The Plastic Problem

Disposable plastic is cheap, convenient and used every day, yet the majority of it ends up in landfills or the natural environment, releasing toxins, and harming wildlife and eventually us. Globally we produce more than 300 million tons of plastic a year, half of which is intended for single-use.

The Life Cycle of Plastic

Click here to learn more about the production, use, and disposal of plastic and how it affects the environment.

How Does This Affect Me?

“How is this related to me?” you may ask. An ocean of plastic is not only something ugly, it also can have harmful consequences for human beings. Click here to learn more about how plastic and humans fit into the global ecosystem.

Paradox of 'Eco-Friendly' Plastics

At  first glance "environmentally friendly" plastics - plastics that can be broken down by living organisms - seem like a sustainable alternative to plastic, but the reality is far more complicated.

Plastic Harms The Eco-System

Plastics can harm wildlife through ingestion, entanglement and toxicity. Click here to learn more about how plastic is harming our natural world. 

The Life Cycle of Plastic

Growing Production

Waste Generation

Plastic in the Ocean

Recycling

Disposal

How is this related to me?

Problems in the ecosystem

Plastic is found everywhere. As the global economy develops, the world's plastic production will continue to increase.

Most plastic has a short service life and a large amount is intended for single-use. Hong Kong generates 2,132 tonnes of plastic waste every day!

Plastic that is not recycled goes to incinerators, landfills, open dumps or the natural environment.

Plastics can harm wildlife through ingestion, entanglement and toxicological influence.

The main source of ocean plastic is plastic that is littered on land and washed into rivers and the ocean.

Human beings are part of the ecosystem. What goes into the ocean can easily end up inside us!

Micro-plastics found in: 

US!

Micro-plastics are also found in: 

The disposal of plastic is often improperly managed and has a low recycling rate.

Graphic created and research by Sustainability Office Intern Bingo 2018

Compiled by Sustainability Office Intern Kimberlee Onsiong 2018

Ditch Disposable is a campaign organised by the Sustainability Unit, Estates Office, HKU. To see information about other sustainability initiatives, please visit https://www.estates.hku.hk/eo-general/sustainability.

If you have any suggestions or require more information about reducing disposable plastic waste on campus, please do not hesitate to contact us through email, our social media accounts, or the form opposite.

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