Why should I avoid plastic if it can be recycled?

Not every plastic ends up in the bin. On the beach we lose our flip-flops, in the park we forget the PET bottle or the candy packaging. Sooner or later, this garbage gets into our rivers and seas and is mistaken for food by birds or other animals. The problem: plastic does not rot. Larger plastic parts are a danger to marine life and birds, which are caught in the garbage and die, as you can see it on our doorstep on Helgoland with the basal boobies. Smaller pieces of plastic are confused by the animals with food until they starve to death with a full stomach. In addition, chemicals such as softeners and hardeners from the plastics. These are harmful to humans and animals. Incidentally, not even 45 percent of the plastic waste generated in Germany is recycled (2015 figures) and per capita consumption is still rising. The majority is still used for energy purposes – burned because it is more economical and / or the packaging consists of low-quality mixed plastics.