15 Pictures Explain Why Throwing Away Plastic Bottles Puts Our World In Great Danger

At present, humanity makes approximately 300 million tons of plastic each year. And half of it is used just once (such as bags and wrapping).

Only 10 percent of it is recycled, while the rest goes to garbage dumps and rivers. A recent study indicated that ten rivers (two in Africa and eight in Asia) transport 90 percent of all the plastic which ends up in our oceans. The scale of pollution is devastating, and many of us don’t even realize how awful the situation is.

Below there are 15 photos that will show you how much devastation we have caused to the Earth. The video at the end will also leave you speechless.

We have produced more plastic in the past ten years than during the whole 20th century.

Not enough is known about the long-term effects of plastics pollution, but what we do know looks bad. More than 1 million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the world. #stopplasticpollution #recycle #movefortheearth #savetheworld #bbc For starters, there is an immense amount of it. Some 322 million tons of plastic, which amounted to more than 900 Empire State Buildings in mass, was produced in 2015, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Last year, a study published in scientific journal Science Advances estimated that the modern world had produced around 8.3 billion metric tons of virgin — newly manufactured — plastic. By 2015, 6.3 billion metric tons of that had become plastic waste, but just 9 percent had been recycled, the researchers found.

A post shared by MoveForTheEarth (@movefortheearth) on Apr 23, 2018 at 9:54pm PDT

An albatross died because it accidentally ate plastic.

Laysan Albatrosses' Plastic Problem... Many birds accidentally eat plastic and other marine debris floating in the ocean, mistaking it for food #earth #plasticpollution #gravetendencies

A post shared by @ gravetendencies on May 6, 2018 at 7:42pm PDT

A young turtle got stuck in a piece of plastic.

© DontPanicImIslamic / imgur

This poor turtle got stuck in the remains of a plastic bucket.

There is no away.. • This poor Hawksbill Turtle has been stuck in the remnants of this plastic bucket for several years, the bucket deforming its shell and likely creating health issues for the rest of its life. • Globally, Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered due to poaching for its meat and shell (where tortoiseshell comes from), becoming bycatch during IUU and legal fishing ops, plastic pollution and government shark control programs. • I can only hope this poor animal receives the help it needs. Please reduce your plastic use and refuse single use plastics. 📷: Unknown - Posted from FB. #turtle #turtles #nature #wildlife #ocean #marinelife #reducereuse #refusesingleuse #noexcuseforsingleuse #plasticpollution #plastic #bucket #trashfreeearth #oneoceanglobal #oneoceandiving #seashepherdmarinedebristeam #tangaroablue #photooftheday #igers #instadaily #follow

A post shared by Ally (@shark_siren) on May 5, 2018 at 5:46pm PDT

Turtles generally have a hard time out there.

Blue Planet II has given us glimpses into the beauty of our oceans and ocean life. From fish with translucent heads, to predatory bobbit worms - we have been introduced to many new and fascinating species. As well as this, the series has highlighted the intense threats facing the oceans. Comment below what you have learnt from #BluePlanet2 🌍 #BluePlanetChampion #Turtle #PlasticPollution #WildlifePhotography #Wildlife #Nature #Oceans #Conservation

A post shared by WWF_UK (@wwf_uk) on Dec 10, 2017 at 12:14pm PST

This stork got wrapped in a plastic bag.

In light of the UK government planning to extend the 5p bag charge to all shops I thought I'd make another pledge . I promise to never again buy a plastic bag . Globally we use 1 TRILLION plastic bags each year equalling nearly 2 MILLION USED EVERY MINUTE! Did you know that typical use time for a bag is just 12 minutes?! . This is unsustainable and incredibly environmentally damaging. Time for an immediate change... join me! . Sources: BBC News: Plastic bag charge, 10.01.18; A Plastic Ocean on @netflix Picture: John Cancalosi . #plasticbag #plasticbagban #plasticbagcharge #plastic #plasticfree #reducereuserecycle #environment #environmental #unwrap #ottilieunwrapped #zerowaste #plasticfreetuesday #plasticocean #plasticpledge

A post shared by ottilieunwrapped (@ottilieunwrapped) on Jan 10, 2018 at 9:33am PST

A duck got stuck in a piece of plastic.

This bird made a nest of plastic waste.

Te triest voor woorden dat de nesten tegenwoordig ook gebouwd worden met plastic 😢 De tulp 🌷is dan a gamechange. #plasticsoup #sad #timeforchange #plastic #sustainability #vervuilingleefgebied #vervuiling #naturephotography #stop #stupid

A post shared by M . van Driel (@upsofar) on Apr 29, 2018 at 3:20am PDT

Beaches are so polluted that plastic is now a home for many creatures.

Another day another sad sight at the beach. A crab caught in a plastic carton !! Time to wake up and see the plastic problem !!!

A post shared by World Energy Solutions (@worldenergysolutions) on May 15, 2018 at 11:06pm PDT

This fish got stuck in a bottle tag.

