Michelson, Joan. “We Have a Waste Problem – Will ESG and Government Funding Help?” Forbes, 29 Jan. 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/joanmichelson2/2023/01/29/we-have-a-waste-problem–will-ESG-and-government-funding-help/?sh=56d785df4e22.

 

The Holiday season not only brings excellent cheer but also significant plastic waste. Plastic is part of our everyday lives, from wrapping paper on a present to packaging our food. The United States has a plastic waste problem that is going strong. Only 5% of the plastic put into recycling bins is recycled. Every hour 2.5 million plastic bottles are being thrown away. Many end up in landfills, our environment, and in the ecosystem. While there are thousands of recycling systems in the nation and many people are becoming more conscious of their plastic waste, there is still the growing problem of plastic waste. While there are still many problems with our plastic usage, companies, and bodies are creating change like Patagonia, who reduce plastic to make their apparel, others who are building biodegradable plastics, and those who are reducing their plastic packaging to make a difference. Regulations are being placed in certain areas that force plastic manufacturers to take accountability for the plastics they create from their creation until their disposal/recycling. Other programs are rapidly evolving with the current plastic epidemic, and only time will tell how effective they are.

It is disheartening to see that despite all our hard work, there is little impact on the amount of plastic pumped into the ecosystem by the United States and other countries. There needs to be more incredible innovation regarding methods that aim to reduce plastic waste on our planet. While we have thousands of recycling centers, little plastic is actually recycled. If we wish to reduce plastic waste, there must be a more significant push for effective recycling methods. There also needs to be a reduction in the amount of plastic being produced, as no matter how much plastic we take out of the environment, it won’t matter if we keep dumping more in than we take out. There needs to be set goals and regulations that manufacturers must follow to decrease the amount of plastic being made. Without their measures, the problem will continue to escalate, and our planet’s health will continue to deteriorate.