Plastic is made of chemicals derived from petroleum and natural gas, meaning it is not organic or that it has no traces of life in it; therefore it will not decompose or break down.   Because plastic is made from oil/petroleum this further contributes to our energy dependence issues, greenhouse gas emissions, and depletion of resources. In fact, nearly 10 percent of U.S. oil consumption - approximately 2 million barrels a day - is used to make plastic. Plastics such as Type 3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and Type 7 (known as other have the tendency to leak out their additives, which are carcinogens, such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and endocrine disruptors like biphenyl-A. Only plastics of Types 1, 2, and 6 are widely recycled while Types 3, 4, 5, and 7 are not. Additionally, plastic is not fully recyclable like paper or glass - it down-cycles, meaning that a plastic bottle will never again be a plastic bottle. It will become something of lesser value, like a fleece jacket. And then it will sit in landfill.    All the plastic ever been produced remains with us today. Unless it has been incinerated - which emits a plethora of toxic substances into our air. An estimated 1 million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die annually from pollution thousands alone from entanglement and ingestion of plastic bags. A recent study found that plastics now make up 90 percent of all floating marine debris. An area in the Pacific Ocean, twice the size of Texas, is full of a plastic stew that is entering the food chain. Scientists say these toxins are causing obesity, infertility...and worse. Plastic is photodegradable (as opposed to biodegradable.) Sunlight makes it brittle and breaks it down, but still leaves the molecular structure intact. Little plastic shards disperse throughout the ocean, with buoyant pieces floating and denser bits sinking down to the sea floor. Because of so many shapes and textures, hundreds of marine species mistake it for food. The debris can travel thousands of miles across the sea and wash up on remote uninhabited islands, whose beaches are becoming trash-filled. In the more than 50 years since plastic began being mass produced, plastic waste has built up into a poisonous mountain that individuals and industry have never quite learned how to deal with. It is toxic to burn and difficult to recycle.  To give you an idea of how much of it is out there, plastic makes up 10% of California's garbage.