Plasticised World
In 1907, chemists in the state of New York invented a synthetic plastic which laid the foundational groundwork for the creation of today’s conventional plastics. Over time, the engineering and perfection of plastic production quickly took shape. Following the end of WWII, the proper infrastructure and technology was available to make plastic production much easier and available at a global scale to then eventually bring ease and comfort to an entire planet in less than a century. The shift to a plasticised society occurred in the 1960’s, in which the world saw a massive movement in plastic manufacturing. Currently, plastic is in countless products, making its way into every sector of society and any industry that provides a good or service. This heavy reliance on plastics can be attributed to the versatility and manuability plastics offer. Being able to offer stability when necessary, and flexibility when necessary, results in plastic as a perfect medium for companies to use -- especially with packaging and food packaging.
The Problems At Hand
On the surface of the issue, plastics in and of themselves are not inherently bad to the environment, in fact they offer a long list of benefits that people are not aware of. Plastics allow for a wide range of products to be manufactured and used, which plays a critical role in how the interaction between people and products occur. However, the current method in which plastics are handled and disposed of is when they become serious problems. Single use plastics used for grocery bags, water bottles, and packaging are the major contributors to the plastic dependency issue. When these plastics are no longer useful after a single use, they are intended to end up in landfills where they can be managed responsibly or to be recycled into other plastics. However, that is not the case necessarily. In fact, only around 9% of plastics end up being recycled, leaving the vast majority to end up in landfills and even worse -- oceans. To put things into perspective, according to Plastic Ocean, 300 millions tons of plastic are produced annually and about half is produced for single use, leaving around 8 tons of plastic to be trashed into the ocean every year.
The problem with plastic dependency becomes a larger problem due to how these plastics are produced and where big plastic manufacturers get their raw materials. Conventional single use plastics are made utilizing petroleum based chemicals, which are fossil fuels prior to being refined into a usable and versatile form. The problem at hand is that the world’s supply of fossil fuels are finite and quickly depleting, and plastic manufacturing stockpiles greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thus creating a significant carbon footprint onto the world. To make things more difficult, according to the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world's oceans, waves and beaches, plastic production will see 50% increase in the next 10 years and plastic exports will triple by the year 2030.
Whats next?
The process of utilizing plastic alternatives starts with legislation and finding persuasive ways to pass legislation on plastics. Plastic use has become a problem due to an inability for humans to comprehend the broader picture of their actions, such as creating plastic waste and the global effects that come with excess waste. Even though there is endless evidence towards the threats of excess plastic waste, The American Chemistry Council (ACC) continues to lobby diligently against anti-plastic regulation due to their strong relationship between large plastic manufacturers , like Exxon Mobil, DuPont, and Dow Chemical. If one legislation is passed against the use of plastic, then many more will follow therefore causing the ACC to further lose funding. In short, the primary role that legislation plays in the reduction of plastic dependency is that it allows for a precedent of an anti-plastic movement to take occur, primarily towards the dependence of single use plastics.
How You Can Help
Some impactful and easy practices to help stop creating plastic waste is to cut back on the amount of plastic products you use in your everyday life. Using reusable water bottles and travel mugs rather than using water bottles, cutting back on the amount of disposable straws you use, switching out your plastic containers for glass containers for your food, and reusing plastic backs when making grocery trips. In addition, another way to help is to buy all of your groceries in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging in your home. If you are feeling an internal drive to seriously cut back on plastic and its waste, adopting a zero-waste lifestyle will definitely minimize plastic depency and create a much smaller carbon footprint.
These methods, at large, are using commercialism in a way where it helps limit reliance on single use plastics. Finding ways to extend the use of plastics in everyday life will have a significant impact on single use plastic production as well in our relationship in reverting back to plastics. The real power in fighting against plastic dependency is through our wallets. Being mindful of what you’re buying, when you’re buying, and how often you’re buying will help cut on single use plastics. For a big picture, limiting the amount of money that is put towards plastic products creates distress for plastic manufacturers, and finding ways to use plastics more sustainably becomes and incentive for these manufactures. Identifying a sustainable relationship between consumer, producer, and disposal methods will not only help cut plastic dependency down to managle levels, but will have a long lasting impact for the health of the planet.
