The plastics can float together like that for years.

塑料可以像那样浮在一起很多年。

But only a few kinds of plastic can be recycled.

但是，只有少数几种塑料可以回收利用。

Partially broken down plastic can circulate in ecosystems for centuries.

被部分分解的塑料可以在生态系统中循环好几个世纪。

In some ways, that's great, because plastic can be really useful.

在某些方面是好的，塑料真的很有用。

Plastics can take hundreds of years to break down on their own.

塑料需要数百年才能自然降解。

Things made of plastic can be very strong and last a long time.

由塑料制成的物品可以非常有韧性，耐用性强。

Some evidence suggests plastics can increase inflammation and other changes in the body.

一些证据表明，塑料会增加体内的炎症和其他变化。

While plastic can take on just about any form, it's weak and soft.

塑料很容易被塑造成各种形状，但是又脆又软。

One 20 cm piece of plastic can become more than 60,000 pieces of microplastic.

一块 20 厘米的塑料可以变成 6 万多块微塑料。

This year, the event is centering on the harm that plastics can bring to the environment.

今年的活动重点关注塑料对环境造成的危害。

For one, plastics can emit greenhouse gases forever— not just during the making and disposing of them.

首先，塑料会一直释放温室气体——不仅仅在制造和处理它们的过程中。

In countries like the US plastic can also be swept down drains, into rivers leading to the sea.

像美国之类的国家，塑料也可以被冲进下水道进入河流，一直到海洋。

Discarded plastic can break into tiny bits called microplastics.

丢弃的塑料可以分解成称为微塑料的微小碎片。

PET plastics can remain in the environment for hundreds of years.

PET 塑料可以在环境中保留数百年。

Plastics can take hundreds of years to degrade, or break down chemically.

塑料可能需要数百年才能降解或化学分解。

Things like glass, paper, and plastic can all be recycled.

【like】玻璃、纸张、塑料之类的东西都可以回收利用。

Plastics can be used to make different kinds of things.

塑料可以用来制造不同种类的东西。

A few types of plastics can be melted and reformed into new items.

一些类型的塑料可以熔化并重新制成新物品。

As plastics can survive for centuries  before breaking down, they can accumulate and poison the food-chain.

由于塑料在分解前可以存活数百年，因此它们会积聚并毒害食物链。

Their permanent crosslinks have meant these plastics can't just be melted and reshaped.

它们的永久交联意味着这些塑料不能仅仅被熔化和重塑。