Future civilizations trying to find traces of how today's population lived are likely to find "technofossils" made up of plastic bags, cheap clothes, and aluminum cans, The Guardian reported. This legacy of non-disintegrating waste, while unsavory to some, is nevertheless becoming an undeniable reality.
What's happening?
While humans who are buried have "taken the first step to fossilisation," scientists predicting which objects from our technological civilization will survive millions of years as fossils identify fast fashion and fast food as our "everlasting geological signature," The Guardian explained.
Technofossils, or future fossils, are made from artificial human-made materials rather than natural biological remains such as bones and shells. Traditional fossils, on the other hand, are composed of biological materials including plants.
Since plastic waste is abundant on land, saturating landfills and invading oceans, future civilizations will strike not gold but plastic. "Wherever those future civilisations dig, they are going to find plastic," said paleontologist Sarah Gabbott, an expert on fossils from the University of Leicester.
Gabbott and geologist Jan Zalasiewicz, one of the leading proponents of the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch, also suggest that aluminum cans, synthetic clothing, and chicken bones will be a recurrent theme among present humanity's future fossils.
Why are these future fossils important?
These technofossils, while relegated to the very distant future, reveal the long-term environmental impact of human activity. They reflect consumption patterns and waste habits — and they're not pretty.
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In China alone, 26 million tons of clothes are discarded annually, and companies there aren't considering the shift to more eco-friendly production practices.
Plastic pollution in oceans is staggering. An estimated 170 trillion pieces of plastic float on water, and according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, by 2050, oceans could contain more plastics than fish by weight.
On land, overflowing landfills ensure that waste — like fast food packaging, synthetic fabrics, and other artificial materials — will shape Earth's geological record for millions of years.
What's being done about this waste?
Efforts to combat waste are growing, but progress is slow. Some fast food chains are switching to biodegradable packaging and reusable containers.
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In fashion, brands are exploring recycled fabrics and circular production models to reduce textile waste. Governments worldwide are enforcing bans on single-use plastics while organizations push for improved recycling infrastructure.
Individuals can take action by choosing more sustainable practices, including recycling, thrifting clothes, and supporting eco-friendly brands.
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