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This plastic problem is clearly visible: waste in a meadow in Geneva. image: keystone
14,000 tons of plastic end up in Swiss nature every year: traffic is the biggest sinner
The smallest plastic particles can be found even in Lake Zurich at a depth of 30 meters. Now, a new study shows: Plastic reaches the environment primarily through traffic, through tire abrasion. Littering only comes second.
Plastic bags, packaging, drinking tubes – are often the focus when it comes to environmental damage caused by plastics. But the greatest sinner is another: traffic. This is shown in the new report “Plastic in the Swiss Environment”, which the Federal Office for the Environment released on Thursday. Five findings:
The major sources of contamination.
According to estimates, around 8000 tons of plastics are released into the environment every year as tire wear. The profile of car, truck, or motorcycle tires is slowly shrinking, and much of the abrasion ends up in water and dirt. After all, around a quarter are intercepted by measures such as cleaning up street sewage. Otherwise, the load would be even higher with more than 10,000 tons of abrasion.
The avalanche of metal not only causes problems with the exhaust gases. Image: KEYSTONE
The much-discussed trash comes in second, with an estimated 2,700 tons of plastic being released into the environment. According to the Federal Office for the Environment, cigarette butts and packaging waste in particular are thrown away, as an investigation of lake and river banks showed.
The other sources of contamination are sometimes surprising. According to the report, large amounts of plastic are released into the environment due to abrasion from shoe soles, artificial grass, and construction sites.
Where plastic particles can be found everywhere
According to the report, a total of around 14,000 tons ends up in the soil and water. For comparison: in Switzerland around 1 million tons of plastics are used every year, 780,000 tons are disposed of. In concrete terms, this means that for every kilogram of plastic we need, an average of 14 grams ends up in the environment.
Plastics take a long time to degrade. In Switzerland, the smallest particles, known as microplastics, have been detected in the air, in lakes, rivers and on the ground. Microplastics were discovered in Lake Zurich, even at a depth of 30 meters.
Microplastics are found not only in the world’s oceans, but also in Swiss lakes. Image: noaa
The big question mark
What are the consequences for humans and animals? The report does not answer this important question. Large pieces of plastic are known to be dangerous to animals – images of fish and birds entangling and dying in plastic have long been around the world.
According to the report, however, the effects of microplastics on humans and animals are unclear. They could not yet be estimated, according to the report. Particles have been found in various foods: mussels and fish, for example, but also in salt and beer. It is unknown if this will have any impact.
All plastic or what? Image: KEYSTONE
And now?
Despite these uncertainties, the study authors write that the loads would have to be reduced. Because plastics degrade very slowly, they accumulate in the environment. This “will increase the risk to humans and animals over time,” they warn.
Parliament also recognized the problem. In September, it ordered the federal government to examine and take action with the sectors involved. The Federal Office for the Environment now wants to do that. Other progress is pending. Among other things, the president of Pro Natura, the SP national councilor, Ursula Schneider Schüttel, requested a report on the subject of tire wear.
However, the Federal Environment Office lists the possible measures on a fact sheet. Some of them would hit drivers directly, like lower driving speeds. Low-wear tires and cleaning contaminated street sewage could also minimize environmental pollution. According to the authority, the water protection policy stipulates that wastewater must be treated on busy roads. However, there is often no room for such systems in urban areas.
Unfortunately, this is also a familiar image in Switzerland. image: Shutterstock
Organic dishes are not organic
Incidentally, plastics that are considered biodegradable, such as ecological plates or composting bags, are not a solution in the fight against garbage and excess plastic waste. According to the report, these do not deliver on their promise: in nature, the conditions that would be necessary for a rapid and complete decommissioning would often not be met. In other words, the compostable bag also belongs in the trash; otherwise, the plastic can end up in the garden with the compost.
Unfortunately, organic dishes do not deliver on what they promise. image: shutterstock
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