Plastics Choking Our World

 

The simple reality is that our world's oceans has been drowning in plastic trash and pollution for far too long. It's plaguing not just our oceans, litering our land, piling up in our landfills, and devastating our wildlife, it's in our own bodies now. And all the while, the people behind all this plastic waste and pollution have been rubbing their hands together, lining their pockets with profits made from our collective misery.

 

A year ago I started playing a little game. I was curious to see how much plastic I could reduce in my outgoing trash. Microplastics are everyone's problem; part of the food chain now so we can't help ingesting it. Wonder what that will ultimately do to our health as it accumulates. Our problem, and up to each of us to fix it. Over the past year that game I started has yelded satisfying results. I have replaced over 90% of household disposable plastics so far and still playing . Most now comes from food packaging - that's a hard one. Personally I'm saving my ever dwindling pile of plastic untill some day someone might actually recycle all of it. Everything else is compostable - without leaving microplastics. No microplastics leave my house or enter the water via kitchen, bathroom or washing machine. 

 

 

 

 

 

Bet you're thinking - why is this happening? Tons of plastic? Who is to blame? Well, we hate to break it to you, but plastic manufacturers are more concerned with maximizing profits while trashing our planet. As a result, nothing will change until we stop buying their stuff!

There is a severe lack of infrastructure to handle plastic waste - in the US especially. Recycling facilities and collection programs for plastic pellets made from plastic bottles and food containers alone are nowhere near as prevalent as they should be, making it difficult for we consumers to recycle any of our plastic waste. So it falls to all of us to instead pay attention to plastic use... and all the little plastic products we buy.

 

Politicians everywhere – all around the world but especially in the US – are far more interested in propping up their friends in the plastic – petroleum – industry than they are in looking after the people, much less our planet.

There's no pressure to create recycling programs at all while new plastics are being cranked out at a never ending rate. Virgin plastic is made from new petroleum and synthesized materials and does not involve recycling or repurposing any pre-existing plastic. According to a report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), global plastic pollution is set to actually increase by 40% over the next decade. That's alarming, to say the least. In a time when we need to be reducing our plastic usage, we see production accelerating at a breakneck pace.

In 2019, the global production of new plastics hit a whopping 368 million metric tons, according to the CIEL report. And it's been going up annually by nearly 4% since 1950. The scary part? We're not equipped to handle this increase. The production of new plastic is outstripping our ability to recycle and reuse plastic effectively. It's only a matter of time before plastic overtakes everything and we plunge headfirst into a health and environmental crisis so bad it can't be fixed .

Sad but true, plastic litter everywhere. So what can we do? Well, we consumers simply need to start demanding more plastic-free products and support businesses that prioritize this, including sustainable packaging. We can push those policymakers to invest in better recycling facilities and collection programs, but the truth is they really don't care if anything get's recycled. There's no money in it for them. Such is the life cycle of your standard politician and their happy lobbying group.

 

So far any approach to the policymakers about what needs to be recycled has fallen on deaf ears. Voting with our wallets may ultimately prove more affective. But we cannot continue to ignore the problem and hope it goes away.

 

Stop Plastic Waste At The Consumer End

Plastic is literally killing us, having made its way through our water systems, floating plastics to microplastics and right into food chains, even the air we breathe. So let's be the change we want to see in the world.

Let's demand plastic-free products by supporting businesses that prioritize sustainability. We can try to push our unprincipled policymakers to invest in infrastructure that supports recycling. But seriously, it's not happening.

 

It's not until we turn the tide and speak in the only language they understand – MONEY - that things will ultimate change. It's up to us to save ourselves and our planet from the disastrous consequences, and criminal actions, of the plastic obsession.

Plastic Pollution - it's literally killing us! 

Marine debris is not just killing the animals! It's time to face the ugly truth: plastic pollution is not just an eyesore on our beaches and oceans. It's a serious threat to our health. From microplastics that contaminate our food and water supplies to toxic chemicals that seep into our bodies, plastic pollution is wreaking havoc on our well-being.

Harm to wildlife 

Marine plastic pollution invariably becomes a microplastic pollution problem as most plastic breaks down. According to research, nearly every person on this planet has microplastics in their bodies. These minuscule particles are so small that they can easily cross our tissue barriers and accumulate in our organs, leading to all sorts of health issues. Some studies even suggest that microplastics can cause cancer and disrupt our hormones. Yikes!

 

As the plastic debris continues to accumulate in our landfills and oceans, it eventually breaks down into tiny, microplastic particles that are easily ingested by marine organisms and subsequently, enter our food chain. This means that folks who eat seafood may be unknowingly consuming microplastic marine debris on a regular basis!

Impacts on food and human health 

But wait, there's more! Studies have shown that these insidious little particles can even contribute to a whole host of health problems in humans. We're talking everything from hormonal imbalances to damage to our nervous systems and reproductive organs.

So, let's cut to the chase here. If we don't make a concerted effort to reduce our plastic consumption, we're not just hurting the marine environment here--we're also hurting ourselves. It's high time we prioritize our health and demand more plastic-free products from the companies we support. The ball is in the consumers' court, and it's up to us to put an end to this marine plastic pollution pandemic once and for all!

Plastic Pollution : Not Just A Marine Life Problem 

Ah, plastic. The seemingly harmless material that has now become the bane of the planet's existence. Thanks to new and ongoing plastic production, we are witnessing a catastrophic level of plastic debris pollution that is wreaking havoc on our marine organisms, and in turn, destroying the entire well-being of our planetary environment.

It's like we're on a never-ending loop of producing, using, and disposing of plastic. Only, there's no "disposable" in this equation, is there? Because guess what, that plastic bottle you tossed in the bin is going to be around for centuries, and it's going to make you feel real guilty while you're lounging on a beach in Bali, watching the poor turtles choke on your plastic waste.

Not Just About Plastic Bags And Bottles

It bears repeating, and cannot be repeated enough - till it sinks in - that plastic debris pollution is not just a threat to our marine life. It's actually affecting the health of us humans too! And not in a good way, if that wasn't already obvious. Microplastics, those tiny particles that are the result of the breakdown of larger plastic materials, have now been found in our drinking water, seafood, and even the air we breathe. We're basically ingesting our own waste. How's that for a fun fact?