In 2019 alone, a production of 368 million tons of synthetic plastic was achieved and due to the lack of good management in their final disposal, all kinds of plastic products have been found in the environment.
Some environmental factors such as sunlight, temperature, animal bites, wind, waves and intrinsic properties of the polymer include the disintegration of plastics into microplastics. However, despite their fragmentation, they cannot be assimilated by microorganisms, so they remain in the environment for hundreds of years.
Los microplastics are defined as particles smaller than 5 mm. Likewise, they can be classified according to their origin, as primary or secondary. Primary microplastics are those that were manufactured for domestic and industrial purposes, such as cosmetic formulations, easy cleaners, toothpaste, exfoliants, nail polish, baby products, hair dyes, sunscreen, deodorants, bath gels, and others. On the other hand, secondary microplastics are the result of the fragmentation of larger plastic parts through mechanical, physical and chemical processes.
Several reports have found microplastics in products for human consumption. To mention a few examples are: vegetables, fruits, bottled water, seafood, beer, etc. So big is the problem that it is estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastics in the ocean than fish!
What is the solution to this problem? Without a doubt, reduce the use of synthetic plastic in our daily lives. For this, it will be necessary to opt for sustainable solutions, such as buying products in bulk in glass jars, avoiding the use of plastic bags in the supermarket, recycling, reusing and using bioplastics.
At Penka, we are committed to caring for the planet and that is why we offer you a wide variety of products with a filler of Agave Fiber that partially replaces the use of traditional plastics. We invite you to learn more about our biobased and biodegradable products.
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