Trash Is for Tossers

By Jessica Anthony

Here’s a little known fact: only about nine percent of plastic thrown away gets recycled. Where the rest ends up is nearly unpredictable: landfills, the ocean or anywhere in between. But once it’s been thrown away, it’s there to stay.

This is because plastic does not biodegrade. Unlike many other packaging alternatives, plastic is petroleum-based, not organically sourced. As a result, bacteria cannot break it down, and instead, it undergoes chemical changes where it falls apart into smaller and smaller pieces. While it may eventually disappear, these particles of plastic remain in the ecosystem forever. These so-called microbeads of plastic then run off into the environment and poison the ground and water supplies nearby. In fact, every piece of plastic made in our history still exists in some form to this day, and most people are completely unaware this is even an issue. We as a society have long held this belief about our plastics, but it’s time to realize how much harm these particles can do to the environment.  

For one, there is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a Texas-sized island composed entirely of trash that floated off into the ocean.  Marine life tend to mistake our garbage as food, and they end up choking on it, as in the now famous picture of the turtle choking on a plastic straw. Smaller pieces build up in animal stomachs and poison them from the inside out. On land, small creatures can get stuck in or injured by things like plastic bags and other forms of packaging. While the plastic breaks down, it also releases potentially toxic chemicals such as BPA and PS Oligomer.

While all of this is happening, our plastic consumption over the years has only continued to expand. Although estimates vary, the average American is reported to go through anywhere from 150 to 200 pounds of plastic every year, and this statistic is trending upwards. Forty percent of this is also made up of single use plastics–that being plastic items used in packaging, such bags and bottles. These kinds of plastic are easily replaceable in day to day life with multi-use alternatives, such as reusable water bottles or canvas bags, but because of the convenience and cheap price of throwaway plastic goods, most people never bother with using sustainable alternatives.

To show how dire and seemingly unavoidable the situation is, below is a list made by an Early College student regarding the items with plastic that he uses on a daily basis:

1. iPhone 8

2. MacBook Air

3. 02Cool water bottle

4. Beats Studio 3 Wireless

5. Food containers

6. Mead folder

7. Zebra pen

8. Pentel mechanical pencil

9. AP Language textbook

10. Oral-B toothbrush

11. Plastic wrap for bread

12. Sensodyne toothpaste tube

13. Clocks

14. School bag

15. Math textbook

16. Jurassic Park hoodie

17. Rain jacket

18. Adidas sweatpants

19. Under Armour shoes

20. Trash can

21. Trash bag

22. Parmesan cheese bag

23. Expo marker

24. White board

25. Virco chairs

26. Lunch bag

27. Car key

28. TV remote

29. Hand soap dispenser

30. Laptop charger

31. Phone charger

32. Headphones charger

33. Calculator charger

34. Deodorant can

35. Night lamp

36. Bed sheet

37. Paper towel dispenser

38. Light switches

39. Notebooks for classes

40. Cetaphil container cap

41. Desks

42. Wallet

43. Alarm system control center

44. Lights

45. Bathtub

46. Shower curtains

47. Toilet seat

48. Basketball hoop

49. Door handle to Early College Study Center

50. Lockers

Here’s another little known fact: Starbucks gives you a discount every time you bring a reusable container for your drink, and Target and Whole Foods offer discounts for every reusable bag presented at checkout. Bamboo toothbrushes are slightly more expensive than plastic toothbrushes, but they are reported to be better for your health, and they biodegrade more easily.

These small alternatives are only a dent in our plastic-filled world, but if everyone switched their habits to align with more sustainable practices, an effect would surely be seen. While it may be impossible to cut plastic out of our lives entirely, even the smallest lifestyle changes can add up to a big difference.