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, too (This interactive map shows the growth rate of plastic waste costs to tourism, government and fishing industries). One discussed solution is plastic made from materials that are biodegradable (Faris et al., 2014), which would make the single-use intent of plastics more sustainable.
The ability to have something protected by a thin disposable sheet you never have to look at again is a privilege that keeps the average consumer's life and habits convenient and free of clutter. Plastic is inexpensive to produce, easy to acquire and difficult to get rid of, past tossing it into a trash bin. Throwing away trash means that it has been responsibly disposed of, though, right? It isn't polluting unless you dispose of it directly in the environment. The hard truth is that nonrecycled plastic will more than likely end up in the ocean as microplastic, or compacted into a landfill where it will remain in its original form for centuries following its brief use. Projects such as The Ocean Cleanup have been underway for the last few years as attempts to intercept the microplastics toxifying ocean waters and overwhelming ecosystems and the animals inhabiting them, but it is still projected that there will be more plastic in the ocean in 2050 than there will be fish.
The initiative taken by compassionate individuals has made us aware of the issues of our reliance on plastic, and has encouraged innovative action from projects working to reduce the negative impacts. The facts are overwhelming; every year, 360 million tons of plastic are produced; 50% of which is intended for single-use (Plastic Oceans, 2021). Environmental impacts are a great concern to the physiological needs of future generations as they face global warming, ocean acidification, loss of animal life, and catastrophic weather patterns.
Stephen R. Covey identifies a step towards being proactive as a means of being effective, which applies to we as advocates. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he implores that we, "accept those things that at present we can't control, while we focus our efforts on the things we can" (Covey, 2020). So, what can we control? As we consider ways that we can influence companies to reduce their production of plastics, especially single-use, we pause to reflect about our own personal use. How many occasions bring plastic into your home? Do you use store-provided plastic grocery bags, or supply your own reusable options? Are your foods sold in plastic containers such as wraps or bags? This week, try to remain conscious of your purchases, and consider alternative options. It may not seem like there is an alternative material to the bag of flour you've selected, but is there a supplier in your area that offers bulk purchase options? Consider bringing your personal jars to stores like these for pantry staples. My call to action for you, this week, is to be self aware of your plastic purchases. Consider keeping a list in your home to review at the end of the week, when we will begin exploring alternatives to plastics.
References
Covey, S. R. (2020). The 7 habits of highly effective people: 30th anniversary edition. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Faris, N. A., Noriman, N. Z., Sam, S. T., Ruzaidi, C. M., Omar, M. F., & Kahar, A. W. M. (2014). Current Research in Biodegradable Plastics. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 679, 273–280. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.679.273
Kramer, S. (2016, April 05). The one thing that makes recycling plastic work is falling apart. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/low-oil-prices-hurt-plastics-recycling-2016-4
Lebreton, L. C., Slat, B., Ferrari, F., Sainte-Rose, B., Aitken, J., Marthouse, B., . . . Reisser, J. (2018). Evidence that the great pacifc garbage patch is rapidly accumulating plastic. Scientific Reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22939-w
PBS News Hour. (2019, November 27). The Plastic Problem - A PBS NewsHour Documentary [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RDc2opwg0I
Plastic Oceans. (2021, January 13). Facts . About Plastic . Help - Plastic Oceans Foundation. Retrieved from https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/#:~:text=We%20are%20producing%20over%20300,into%20our%20oceans%20every%20year.
Rizklyanto, F. (2013, September 15). Pollution [Photograph].
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