In 1907, chemists in the state of New York invented a synthetic plastic which laid the foundational groundwork for the creation of today’s conventional plastics. Over time, the engineering and perfection of plastic production quickly took shape. Following the end of WWII, the proper infrastructure and technology was available to make plastic production much easier and available at a global scale to then eventually bring ease and comfort to an entire planet in less than a century. The shift to a plasticised society occurred in the 1960’s, in which the world saw a massive movement in plastic manufacturing. Currently, plastic is in countless products, making its way into every sector of society and any industry that provides a good or service. This heavy reliance on plastics can be attributed to the versatility and manuability plastics offer. Being able to offer stability when necessary, and flexibility when necessary, results in plastic as a perfect medium for companies to use -- especially with packaging and food packaging.
The Problems At Hand
On the surface of the issue, plastics in and of themselves are not inherently bad to the environment, in fact they offer a long list of benefits that people are not aware of. Plastics allow for a wide range of products to be manufactured and used, which plays a critical role in how the interaction between people and products occur. However, the current method in which plastics are handled and disposed of is when they become serious problems. Single use plastics used for grocery bags, water bottles, and packaging are the major contributors to the plastic dependency issue. When these plastics are no longer useful after a single use, they are intended to end up in landfills where they can be managed responsibly or to be recycled into other plastics. However, that is not the case necessarily. In fact, only around 9% of plastics end up being recycled, leaving the vast majority to end up in landfills and even worse -- oceans. To put things into perspective, according to Plastic Ocean, 300 millions tons of plastic are produced annually and about half is produced for single use, leaving around 8 tons of plastic to be trashed into the ocean every year.
The problem with plastic dependency becomes a larger problem due to how these plastics are produced and where big plastic manufacturers get their raw materials. Conventional single use plastics are made utilizing petroleum based chemicals, which are fossil fuels prior to being refined into a usable and versatile form. The problem at hand is that the world’s supply of fossil fuels are finite and quickly depleting, and plastic manufacturing stockpiles greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thus creating a significant carbon footprint onto the world. To make things more difficult, according to the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world's oceans, waves and beaches, plastic production will see 50% increase in the next 10 years and plastic exports will triple by the year 2030.
Whats next?
The process of utilizing plastic alternatives starts with legislation and finding persuasive ways to pass legislation on plastics. Plastic use has become a problem due to an inability for humans to comprehend the broader picture of their actions, such as creating plastic waste and the global effects that come with excess waste. Even though there is endless evidence towards the threats of excess plastic waste, The American Chemistry Council (ACC) continues to lobby diligently against anti-plastic regulation due to their strong relationship between large plastic manufacturers , like Exxon Mobil, DuPont, and Dow Chemical. If one legislation is passed against the use of plastic, then many more will follow therefore causing the ACC to further lose funding. In short, the primary role that legislation plays in the reduction of plastic dependency is that it allows for a precedent of an anti-plastic movement to take occur, primarily towards the dependence of single use plastics.
How You Can Help
Some impactful and easy practices to help stop creating plastic waste is to cut back on the amount of plastic products you use in your everyday life. Using reusable water bottles and travel mugs rather than using water bottles, cutting back on the amount of disposable straws you use, switching out your plastic containers for glass containers for your food, and reusing plastic backs when making grocery trips. In addition, another way to help is to buy all of your groceries in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging in your home. If you are feeling an internal drive to seriously cut back on plastic and its waste, adopting a zero-waste lifestyle will definitely minimize plastic depency and create a much smaller carbon footprint.
These methods, at large, are using commercialism in a way where it helps limit reliance on single use plastics. Finding ways to extend the use of plastics in everyday life will have a significant impact on single use plastic production as well in our relationship in reverting back to plastics. The real power in fighting against plastic dependency is through our wallets. Being mindful of what you’re buying, when you’re buying, and how often you’re buying will help cut on single use plastics. For a big picture, limiting the amount of money that is put towards plastic products creates distress for plastic manufacturers, and finding ways to use plastics more sustainably becomes and incentive for these manufactures. Identifying a sustainable relationship between consumer, producer, and disposal methods will not only help cut plastic dependency down to managle levels, but will have a long lasting impact for the health of the planet.