Be the change you want to see
- Randi Pokladnik
- May 4, 2018
- 1950
In my previous column, I explained some of the problems associated with the new push to make the Ohio Valley the new petrochemical hub of the U.S. One of the major issues, aside from increased fracking, more greenhouse gas emissions, and additional air and water pollution, is the continued manufacturing of plastics.
Plastic pollution is killing our oceans.
If you are old enough, you may remember the scene from the 1967 movie, "The Graduate," when Dustin Hoffman is advised by an older man to pursue “plastics” for his career.
USA Today has reported that from the 1950s to present day, “Humans have produced 18.2 trillion pounds of plastics, and we've thrown most of it into the trash.”
Half of this amount was produced in the last 13 years, and about half also was single-use items like straws and plastic utensils.
Our abuse of plastic includes our refusal to recycle. Most plastics today come with a recycling label, yet of all the plastics we make, we recycle only about nine percent.
Recently China has refused to accept the recyclable plastic wastes from the U.S. as it is too contaminated to reuse.
Our waste plastic primarily ends up in our landfills and will be there 1,000 years from now. Plastics are notorious for their stability even when exposed to heat, light and other degradation processes.
About 15 percent of plastics are incinerated. This is another assault on our environment as certain plastics release toxic vapors. This is why burning plastics in your campfires is not a good way of disposing of them.
Ten percent of all plastic, more than 8 million tons annually, ends up in the oceans. A recent National Academy of Science study of a remote, uninhabited island in the South Pacific, Henderson Island, revealed that the island had approximately 38 million pieces of plastic on the shores and embedded in the sand.
Researchers have found plastics in ocean waters and in wildlife and fish as far away as the Arctic Ocean. If you have watched news stories recently, much attention has been given to the issue of plastic pollution as camera crews film the dead birds and sea creatures whose stomachs are bloated with pieces of plastic.
In defense of plastics, there are many cases where they have made our lives better, especially those used in medical applications. However, we want convenience in all aspects of our lives, and for this we and the earth are paying dearly.
I have become acutely aware of all the unnecessary packaging that invades our lives. When did we have to wrap green peppers in a layer of plastic? Why is a ball of twine wrapped in plastic? Plastic toys such as Barbie dolls are wrapped in more plastic than it takes to make the doll.
My dilemma is how does one person address this issue? I don’t want the future of the Ohio River Valley, the place where I grew up, to become a major producer of more environmentally harmful plastics.
Curtailing our dependence on plastics will not be easy. However, if we all take steps to buy less plastic and find alternatives to plastic packaging, we can push manufacturers to abandon the use of plastic wrapping in many everyday items.
The bottom line: money talks.
There are some things every person can do to cut down on the amount of plastic we buy. Reconsider buying bottled water. Use a glass jar or better yet an unbreakable stainless-steel container.
Reconsider buying laundry detergent in those huge plastic bottles. Instead use a natural soap called “soapnuts." These are plant based and contain a high concentration of saponins, which are in commercially made soap products.
You also can buy Borax in a cardboard box. Both are cheaper than most petroleum-based laundry detergents, and they come in eco packaging.
Reconsider buying shampoo and conditioner in plastic bottles. You can buy them in stainless steel from a company that will refill them, or you can buy “bar soap” shampoo and conditioner. I use them and find they work great even on my longer hair. Additionally they contain much safer ingredients for you and the environment.
Reconsider buying the one-use-only coffee K-Cups and pods. Even their inventor, Jon Sylvan, has regretted his invention as they are nearly impossible to recycle. They are made up of metal, paper and plastic. You can go back to the old-fashioned stainless-steel percolator. Yes, it takes a few minutes more to brew, but it is well worth it, and the coffee grounds can be composted.
Become aware of micro plastics. Micro plastics are extremely small particles that fall off decomposing bottles and bags, wear off of synthetic clothing (like fleece), and are manufactured into some toothpastes, lotions and scrubs (especially ones advertised as being exfoliants). The USGS website has reported finding micro-plastic pollutants in all 29 of the Great Lake tributaries.
The UK has banned the use of the beads in any product that is rinsed off the body. Hopefully the U.S. will follow suit. Elle magazine suggests using sugar, sea salt, lemons, yogurt, oats and other natural substances to exfoliate skin cells. A good alternative to toothpaste is baking soda with a dash of peppermint oil.
Consider reusable beeswax coated cotton covers for your leftovers instead of plastic wrap. You also can use bowls covered with a pot lid. Instead of throwing away single-serving items like applesauce, buy in larger reusable/recyclable containers.
One last alarming piece of data to encourage us to reduce our use of plastic is that based on current estimates, oceans will house by weight more plastic than fish by 2050.