Because we use a lot of plastic in the world.

In 2019, 460 million tons of plastic were produced. That’s a lot!

We make bags, bottles, toys, packaging with it…

But how does plastic pollute?

It starts with its manufacture. It’s made with petroleum to which chemicals are added. All this generates gases, responsible for global warming. 

Also, some plastic objects are only used once before being thrown away. 

And they are sometimes left abandoned in the environment, where they break down into tiny pieces invisible to the naked eye, called “microplastics”. 

These microplastics seep into the ground and pollute the water table. 

But it’s in the oceans that there’s the most plastic waste. 

Birds, turtles, fish… all marine animals are affected by this huge pollution. 

The same for humans, because we drink the water and eat the fish polluted by plastic.   

So, many countries have decided to act. The French government has voted an anti-waste law, so that we throw away fewer plastic objects and reuse them.  

For example, since January 1, 2023, fast-food restaurants in France can no longer offer single-use food packaging to customers who eat there.