Ditching Plastic

Let’s face it: we consume plastic every single day.

Plastic wraps the utensils we get with our take-out food, the lids on the coffee we buy, the water bottles we purchase for convenience – not longevity, the straws in the drinks we consume… the list goes on. Since the 1980’s, plastic production has increased 500% around the world. This directly reflects the addiction humans have developed to single-use, disposable plastics, which is now causing serious problems.

What’s wrong with the way humans use plastic as a disposable product?

Creating plastic is an oil-intensive process. Most plastics are made from non-renewable petroleum and natural gas resources, which threaten the environment and our oceans. If we can decrease our consumption of plastic, we can also decrease our demand for fossil fuels, both leaving positive impacts on the environment.
The world is producing a lot of it. Every year 300 million tonnes of plastic is manufactured. Just how much is 300 million tonnes? To provide a comparison, try this: picture every single human on Earth. Now put them on a scale: that is the weight that we are nearing in annual plastic manufactured – plastic produced annually nearing the equivalent weight of every human being on Earth. What’s more alarming is that this number is estimated to grow, reaching 30 billion tonnes by the end of the 21st century.
Plastic is very slow to degrade, so we are going to be stuck with this problem for a long time. Did you know it takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to degrade? Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form, excluding the small amount that has been incinerated. Unfortunately, the majority of plastic products end up in landfill after only one use, as plastic is recycled at truly inadequate levels.
It’s hurting the oceans and the ecosystems within. Plastic can now be found on the ocean floor, washed up on remote islands and inside the digestive systems of marine life. 44% of all seabird species, 22% of cetaceans and all sea turtle species have been documented with plastic in and/or around their bodies. This plastic is piling up in our oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (largest ocean garbage site in the world), located in the North Pacific Gyre off the coast of California, is a floating mass of plastic twice the size of Texas. Here plastic pieces outnumber sea life six to one.
The problem is close to home. Plastic pollution is in our Great Lakes here in Canada, the largest fresh water bodies in the world. In samples collected in Lake Erie, 85 percent of the plastic particles were smaller than two-tenths of an inch, and much of that was microscopic. Fish often mistake these bits of plastic for natural food.

What can we change about our habits as individuals?

The first step to addressing the problem of plastic pollution is to significantly reduce the amount of plastic we use. Reducing is actually quite easy because of all the alternatives available, like using reusable mugs and straws when enjoying the drinks we buy, or reusable bags at the grocery store. Even if we could all eliminate disposable cups and bags from our waste, we would be making a dramatic contribution to fighting plastic pollution. Below are 5 more ways to ditch the plastic in your life:

Recycle all the plastic you dispose of. If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics. Plastic does not belong in the trash, despite garbage cans often being filled with plastic items. This is applicable not just in your home, but when you dispose of waste while at work, at the library, or out shopping, too.
Reuse plastic shopping bags and plastic water bottles if you must use these items. Otherwise, there are many local shops with a huge selection of cloth bags and reusable bottles at great prices.
Reduce everyday plastics such as ziploc bags and juice cartons with alternatives such as a reusable lunch bag/box that includes a thermos. If you want to take it a step further, you can refuse single-use packaging, excess packaging, straws and other “disposable” plastics. Carry reusable utensils with you to use at BBQ’s, take-out restaurants or work events.
Remember to bring your travel mug or cup with you to the coffee shop. This one is important, folks. We need to re-think our leniency regarding the disposable cups many of us throw out everyday, multiple times a day with each coffee purchased. When you bring your own mug, you are also reducing the amount of lids and cup sleeves thrown out.
Encourage others! Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to reduce plastic in our lives and the nasty impacts of plastic pollution.

To get a head start on some inspired conversation, take a few minutes and watch Shaun Frankson’s Ted Talk on plastic pollution and consumer action here.

To learn more about how you can recycle your plastics at Carleton, as well as other items, you can check out our waste management plan here.