Author: lucgun

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Microplastics found in a quarter of San Diego estuary fish

U. (2020, March 18). Microplastics found in a quarter of San Diego estuary fish. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200318143702.htm

A sample of fish taken from a creek leading to San Diego bay revealed that a quarter of the fish contain microplastics. The most common types of microplastics found in the fish were synthetic fibers and hard pieces. There were also trends and correlations between certain species of fish and certain types of microplastics. These plastics are usually from land and break down as they travel through ecosystems. Researchers do not have enough information on the impacts of consumption of microplastics or how they transport through ecosystems. 

The article points out a microscopic and invisible part of plastic pollution – microplastics. These include synthetic fibers, soft and hard plastics, and microbeads. The fact that these were found in almost a quarter of the sample of fish taken is shocking because it demonstrates the extent to which the microplastics have infiltrated ecosystems. Certainly, the plastics have a negative impact on the fish and other marine life, and can even affect us if we consume them. Although it may seem minor, microplastics are a detrimental side of plastic pollution and should be treated as such.

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The Biggest Ever Ocean Plastic Clean-Up Just Removed 103 Tons of Waste

Smith, K. (2020, July 12). The Biggest Ever Ocean Plastic Clean-Up Just Removed 103 Tons of Waste. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.livekindly.co/biggest-ocean-plastic-clean-up/

In late June, a California non-profit collected 103 tons of plastic pollution from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The garbage patch threatens marine life in the area and it is about double the size of Texas. Mary Crowley, the founder of the nonprofit, says that this cleanup could be performed on an even bigger scale next year. The waste and debris that were collected were transported mostly to Southern California to be made into building materials. 

I agree with the article that the Pacific Garbage Patch is extremely harmful, and we must clean it up. It gives me hope that the crew was able to collect 103 tons of waste because even though this is a small amount of the total, it is still a lot of pollution cleaned up. It also is exciting that this cleanup could be executed on an even larger scale. Although the garbage path seems daunting due to its size, cleanups like these can remove portions of it, and combat plastic pollution. 

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COVID-19 has resurrected single-use plastics – are they back to stay?

Heiges, J., & O’Neill, K. (2020, July 21). COVID-19 has resurrected single-use plastics – are they back to stay? Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/covid-19-single-use-plastics/

Prior to COVID-19, there was a lot of progress made towards eliminating single-use plastics, but the situation of the pandemic has reversed many parts of this. Plastic bags returned to grocery stores where they had been banned previously, and extra packaging is being used to prevent the spread of the disease. However, California has reinstated its single-use plastic bag ban, because environmental issues should not fall to the back of our consciousness even during a pandemic.

In my opinion, the reversal that has occurred on plastics during COVID-19 is very dangerous. Once people become accustomed to excessive plastic use again, it is very difficult to reverse. The authors mentioned that leaders should reinstate environmental legislation, and I agree that this should be done to help slow the problem. Overall, it is difficult to stay focused on sustainability when we are in the midst of a crisis, but we should recognize that there are alternatives to plastics for staying safe.

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How much recycled plastic do California bottlers use?

Staub, C. (2020, April 22). How much recycled plastic do California bottlers use? Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2020/04/22/how-much-recycled-plastic-do-california-bottlers-use/

Beverage container producers in California released the amount of recycled plastic they used, and in total 13 out of 64 companies reported using recycled plastic. Although it is difficult to compare different companies’ use of recycled plastics, in general, there was a slight decrease. Niagara Bottling used almost 50 million pounds of recycled resin, 15 million pounds more than the year before. PepsiCo however used less recycled plastic this year than the year prior. 

This article talked about the companies that use recycled plastic for their plastic bottles. I think that more companies should do this, and companies should increase the amount of recycled plastic that they use, because it means that companies will have to take more responsibility for their plastic production. When companies manufacture products, they should be more concerned about environmental sustainability, and do things like use recycled plastic, because the responsibility of the environment should be both the companies’ and the consumers’.

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California will test a stretch of highway paved using recycled plastics

Hyatt, K. (2020, August 04). California will test a stretch of highway paved using recycled plastics. Retrieved August 31, 2020, from https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/california-recycled-plastic-pavement-highway-technisoil/

CalTrans and TechniSoil are utilizing a new method of recycling plastic to pave a highway in California. The chemicals used in paving roads are not environmentally friendly, and to repave roads there are usually two steps. First, the road is ground up, and then asphalt covers this recycled portion. However, with this new strategy, there is only one step; the top inches of the roadway are mixed with polymer from plastic bottles, to make a more durable and sustainable pavement. 

This article presented a promising new approach to paving roads because it eliminates some of the chemicals usually used in the paving process, and replaces them with recycled plastic, which we have a lot of. Therefore, I think this is a good innovation because it gets rid of plastics that pollute the environment, and minimizes the use of harmful chemicals and ingredients that are traditionally used in roads. This way, plastic can stay out of landfills and be utilized for productivity.