The piece shows a smiling family tossing plastic plates and utensils into the air, noting that those items would typically take hours to wash and dry after use but now вЂњno housewife need bother.вЂќ People could make their lives easier by simply throwing out their familyвЂ™s plasticware after every meal.ДЄnd in many ways, plastic has made our lives easier. The items were marketed as disposable and as a way to save precious time.ДЄ 1955 Life magazine article titled вЂњThrowaway LivingвЂќ celebrated the plastic revolution. Production really ramped up when companies began to make household goods-such as plates, cups, and utensils-with the material. Natural materials were in short supply during the war, so people turned to plastic to help construct lightweight planes, parachutes, and supplies.Д«ecause plastic was cheap and plentiful, manufacturers continued to use it after the war. Synthetic, or human-made, plastic was invented in the early 1900s, but production started to soar during World War II (1939-45). Individuals, companies, and even entire countries are taking part in this movement. ThatвЂ™s why the push to reduce plastic usage is gaining traction around the globe. By 2050, itвЂ™s estimated that weвЂ™ll have created 13 billion tons of plastic waste.

вЂњThe amount of plastic produced is growing more and more rapidly,вЂќ warns Ted Siegler, a global waste management expert. The problem is massive and projected to get worse.

Much of the rest ends up in the ocean, threatening the lives of the creatures that live there. Where does all our discarded plastic go? Only a small amount of it is ever recycled. Think of it this way: One of the heaviest statues in the United States, the Statue of Liberty, weighs 225 tons. Worldwide, weвЂ™ve produced a staggering 9.2 billion tons of plastic since the 1950s. They might even last for thousands of years.ДЇor decades, people have sipped from plastic straws and toted groceries in plastic bags without a second thought. And those pieces will stick around for hundreds of years. Instead, it breaks down into tiny pieces over time. Most plastic is human-made, produced using oil and other fossil fuels.Д«ut the very qualities that make plastic so useful to us also make it incredibly dangerous to the environment. ItвЂ™s in everything from electronics and food packaging to medical devices and airplanes. The material is a huge part of our lives. YouвЂ™ve been awake for barely an hour, but youвЂ™ve already used or touched plastic dozens of times. ThatвЂ™s why, around the globe, individuals, companies, and even entire countries are working to reduce their plastic usage. By 2050, itвЂ™s estimated that weвЂ™ll have created 13В billion tons of plastic waste. The problem is massive-and projected to get worse. Much of the rest ends up in the ocean, threatening the lives of the creatures that inhabit its waters. (Think of it this way: One of the heaviest statues in the United States, the Statue of Liberty, weighs 225 tons.) Worldwide, weвЂ™ve produced a staggering 9.2В billion tons of plastic since the 1950s. And all that plastic-much of it used only once-has added up.

And those pieces will stick around for hundreds-or perhaps even thousands-of years.ДЇor decades, people have sipped from plastic straws and toted groceries in plastic bags without a second thought. ItвЂ™s also cheap and durable.Д«ut the very qualities that make plastic so useful to us also make it incredibly dangerous to the environment. What makes plastic so popular? Unlike natural materials such as wood and glass, plastic is lightweight. Most plastic is human-made, produced using oil and other fossil fuels. The material is a huge part of our lives itвЂ™s in everything from electronics and food packaging to medical devices and airplanes. Throwing your binder, folders, and a bag of chips into your backpack, you race out the door. ThereвЂ™s just enough time to grab a cereal bar and a bottle of orange juice before the school bus rolls down your block. You stumble to the shower, dress, brush your teeth, and run a comb through your hair. Beep! Beep! Beep! The alarm on your cellphone shakes you from sleep.

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