Read about the plastic pollution crisis, learn key vocabulary, answer comprehension questions, and write your own opinion.
Read the text carefully. You will need the information for the exercises that follow.
Every year, between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste end up in rivers, lakes and oceans around the world. That is like emptying a rubbish truck full of plastic into the water every single minute. The problem is getting worse: scientists believe there are already between 82 and 358 trillion pieces of plastic floating on the ocean surface.
Most of this plastic comes from countries where there is not enough waste collection. When people throw away plastic bags, bottles or food packaging, the waste often ends up in rivers. The rivers then carry it to the sea. Once in the ocean, plastic does not disappear — it breaks into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. These tiny pieces have been found everywhere, from the Arctic to the deepest part of the ocean.
Plastic pollution is extremely dangerous for marine animals. More than 700 species are affected. Sea turtles, for example, often eat plastic bags because they look like jellyfish. Over half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic at some point in their lives. Around one million seabirds die every year because of plastic, and more than 100,000 marine mammals — including seals, whales and dolphins — are killed by getting tangled in plastic waste such as fishing nets.
One of the most famous examples of ocean pollution is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is a huge area of floating plastic between Hawaii and California. It contains about 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic and covers an area twice the size of the US state of Texas. Most of the rubbish there comes from fishing equipment, plastic bottles and food containers.
What can be done? Governments around the world are working on new laws. The United Nations is trying to create an international agreement to reduce plastic pollution. Some countries have already banned single-use plastics like bags and straws. But experts say that laws alone are not enough — people also need to change their habits. Reducing how much plastic we use, recycling properly, and cleaning up beaches and rivers are all important steps that everyone can take.
Match each word from the text to its correct definition. Use the dropdown menus.
Answer the following questions about the text. Write in complete sentences.
Write a short paragraph (at least 5 sentences) about plastic pollution. Use the questions below to help you.
• Do you think plastic pollution is a serious problem? Why or why not?
• What do you do (or could you do) in your daily life to use less plastic?
• Should governments ban all single-use plastics? Give reasons for your answer.
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