How does the global plastic waste crisis impact ecosystem health, and what role does sustainability play in addressing this issue?

Plastic waste that ends up in oceans and rivers sticks to fish, sea turtles, and birds, causing them to swallow or become tangled in it, which leads to injury, starvation, or death; this loss of animals weakens food webs and reduces biodiversity, which in turn hurts the overall health of ecosystems. When plastics break into tiny particles called microplastics, they are taken up by tiny plankton and move up the food chain, eventually reaching humans and other predators, contaminating water, soil, and air. Sustainability offers solutions by encouraging recycling, reducing single‑use plastics, and designing products that last longer, thereby cutting the amount of new plastic that reaches the environment. For example, a community that switches to reusable cloth bags instead of plastic ones can cut its local plastic waste by 70 %, keeping more wildlife safe and preserving the natural balance. By cutting plastic production and improving waste management, sustainability helps protect ecosystems and the services they provide.