Ocean plastic pollution is raising alarms, prompting Johnson & Johnson to announce a halt to the production of plastic cotton swabs. Last year, the United Nations warned that the large amounts of empty bottles and clothing floating in the ocean have become a serious threat to human health and the marine environment, representing one of the most dangerous environmental problems facing the world today. Following the advocacy of environmental groups, several multinational companies have pledged to eliminate plastic from their products, and Johnson & Johnson has followed suit, announcing the discontinuation of plastic cotton swabs, replacing them with paper ones. The Independent reports that global plastic production has increased rapidly, rising by 38% between 2004 and 2014, but recycling efforts have not kept pace. This has resulted in large quantities of microplastics smaller than 5 millimeters being washed into the ocean. In 2010, an estimated 4.8 million to 12.7 million tons of plastic were in the sea, ultimately being ingested by whales, plankton, and other marine life. Experiments have shown that replacing 1% of the sediment in worms with plastic has a negative impact on the worms' ability to store energy. A study last year analyzing fish bile sold in Indonesian and California markets found that more than a quarter of the fish contained plastic. Scientists fear that chemicals in plastic, and those adhering to plastic in the natural environment, could cause poisoning, infertility, and genetic damage in marine life, and could also harm humans if ingested in large quantities. A UN report states that the presence of microplastics in food could increase direct human exposure to plastic-related chemicals and potentially pose health risks. People can even inhale airborne microplastics, with effects similar to inhaling car fumes. The report points out that microplastic concentrations are higher in some parts of the world than in others, with East Asia being one of the most affected regions; the oceans around Japan contain 27 times more plastic than anywhere else in the world. Environmentalists worry that microparticles from exfoliants in soaps and cosmetics pollute the oceans, prompting several cosmetic companies, including multinational corporations such as Clarins, Est\u00e9e Lauder, and Procter & Gamble, to pledge to remove microparticles from their products. Furthermore, synthetic fibers are also released into the world's waters through tiny fibers in man-made fabrics, such as wool and polyester in washing machines, and are one of the biggest contributors to ocean plastic pollution. While plastic bags labeled as biodegradable seem like a good solution, in most cases they only decompose at temperatures above 50\u00b0C, which is unsuitable for marine environments. Therefore, the key issue isn't whether or not these eco-friendly materials are used, but rather the thoroughness of recycling efforts and whether the companies that dominate plastic production are willing to address the problem and have alternatives in place. To address marine plastic pollution, Johnson & Johnson announced it would stop selling plastic cotton swabs and switch to paper. The Marine Conservation Society UK pointed out that cotton swabs were the sixth most common type of waste found on UK beaches in 2016, mainly because people habitually flush used cotton swabs down the toilet, causing plastic to pollute the ocean through sewers. Paper cotton swabs, on the other hand, decompose naturally, reducing pollution concerns. Source: CSR one Sustainability Report Platform (2017-02-21)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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