OPINION: Recycle or die: solving the plastic problem

With the chaos of the Ukraine conflict and COVID-19, climate change and the deadly effects of plastic pollution on the environment aren’t on many people’s minds.  

Yet, regardless of current issues, climate change needs to be on people’s minds.  

Climate change is an unyielding, perpetual crisis that affects all of humankind, far more than most current issues, and according to scientists, we only have 7 years to save the Earth from irreversible climate damage.  

Plastic pollution, which often isn’t directly correlated with the climate crisis, is a mass contributor to global climate change. It is also one of the only causes of climate change that civilians have the capability to help stop.  

Plastic is everywhere. 

The existence of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is hardly news to most people. Twice the size of the US state of Texas, the gyre of 80,000 tons of plastic debris spans 1 million square miles. More than 270 marine species alone are directly harmed by plastics, resulting in the deaths of millions of animals. Death from plastic is usually due to malnutrition, strangulation by debris like ghost nets or chemical contamination. 

Every year, 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of non-biodegradable plastic are dumped into the ocean from river systems. It takes one plastic water bottle 400 years to break down in the ocean and 800 years to decompose in soil.  

Yet, plastic production isn’t faltering. By 2050, production will triple and account for 13% of the carbon budget, furthering climate change by allowing offset greenhouse gases to destroy the atmosphere.  

People often naively believe that if an issue isn’t directly impacting their lives, it either doesn’t exist or doesn’t concern them. This is the faulty reasoning behind many people’s stance on climate change. The problem is simply too large to fathom and so they disregard the issue, choosing instead to focus on the tangible, relatively insignificant problems in front of them. 

If you abide by this mentality, consider the fact that plastic is no longer just polluting the Earth; it is now polluting your blood. 

Scientists have recently discovered microplastics in the bloodstreams and lungs of human beings. Researchers found that 80% of one study’s participants carried microplastics in their blood. As a new discovery, the side effects of microplastics on humans are still widely unknown, which worries scientists, who have already found grave side effects on cells in a staggeringly short amount of time. Research found that these tiny particles of plastic can break down cells’ lipid membranes, gravely impairing cellular functioning, as well as cause allergic reactions and early necrobiosis or cell death. 

So, while you may not care about a giant patch of garbage floating in the ocean, or even the looming threat of climate change, consider the consequences of plastic pollution on humankind. 

We know that plastic pollution has a detrimental impact on the environment and humankind, but what exactly is being done to stop it? 

The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization working to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Ocean Cleanup’s System 002 has cleared 89,000 lb. of plastic debris with minimal damage to marine life and is working on System 003, a more finalized system. The project hopes to remove 90% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by 2040, but as a non-profit, the company will need a lot of donations to make that happen. 

To curb the production of plastic products, Good Start Packaging is a company that produces eco-friendly sugarcane fiber packaging. This biodegradable packaging is made from millions of tons of bagasse leftover from sugarcane producers and breaks down into a nutrient-rich fertilizer after 60 to 90 days.  

Alas, corporate greed is preventing most American companies from switching over to eco-friendly alternatives. So, while it may be comforting to tell yourself that eco-friendly companies are working to stop climate change, remember that they are a small minority of the capitalist population.  

We cannot rely on others to fix the problem when we, as civilians, are equally to blame for plastic pollution. 

So, what should you do? 

We all know not to buy plastic bottles and try to recycle when we can. That’s the bare minimum. 

Stop using single-use plastics like plastic utensils, straws or takeout boxes, or, if possible, reuse them.  

While it’s difficult for students in the dorms to cook meals and avoid to-go containers, try to use less disposable packaging when you go out to eat. Take your Qdoba burrito without the paper bag. Use a water bottle at the soda machine instead of taking a plastic cup and straw.  

Buy second-hand, whether that be clothing, electronics or furniture instead of buying new. 

Get that 10cent discount from Starbucks by bringing a reusable cup.  

Take a reusable bag to get groceries and ditch the plastic. 

Instead of taking notes by hand, use a computer to type your notes, and avoid wasting paper and notebooks.  

Time is running out;  we have seven years left to combat climate change before it’s too late. 

Do your part. Stop using plastic or suffer the consequences.  

Maureen Wardle can be reached at [email protected]