By mid-century, the oceans and continents of the planet Earth will be covered with layers of plastic waste due to human activity, according to the results of a study that was conducted by staff of the University of Leicester.

The study, whose results were published in the journal Anthropocene, the scientists studied the evidence that we are living in the Anthropocene era - an era in which mankind seriously affect the geology of the planet. The scientists concluded that the planet's surface varies considerably due to the production of long-lived materials, and as a result we are entering the "Plastic Age".

Zalasevich Yang, a professor in the Department of Geology palebiologii University of Leicester, explained:

"Our grandparents knew little plastic, when we were children. But now plastic materials are virtually indispensable in our lives. They are used everywhere: in food packaging, containers for water and milk, egg cartons, yogurt and chocolate, in containers for drugs. In addition, plastic has most of our clothes."

"Plastic can be found anywhere on Earth, from the tops of the mountains to the depths of the ocean - and one day in the distant future it will become a fossil. We produce a billion tons of plastic every three years. If all the plastic that is produced in the last few decades, has been packing film, it could cover the entire Earth. Given the steady increase in production by mid-century, added a few more layers of the imaginary. "

Researchers say that plastic has a long-term impact on the geology of the planet because of its inertia and the almost complete immunity to biodegrade. As a result, when the area is polluted with plastic waste, they become part of the soil, are in the sea and kill plankton, fish and seabirds.