Recycle RVA

 Goals in Mind ( Baranov , CC BY-SA 2.0) CC BY-SA 2.0 CC BY-SA 2           Last week , I addressed the overall concerns posed by an unrestricted approach to plastic waste, particularly in its impact on the ocean as microplastics. You've observed the capacity at which plastic enters your home on a daily basis, and perhaps considered ways of reducing your impact by replacing plastic with reusable materials such as shopping bags and jars for bulk goods. This week, I'll consider ways of addressing the plastic that already exists, or rather: readdressing  it.     I was lucky enough to get to spend ten years living in Western Washington, a community with a heavy focus on environmental preservation and reduced negative human impact.  According to the Seattle disposal and collection rates, "recycling service is included in the garbage rate to Seattle residents. There is no additional cost for recycling service for residents" ( Durkan, 2021...

Be Proactive  ( Rizklyanto  CC BY 2.0)      Plastic has been in mass production for over 100 years as a convenience material used to package goods, usually in single-uses. Once the use has been achieved and the consumer has no further need for the container, it is discarded as waste to be remove from sight and mind. Unlike traditional waste such as foods or papers, plastic could tale hundreds of years to degrade, meaning that the trash hugging ocean shores will be around until it is moved and recycled. Though plastics trapped in landfills won't see the light of day, sunlight can have a degrading affect on the buoyant plastics floating in oceans, though they won't go away entirely. Instead, the plastic will degrade into microplastics which can't be seen, but still very much pollute the waters ( Lebreton et al., 2018 ) and overwhelm the ecosystem. Plastic may be cheaper to produce ( Kramer, 2016 ) than recycle, but dealing with the resulting materials is costly, t...

( MacPherson, 2011 ) Each day in the US more than 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away ( Franklin, 2020 ). As consumers, it is our responsibility to hold companies accountable for reducing their harmful impact on the environment by demanding alternatives to nonrenewable resources and use of single-use plastics in production and as products. Discarded plastics will remain a part of our environment for centuries  after we are gone, and will contribute to the destruction of our planet's habitats. Educating consumers about the environmental threat that plastics pose, and encouraging them to demand alternatives from producers, can discourage the overproduction of these nonbiodegradable materials. Learn more about the impact water bottles have,  here ! ( Cox, 2019 ) Learn more about putting plastic pollution in its place! References Cox, Z. (2019, August 12). How To Avoid Single Use Plastic When Eating and Drinking On the Go. Retrieved from https://oliveridleyproject.o...