One million every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every year: right now that's how many single-use plastic bottles are sold around the world, usually containing just water or soft drinks. Don't bother trying to work it out, it comes to just over half a trillion a year, and if we don't change our ways, the number will, according to Greenpeace, quadruple by 2050.
Undoubtedly this is great news for the manufacturers, as well as the oil and petrochemical companies that sell the raw materials used to make plastic bottles. For the planet, though – especially its oceans – the outlook is dire to the point that, by that aforementioned year, scientists are claiming that the amount of plastic waste in our seas will outweigh fish.
'The shores are absolutely covered with bottles'
How do plastic bottles end up in the sea? Apart from being tossed overboard by absent- minded mariners and passengers, or being left on the beach by visitors who should take their rubbish home with them, they end up blowing away from landfill, entering streams that become rivers. And those rivers head for the ocean, with untold numbers of plastic bottles and other detritus bobbing along to their new oceanic homes.
They do not degrade, or break down. They become brittle, eventually break into smaller pieces and become magnets for other pollutants before being mistakenly eaten by marine life, thus entering the food chain. In August last year, Britain's Plymouth University reported that plastic was discovered inside a third of the fish caught in the United Kingdom – including shellfish, cod and haddock.
Sarah Jones is a part-time diving instructor in the UAE who, along with large teams of fellow volunteers, takes part in beach clean-ups throughout the year. "The shores are absolutely covered with bottles," she tells me. "And when I'm diving, they're always present in the water, too. I end up collecting them, and once filled seven large bags with nothing but plastic bottles during a dive off the coast of Dibba. It was soul-destroying; I was crying as I came to the surface."
Poisoning yourself with plastic
It isn't just bottles, either. According to the United Nations, Americans throw away 25 billion plastic cups every year, and the amount of "paper" containers chucked in the bin after a coffee is unfathomable. Thing is, they're lined with a thin layer of, you guessed it, plastic, to keep the liquid from seeping through.
Most bottles are made from a substance known as polyethylene terephthalate, more commonly referred to as Pet. This is a fully recyclable material, although only about 10 per cent of the solid chemical pellets used in the manufacturing process are from recycled sources. And that's because the higher the content of previously used plastics, the less transparent the resultant bottles will be. And the drinks companies like consumers to see the contents, so there's little incentive for them to change their ways.
China is currently the world’s leading consumer of bottled drinks, with increasing urbanisation, concerns about tap-water quality and groundwater contamination driving the demand. The irony here is that plastic bottles themselves are poisoning the groundwater people are so afraid of drinking – a classic example of the snake eating itself.
What you can do to help facilitate change
How, then, can we make a difference? Some of the answers are obvious, like buying a refillable bottle to use at the gym, the office or when going for a walk – something most of us could do. Retailers will soon have to toe the line by finding ways for consumers to be able to use refillable containers for their water, too, as more governments around the world are beginning to outlaw single-use plastics.
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Read more:
The final straw: here are the alternatives to plastic
Profligate plastic waste needs action now
Exclusive: Gulf states consider zero landfill target for plastics by 2040
Plastic particles found in leading brands of bottled water
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Other uses for existing bottles are less obvious, such as fishing boats made by people in Cameroon using 10,000 reclaimed drinks containers; with the lids on, they make for tough and long-lasting buoyancy aids. Sports brand Adidas using 11 million reclaimed bottles to make a million pairs of shoes. You have to admire the sheer inventiveness of human beings sometimes.
But while we’re probably not in need of such a craft, we could install water filters in our homes so that tap water would be perfectly palatable. There’s nothing wrong with it, after all, apart from the slightly strange taste, but filters do away with that.
We humans are the only living creatures on earth to generate waste that nature cannot digest. It’s no exaggeration to say, then, that we’re doing the planet the greatest disservice because of our thoughtless actions, habits and outright demand for personal convenience.
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
Company%20Profile
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Switching%20sides
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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