Gambar pemancing Canadian, Adam Turnbull, terjumpa ikan yang membesar dengan lilitan plastik label minuman di badan, sehingga nampak dagingnya, terbelah dua. Kesian ikan terseksa. Another reminder, buanglah sampah ditempatnya tak kira kecil atau besar. Semuanya bagi impak pada alam. Peringatan apa lagi yang kita perlu?

A post shared by JOM BERSIH PANTAI (@jombersihpantai) on Nov 1, 2017 at 4:50am PDT

Microplastic gets inside fish which we catch and eat later.

MICROPLASTICS! They're in our fish, they're in our water, but what exactly are they? Microplastics are tiny pieces of broken down plastic that measure 5mm or less and as such are small enough to pass through our water filters and end up in the Ocean. There, they are mistaken for food and consumed by fish and other marine life, which are often consumed by us. @unenvironment estimates up to 51 trillion pieces are already in the Oceans. But it's a lot closer to home than that.. @who undertook an analysis of the world's most popular bottled water brands and found that over 90% contained microlastics. So what can we do to be part of the solution rather than the problem? There are various sources of microplastics, but here's some daily differences you can make: Ditch all cosmetic/personal products with 'beads' in them - face/body washes and toothpastes often contain them. Buy/wear less polyester clothing - when they are washed, tiny fragments of the synthetic fabric are drained into waterways and unlike natural fabrics, do not break down. Get a reusable water bottle/coffee cup so that you don't have to drink up to 10000 particles of plastics per 1 litre of bottled water! And most importantly, buy less single use plastics. There is nothing 'disposable' about plastic.

A post shared by No Blue, No Green 🌍 (@nobluenogreen) on May 6, 2018 at 1:11am PDT

Just look at how much useless plastic there is in supermarkets!

#plastic as far as you can see 👎🏻😰 #plasticsoup #plasticpollution #plasticisnotfantastic #leaveitontheshelf #dontbuythis #refusesingleuse #plasticfreeforthesea #saynotoplastic #zerowaste #afvalvrij #stopplasticpollution

A post shared by Cindy (@plasticfreedutchie) on May 9, 2018 at 4:21am PDT

One of the beaches in The Philippines

AMAZING post from @saltsandandsmoothies 🌿💚 "This is Bali. This is the Philippines. This is Asia. This is Indonesia. This is Hawaii. This is the real sh*t that you don’t see on your newsfeed. This is the beach right outside the popular tourist destination you and your friends have had on your bucket list for years. This is the beach right next to the famous surf break you’ve always dreamed of paddling out at. This is the beach around the corner from the cute hipster cafe that sells those fancy açaí bowls you’ve always wanted to try. This is the beach directly below the beautiful infinity pool you’ve always wanted to take a photo in. This is the beach our children will grow up on. This is the beach I’ll grow up on. This is the beach today. This is merely a minuscule fraction of the devastation. If you gain anything from this page or my content on social media, please let it be this - Collectively, we must make a change. Immediately. The most effective way to do this, is to change the way you live first. No one is perfect. I am not perfect. But we can strive to improve our actions each day. Swipe through to see more. I cried while walking down this beach yesterday capturing these photos. I wish each one of you could walked along side me. Travel the world. And then change it for the better. Go with love. Go with motivation." ———————————————— Want to win 2 free tickets? 🎫🎫 Tag the friend you want to bring and fill out our 2 minute questionnaire [DM us ‘YES’ and we’ll send you the link] 📣 Winners Announced Earth Day, April 22nd 💚🌏 . . . . . #noplanetb #noplanetb🌍#noplanetbfest #zerowastelifestyle #plasticfreeforthesea #packagefree #wastefree #minimalwaste #eastlondonstyle #nowastewater #supportbritishbusiness #plasticfreeliving #lifestylehacks #ecoconsious #ecohome #greenlifestyle #greenlivinggoddess #oneplanetonefuture #oneplanetonefuture #goingzerowaste #lowwaste #0waste #sustainablelivingcommunity #sustainably #sustainableluxury #ecopads #reuse #slowlifestyle #watersolutions #saveoursea

A post shared by No Planet B 🌏 Festival (@noplanetbfestival) on Apr 19, 2018 at 4:00am PDT

How would you like swimming in water like this?

Starting with an easy one today by making a pledge... I promise to never again by a plastic drinks bottle. . In 2017 a million plastics bottles were bought around the world every minute and by 2021 this is set to top HALF A TRILLION!! . With one bottle lasting 450 years in the marine environment, never truly going away only getting smaller, I encourage everyone to join me with my pledge. . Sources: sas.org.uk and The Guardian: A million bottles a minute - Laville & Taylor, 2017 Picture: Daily mail, 2014 . #surfersagainstsewage #sas #banthebottle #pledge #plasticbottle #theguardian #plastic #plasticfree #reducereuserecycle #environment #environmental #recycling #unwrap #ottilieunwrapped #zerowaste #banthestraw #refusethestraw #plasticfreetuesday #plasticocean #plasticfreepledge

A post shared by ottilieunwrapped (@ottilieunwrapped) on Jan 2, 2018 at 6:56am PST

Surfing in Indonesia

Bonus: A British diver made a terrifying video while swimming in a sea of plastic near the coast of Bali.

Preview photo credit thehorseshoekid / instagram