• Question: How long would a plastic bottle last in the sea before degrading into micro plastics

    Asked by away021ace to Olga, Madhumidha, Connor, Canice, Aruna, Anthony on 10 Mar 2020.
    • Photo: Aruna Chandrasekar

      Aruna Chandrasekar answered on 10 Mar 2020:

      They stay there for 450 years before they disintegrate into tiny pieces.

    • Photo: Canice Coogan

      Canice Coogan answered on 10 Mar 2020:

      Maybe 50 years to reach the size of 5mm but may take a 1000 years to fully break down into molecules.

    • Photo: Olga Ormond

      Olga Ormond answered on 11 Mar 2020:

      Estimates are that it takes plastic bottles up to 450 years to decompose in the ocean, but in reality no-one really knows for sure. The plastic breaks into smaller and smaller pieces under the light of the sun and the activity of moving about in the ocean.
      Definitely should avoid single use plastic bottles where possible, and recycle where not!

    • Photo: Anthony Newell

      Anthony Newell answered on 11 Mar 2020:

      100s years, and even then they can be eaten by fish and then us when we eat the fish. Taking plastic out of our food sources is becoming more and more difficult as more plastic is irresponsibly dumped into the rivers and ocean.

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