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Plastic Pollution In Australia

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Introduction
Plastic water pollution is a national issue that needs to continue to be addressed in Australia and around the world. Although Australia’s waters are not the most polluted in the world our waters are being affected significantly by plastic pollution. Below I have addressed the main causes of plastic water pollution in Australia. The repercussions of plastic pollution on wildlife and humans have also been discussed. The sustainable volunteer work I participated in was picking up litter from two of Canberra’s lakes. There were many positive qualities of this volunteering experience including helping the environment by reducing pollution and recycling items. On a personal note it was also a great way for me to spend time outdoors …show more content…
lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater). This form of environmental pollution occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. There are many contributing sources to water pollution however, the main sources can be categorised into three categories: Agricultural, Industrial and Municipal. The source of water pollution I decided to focus on is Plastic.
Plastic is a perfectly engineered synthetic product. It is lightweight, strong, durable, cheap, and can be made into millions of different products (Laist, 1997). These properties have also made plastic an ecological disaster by promoting a single use throw away culture (Pruter, 1987). In Australia from 2010-2011 there was 1,433,046 tonnes of plastics used. From this 1,433,046 tonnes of plastic only 20% was recycled and 37% was for the manufacturing of single use disposable packaging (PACIA, 2011). The majority of Australia’s plastic water pollution affects our marine environment. Plastics are transported from populated areas to the ocean environment by rivers, wind, tides, rainwater, storm drains, sewage disposal, and even flood events. It can also reach the sea from vessels and offshore installations (Ryan, Moore, Van-Franeker & Moloney, 2009). Once in the oceans, plastic will float on the ocean surface, sink to the seafloor or end up on our beaches (Andrady, 2011). Three-quarters …show more content…
The lakes I focused on were Lake Ginniderra and Gungahlin Lake. I focused on these two lakes because I walk around them alternative during the week and have a strong connection to them. Canberra lakes are the perfect place to spend time with family and friends, enjoy a barbecue, exercise or relax. Initially when I was trying to find a volunteer position cleaning up the lakes I had difficulties. There are no volunteer groups that specifically pick up litter for both lakes. There is actually someone who is paid by the government to maintain cleanliness of Lake Ginninderra. I decided it would be best if I did the volunteering independently rather than going through the government for a

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