Microplastics found in snow in Hokkaido

When I'm on the train, I can space out without feeling guilty, so I don't mind it.

As I was spacing out, something caught my eye when I saw the news being displayed above the train doors.

 

Sometimes the content is nothing important, but sometimes quite important information is glossed over.

The news that caught my eye was

"Microplastics in the snow of Hokkaido"

The content was as follows.

 

Previously, microplastics had already been found in snow in the Arctic in 2019 .

The microplastics found in the snow are said to have been carried by the wind and mixed into the snow before falling.

 

Speaking of microplastics, marine litter has become a problem and has raised concerns about ecosystems, but I never imagined that microplastics could also be mixing into the atmosphere and turning into snow.

 

If it gets hot and I suddenly want a drink, I'll buy a plastic bottle, and we end up producing waste whether we like it or not, so to be honest, I can't help but think that it's actually impossible to live in this day and age without producing waste...

 

When you hear about the Arctic, you might think of a faraway country across the ocean, with a completely different language and climate, but when it comes to Hokkaido, it feels very close to home.

It is true that they are transported by the atmosphere, so even though they were discovered in snow, I'm sure that microplastics are probably mixing into the air and flying around everywhere... When I think about this, it no longer feels like it is something that only affects me.

 

 

It is also true that the apparel industry is said to be the second worst in terms of waste disposal, resulting in massive amounts of waste.

There are many dilemmas, but I want to take advantage of the convenience, and I can't help but ask myself if there's a way to fix it... There are many things to think about, but I've told myself that I need to avoid buying cheap clothes that I'll just throw away soon.

 

 

Azusa