Facts about the plastics soup problem

August 2022 and the plastic problem just keeps growing. More and more studies show that this is really a huge problem and if we continue like this it will only become a bigger problem. Retulp has been involved in the fight against plastic soup for years. We will explain the reasons why with a number of plastic soup facts.

For example, did you know that a truck full of plastic waste is simply dumped into our oceans every minute? Yes you read that right: a truck full...every minute. That amounts to almost 9 million tons of plastic every year according to scientists at the University of Georgia. And then you would think that with all the information we now have that the pinnacle has been reached. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it is expected that by 2050 we will have made this problem 4 times bigger than it is today.

The impact on both flora and fauna is enormous. Not only for more than 700 species of marine animals that suffer from this plastic soup. It can also have major consequences for all life on land. In fact, the results of a study by the University of California show that plastic soup is a kind of vehicle for germs. Bacteria, viruses and fungi use plastics to spread further into the oceans. But also in places on land where they would not normally be found.

More plastic soup facts! These pathogens get carried away nicely on the microplastics floating on the water. These microplastics consist partly of disintegrated plastic waste and partly of microplastics from our washing machines and cosmetics. Think about washing synthetic clothing and using scrubs, for example, with tiny plastic balls in them. The particles that sink to the bottom of the oceans end up in filter feeders such as oysters and mussels, which then ingest these parasites, which can then end up on the plate of the consumer.

These were just a few of the most current plastic soup facts. For Retulp, these plastic soup facts are all the more reason to make ourselves even stronger in the fight against plastic soup. In our blog about Club Kakatua you can read how we do this in practice. You can help us in this fight by buying one of our fine Mission Edition bottles and especially by always using it instead of buying a new plastic bottle. The stainless steel bottles not only drink better than a plastic bottle, they also keep your water much cooler!

Check out the Mission Edition products.

And check out the next page for even more plastics soup facts.