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Science | Geography

Steep rise in animals hurt by plastic litter

The RSPCAThe Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. says there were 579 cases of animals hurt by plastic litter in 2018, up 22% from 2015. The number of seals hurt by plastic had more than quadrupled, while swans and geese were becoming trapped in fishing lines and netting. "Plastic is clearly having an increasing impact on animal welfare," said the RSPCA's head of wildlife, Adam Grogan. "It's up to every one of us to do our bit in the war against litter." Last month, a separate report said that researchers had found microplasticsMicroplastics are fragments of degraded plastic that are less than five millimetres in length. They are blown into the atmosphere and transported by ocean currents.  in the digestive systems of every strandedLeft somewhere and unable to leave. marine animal they studied. That included dolphins, seals and a sperm whale. The UK government is already planning to ban plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds. Is it time to ban plastic altogether? Definitely. Thousands of creatures are being hurt by plastic all around the world, through no fault of their own. Plastic waste can stay in the environment for centuries, so the more we create, the deeper the problems become. We lived without plastic 100 years ago, when most things were made from wood, paper, glass or metal. Why not do it again? Banning plastic is too extreme. It has dramatically improved our lives, whether it is being used in complicated medical equipment or just keeping our food fresh for longer. Banning it would end up creating far more problems than it solved. Instead of panicking and acting rashly, we should get better at recycling and picking up litter.KeywordsRSPCA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

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