Introduction

Plastic pollution is an increasing threat in our society. Massive amounts of plastic are littered daily and most of it ends up in our waterways, and ultimately the ocean. Over multiple years the sun breaks down plastic bottles in the ocean into smaller bits. These smaller bits end up soaking in toxins from the water. That means that the more bottles we produce and litter, the more that ends up in oceanic gyres and become toxic. For example the Great Pacific Gyre has a slush layer of plastic debris the size of Texas! Filter feeders, who come to the surface for zooplankton and algae, can suck in the plastic slush and can suffocate, choke, and die. Not only is it a threat to wildlife, but also boats traveling through the slush can get clogged up in water intake systems and propellers. 50 million in insurance claims were filed in Japan due to plastic in the ocean. Plastic in the ocean, that does biodegrade, can also leech chemicals into the ocean, disrupting the ecosystem. There is hope, however, because global awareness along with education about plastic pollution and the importance of recycling can greatly cut down on the amount of waste. As the immortal Notorious B.I.G. once said, “You can’t change the world unless we change ourselves.”

Causes Document

There are a variety of different causes of plastic pollution in the world today. We focus on two main causes of plastic pollution: plastic that is caught in drainage systems and litter from fishing boats. When plastic is littered it ends up in the drainage systems. The plastic gets caught in the drainage system which then causes a build up and eventually pours into the oceans. The plastic in the ocean from the drainage systems and also the littering from fishing boats is a travesty to marine life. Many different species of fish believe that they can eat this plastic because it is shiny and then it gets caught in their throat.

Graphic of Causes

Research Document

http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/trashing-ocean?gclid=CPKvvJLD7KgCFQoObAodtUlbbA
• North Pacific gyre has enormous amount of trash
• AKA Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch
• Size of Texas
• 80% came from land
• Animals become entangled in large pieces of debris and can be cut, drowned, or slowed down by dragging the extra weight.
• Heavy gear like abandoned fishing nets can damage reefs and other important habitats.
• Each year, marine debris kills more than one million birds and 100,000 marine mammals
• Causes hundreds of boating accidents.
• Plastic makes up 60 to 80 percent of marine debris worldwide
• Most plastics are not biodegradable
• Plastic bits outweigh plankton by more than six to one in NPG
• Filter feeders that strain food out of the water, mistake plastic for food
• Albatross chicks die of starvation and dehydration because their parents have fed them bottle caps and cigarette lighters, which they can't digest
• Plastic products soak up toxic chemicals from seawater
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html
• Degrading plastics are leaching potentially toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A
• All the water samples were found to contain derivatives of polystyrene
• Degraded at temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit
• Interfere with the reproductive systems of animals
• About 44 percent of all seabirds eat plastic often with fatal effects.
• 267 marine species are affected by plastic garbage
• The chemicals can potentially cause cancer
• Most debris is smaller than a fifth of an inch dispersed over millions of square miles of ocean and miles deep in the water column.
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Po-Re/Pollution-of-the-Ocean-by-Plastic-and-Trash.html
• City storm sewers are a significant source of solid waste entering the sea from land sources
• Items that are brought to the beach and left there by beachgoers;
• Garbage deliberately or accidentally discarded by ships at sea or from offshore oil platforms

Solution Document

We have come up with two different solutions to stop this plastic pollution. The first solution that we have is to place chicken wire at the opening of each drainage systems. The chicken wire will allow water to still flow into the drains while at the same time it will stop plastic bottles and other harmful materials. The second solution that we have is our Soda Fountain Machine Refill Station Apparatus. Instead of having machines that dispense soda bottles or cans, we have created a machine that just dispenses the soda. The apparatus will be most commonly used in a workplace, but every person who plans to use the device will have their very own reusable bottle. This way they can use the same bottle every time that they want to get a soda.

Graphic of Solution