11-14
Plastic has only existed for a little over a century, yet it has permeated every aspect of our lives, from clothing and food to housing and transportation. The plastic waste we discard daily seems to "disappear" once it's hauled away by garbage trucks. But in reality, plastic doesn't truly disappear. It may end up in landfills, incinerate, or enter the ocean, or even decompose into smaller particles, continuing to exist in the environment. Globally, over 300 million tons of plastic are produced annually, with approximately 8 million tons ultimately ending up in the ocean. The "disappearance" of this plastic waste is actually a long process of "lurking."