Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC Volunteer
In 2023, scientists described a new disease afflicting shearwaters on Australia’s Lord Howe Island. It damages the birds’ organs, alters their body chemistry, and reduces survival in chicks. The cause? Not bacteria, viruses, or parasites, but ingested plastic.
Termed plasticosis, this disease occurs when plastic damages a bird’s digestive tracts. Scar tissue builds up over time and impairs organ function, a process called fibrosis. Humans develop a similar condition in their lungs from long-term smoking, and in their livers from alcohol abuse. (We may not be spared plasticosis, either. A 2019 study found that people may consume a credit card’s worth of plastic every week. That’s almost a pound per year!)
Some birds mistake plastic for food or the stones they swallow as digestive aids. Others accumulate it from the fish they eat. As many as 90% of young birds are fed plastic by their unknowing parents. In extreme cases, the chicks starve to death as their stomachs fill up with plastic, preventing digestion of any real food. Scientists reported that 40% percent of Laysan Albatross chicks on Midway Atoll die before fledging, their stomachs full of plastic trash.
Birds can hardly avoid plastic meals when 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enters the ocean every year. That’s equivalent to a garbage truck dumping its load into the waves every minute. Plastic takes centuries to decompose—450 years for a plastic water bottle, 600 years for fishing lines and nets—but wears down into particles that infiltrate the food chain. Larger pieces also create hazards for birds.
Gannets nest amind plastic. Photo credit: "The Age of Plastic Waste" by Tyros.andi, licensed by CC BY-SA 4.0
Plastic entanglement is documented in 265 bird species: 147 seabirds, 69 freshwater birds, and 49 land birds. Despite the iconic images of birds with six-pack rings around their necks, fishing gear accounts for 83% of the incidents. Some birds also mistake plastic for leaves, twigs, and other natural materials used to build their nests. Plastic-lined nurseries can injure delicate chicks. A 2014 study found that 85% of American crow nests contained plastic, which entangled 11 of 195 nestlings.
With new bird generations at risk, addressing plastic pollution is a key part of conservation. The United Nations resolved in 2022 to draft an agreement about curbing plastic waste, but you can make simple changes to help right now. First, be aware that the famous arrow-triangle icon doesn’t necessarily mean a plastic item is recyclable! Depending on your local services, only certain numbers can be processed. In Anchorage, most curbside recycling only accepts numbers 1 and 2. A new center that opened last month also takes numbers 4 and 5.
Although recycling plastic beats throwing it away, it’s not a reliable solution. Many objects are made of mixed plastic types, which cannot be separated and made into anything new. Only 9% of the plastic waste created as of 2015 had been recycled, according to one study; almost 80% ended up in landfills or the environment. It’s better to just use less. Keep plastic from harming our ecosystems with these strategies:
Reduce the amount of plastic you consume. Buy goods in truly recyclable glass or paper packaging when possible. Store food in reusable containers rather than plastic zipper bags.
Refuse throwaway plastic items like shopping bags and utensils. Bring your own reusable versions, and talk to your favorite venues about switching to sustainable options.
Rethink. Do you really need that plastic bauble or single-use party decor? Save money and birds by saying ‘no’ to frivolous plastics. Use a refillable water bottle instead of buying flimsy ones by the case. Beware plastic-based fabrics in “fast fashion”; look for alternatives made from natural materials.
With a little forethought and creativity, you can help keep plastic out of birds’ bellies! And if you find a bird harmed by plastic waste, contact us at 907-562-4852.