplastiki iye yasuka ekubeni yinto etshintshayo yaba sisisongelo kwindalo esingqongileyo. Nangona sele sibona iziphumo ezibi, sisenalo ixesha lokutshintsha lo mkhwa kunye nokukhusela iilwandle zethu.