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.