The problem

The problem with single use, or disposable plastic, is that plastic never goes away. It is not biodegradable, and only breaks up into smaller pieces of plastic, while all the time absorbing chemicals that can be toxic to human and animal life. While recycling plastic has its own environmental issues, over 90% of plastic is never recycled after it is discarded (McClure. 2021). Some examples of single use plastic items that cause damage to communities and environments are, plastic straws, plastic bread bags, styrofoam takeaway containers, plastic shopping bags, and much more.

These discarded pieces of plastic pollute our water sources, food, and even our air when burned. Single use plastics make up 40% of all plastics produced each year (Parker, 2021). Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years. Only about 9% of single use plastic waste is ever recycled. The vast 90% of plastic that never gets recycled is either burned-releasing into the air we breath, tons of toxic chemicals, such as dioxins, furans, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls- or dumped into a landfill, leeching these toxic chemicals into our groundwater. As commerce grows, so do plastic production rates. Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years. Plastic production has increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by 2050. Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world (Parker, 2021).

From birds to fish to land animals, millions of animals are killed by plastic pollution each year. Nearly 700 species are known to have been affected by plastic pollution, including endangered species (Parker, 2021). An overwhelming amount of animal deaths are caused by entanglement or starvation, due to plastic pollution. Animals such as seals, whales, and turtles are strangled by discarded fishing gear or thrown away six-pack rings. Many microplastics have been the cause of digestive tract blockage and punctured organs in many sea animals. Microplastics can even pack the stomach of these animals until they lose the desire to eat and starve to death.

Not only are we affecting the environment in our own neighborhoods, but the single-use plastic trade has resulted in plastic pollution that disproportionately affects poorer and disadvantaged communities all around the world. Earlier this the United Nations Environment Programme launched a scathering report about plastic and environmental inequality. This report brings to light how countries within the Global South are being force-fed plastic pollution by wealthy countries.

In this report, titled Neglected: Environmental Justice Impacts of Plastic Pollution, the truth about unethical practices of the plastic industry are exposed. One such truth is the capitalization of “false solutions” such as recycling when, in fact, single-use plastic is more likely to be shipped off to developing countries than being recycled (Dena, 2021). Also highlighted, is the impact of plastic at every stage of its production, on underprivileged communities- from the extraction of oil, to its disposal in the environment, and finally its incineration, if it ever makes it that far. In response to the findings of this report, Greenpeace Africa Pan-African plastic lead, Angelo Louw had this to say, “This report is a big wake up call as far as the extent to which the plastic industry is willing to go make a quick buck, at the expense of everyone else – especially people of colour, who are the majority in these types of communities and countries. They have no consideration for the disadvantaged communities that they are driven even further into disarray”. Mr. Louw then goes on to say, “The plastic industry even bullies our governments, who are trying their best to manage the plastic pollution crisis, into bending their laws so that they can continue with their profit making agenda. Last year, we exposed an example of corporate attempts to destabilise Africa’s plastic-free ambitions, where the American Chemistry Council lobbied to include clauses in on-going Kenya-US free trade agreement negotiations which undermine their single-use plastic bans. In countries like the DRC, corporations are ignoring anti-plastic legislation and this is forcing governments to make large investments into the enforcement of these laws. Why should our countries be burdened with the additional cost? Why can’t corporations respect our laws? Why can’t they respect our decision to achieve a healthy life?”

The issue with plastic pollution has gotten far out of hand. The elimination of single-use plastics would directly eliminate the vast majority of plastic pollution. The simple truth is, the rate at which we produce single-use plastics will soon become un-sustainable.

References

Dena, H. (2021, July 15). Greenpeace Africa reacts to alarming UN plastic report findings. Greenpeace Africa. https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/press/13406/greenpeace-africa-reacts-to-alarming-un-plastic-report-findings/.

McClure, M. (2021, November 22). Everything you should know about single-use plastic. Greenpeace Africa. https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/blogs/14052/everything-you-should-know-about-single-use-plastic/.

Parker, L. (2021, May 3). Plastic pollution facts and information. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution.

Waste Staff. (2019). California Lawmakers Fail to Pass Comprehensive Single-use Plastic Reform. Waste360,N.PAG. https://web-s-ebscohost-com.libproxy.csustan.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=3263358b-5e44-452d-b448-e43599f86960%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=138648953&db=8gh