Parker, L. (2020, October 14). Plastic pollution is a huge problem-and it’s not too late to fix it. Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/10/plastic-pollution-huge-problem-not-too-late-to-fix-it/
Even while taking into account mass movements and companies working to stop plastic pollution, plastic waste could reach up to 58 million tons yearly. In 2015 it was estimated at 8.8 million tons. This was put into perspective by Jenn Jambeck, an engineering professor, who said this would be the equal of a dump truck tipping a load of plastic every minute of every day. A lot is riding on how citizens of each country and governments respond in the next decade. While scientists agree that reducing virgin plastic production is the answer, to increase recycling, corporations argue that this will only increase production of even more harmful materials for packaging and more.
This article directly relates to environmental science, as plastic is affecting a variety of ecosystems as it is increased in production and pollutes habitats. I was saddened to hear the huge numbers of plastic that are estimated to only continue going up. It is especially concerning because of the fact that plastic is not biodegradable, and the effects of its pollution can not be easily reversed. I hope that the world can learn to put these concerns first, before big companies, because their effects on the environment determine our future as a human race, not to mention other species’ futures.
I love the second part of the title of this article Melanie. What do you think the companies mean when they say that increasing recycling will increase the production of more harmful materials for packaging? As you probably know, most plastic is really not that useful after it’s “recycled” (totally different than recycling glass and aluminum). Was the “fix it” part of this article about recycling or using alternatives to the plastics we currently use?
I think the companies likely mean that taking away virgin plastics as an option, will encourage them to search again for cheaper materials, which can often be harmful, instead of spending more money on recycling materials. The fix it section of the article was centered on ways to fix and incentivise recycling.
Loved your response to the article Mel! It is so sad that many people really don’t know how much and how bad plastic is for our environment. Then, it doesn’t have much payoff for the people who do try their best to recycle. What do you think could be some good incentives for our government to introduce to companies so they could change to compostable packaging?
Thanks for your comment, I agree! So far, I have seen California make some pretty good incentives, that forced most companies to start using compostable straws, and some even compostable to-go cups and utensils. I think these come in the form of policy, like taxing companies higher based on their environmental impact, or taxing items they sell to customers, thus if they do not change, they will receive less business.
What are the most successful brands that have found alternatives to plastic use?