Page 12 - aruba-today-20201103

A12 SCIENCE
Tuesday 3 November 2020
Study: 1 to 2 million tons of US plastic trash go astray

By SETH BORENSTEIN ting trucked to Boston,"
AP Science Writer Law said. "And then it's
More than a million tons a getting put on a ship that's
year of America's plastic sailing most of the way
trash isn't ending up where around the world for some-
it should. The equivalent of body to unpack it and pick
as many as 1,300 plastic through it and cut labels off
grocery bags per person is it in hopes that some por-
landing in places such as tion of that material will be
oceans and roadways, ac- turned into (plastic) pellets
cording to a new study of and into a children's toy or
U.S. plastic trash. whatever.''
In 2016 — the last year The situation has been
enough data was avail- changing, she said. China
able and before several and other countries have
countries cracked down on become more restrictive
imports of American waste about taking U.S. trash im-
— the United States gener- ports, and more plastic is
ated 46.3 million tons (42 ending up in landfills here.
million metric tons) of plas- "U.S. exports of plastic waste
tic waste, by far the most have declined dramati-
in the world. Between 2.7% cally — nearly 70% — since
and 5.3% of that was mis- their peak in 2016," Josh-
managed — not burned, ua Baca, vice president
placed in landfills or other- for plastics at the industry
wise disposed of properly, group American Chemistry
according to a study in Fri- In this Oct. 22, 2019, photo, plastic and other debris sits on the beach on Midway Atoll in the Council, said in an email.
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
day's journal Science Ad- Associated Press Beginning next year, many
vances. countries won't accept U.S.
Between 1.2 million and Previous studies hadn't put that 560,000 to 1.6 million that don't get meticulously waste experts because of
2.5 million tons (1.1 million the United States among tons (510,000 to 1.5 million measured. a new international agree-
to 2.2 million metric tons) the 10 worst offending na- metric tons) of U.S. plas- "This more detailed esti- ment, he said.
of plastic generated in the tions for plastic waste in tic waste likely went into mate provides a more re- Baca said the industry is
U.S. were dropped on land, oceans. That's because oceans. alistic view of our misman- spending billions of dollars
rivers, lakes and oceans as the U.S. Environmental Pro- "We are facing a global cri- aged waste and leakage," trying to fix the problem,
litter, were illegally dumped tection Agency only tracks sis of far too much plastic said University of Toronto with modernized recycling
or shipped abroad then what goes into official parts waste," said study lead au- ecology professor Chelsea technology and new busi-
not properly disposed of, of the waste stream such as thor Kara Lavender Law, an Rochman, who wasn't part ness models to reduce
the study found. landfills and recycling cen- oceanography professor at of the study. "We consume waste while urging man-
If you took nearly 2.5 million ters, and its data doesn't the Sea Education Associa- a lot of plastic per capita datory recycled content
tons (2.2 million metric tons) capture the dirtier aspects tion in Cape Cod, Massa- which then becomes plas- standards for new products
of mismanaged plastic of plastic trash disposal, chusetts. The new research tic waste. We recycle very and packaging.
waste — bottles, wrappers, study authors said. "was motivated by the fact little of this material." The EPA last week launched
grocery bags and the like So some researchers from that we know the United A large but hard to quan- a new strategy for combat-
— and dumped it on the previous studies decided States was leaking more tify part of the problem in- ting marine litter and next
White House lawn, "it would to look deeper into what plastic than estimated," she volves the 51% of U.S. plas- month will have a recy-
pile as high as the Empire happens to U.S. trash and said. tic waste shipped abroad cling summit, said agency
State Building," said co- found so much is improp- The study's estimates range for recycling to countries spokesman James Hewitt.
author Jenna Jambeck, an erly handled that America so widely, Law said, be- that routinely mismanage "The best thing you can do
environmental engineering ranks as high as the third cause so much of what the waste, Law said. environmentally is to pro-
professor at the University worst ocean plastic pol- researchers explored were "We're putting this in the duce no waste at all," Jam-
of Georgia. luter. The study estimated waste disposal activities blue bin and then it's get- beck said. q
Scientists find Madagascar chameleon last seen 100 years ago

Talk about good camou- journal Salamandra, the tebrates," said Frank Glaw,
flage! team led by scientists from curator for reptiles and am-
Scientists say they have the Bavarian Natural History phibians at the ZSM.
found an elusive chame- Collections ZSM said genet- Researchers said the fe-
leon species that was last ic analysis determined that male of the species, which
spotted in Madagascar the species is closely relat- had never previously been
100 years ago. ed to Labord's chameleon. documented, displayed
Researchers from Mada- Researchers believe that particularly colorful pat-
gascar and Germany said both reptiles only live during terns during pregnancy,
Friday that they discovered the rainy season — hatch- when encountering males
several living specimens ing from eggs, growing and when stressed.
of Voeltzkow's chameleon rapidly, sparring with rivals, The scientists say that the
during an expedition to the mating and then dying dur- Voeltzkow's chameleon's
This photos taken on Saturday, March 31, 2018 and provide by northwest of the African is- ing a few short months. habitat is under threat from
the Staatliche Naturwissenschftliche Sammlung Bayerns, SNSB,
shows a male Voeltzkow-Chameleon in Madagascar. land nation. "These animals are basical- deforestation.q
Associated Press In a report published in the ly the mayflies among ver-