14 DAY TRIAL // Plastic pollution is a big issue in today's day and age. In fact, it was late last month that scientists announced that bits and pieces of plastic debris had been found in sea ice floating about in the Arctic.
On the bright side, it looks like we, humans, can pet ourselves on the back for helping create a new type of rock material simply by not giving a darn about what happens to the plastic bags and cups we use once we no longer need them.
Thus, Live Science tells us that, in a new paper in the journal GSA Today, scientists describe a previously undocumented rock material dubbed plastiglomerate.
What makes this material stand out is not the fact that is has some really amazing properties that make it incredibly valuable. On the contrary, what makes plastiglomerate special is its list of ingredients.
Not to beat about the bush, this new type of rock material comprises melted plastic trash, a pinch of sediment, maybe some basaltic lava fragments, and just a dash of organic debris such as shells.
Unlike other materials, plastic does not break down all that easily and tends to hang around in the environment for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years.
Hence, researchers believe that this newly discovered plastiglomerate might eventually become part and parcel of our planet's geological makeup, kind of like a not-so-pleasant reminder of our impact on Earth's ecosystems.