When it comes to the health of the planet, perhaps nothing is more detrimental than society’s habitual use of plastic. Plastic pollution is one of the Earth’s most pressing problems. And only we can resolve it.When plastic was first created, it was heralded as a cheap and convenient solution to almost every product and packaging need in the world. We could sell, store, and transport food and goods in it, fill it with water, utilize it in the healthcare industry, give it to our kids to play with, and use it to create technology. Little did we know then plastic would become the bane of the planet—and especially our oceans.
Nowhere is plastic pollution more evident than in the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Garbage Patch, a huge island of plastic debris, floats between California and Hawaii. Equaling the size of Texas, the Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of plastic water bottles, plastic bags, plastic food packages, discarded plastic toys, and other plastic junk that has come together to form a massive heap. Because it doesn’t fully break down or bio-degrade, and it’s next to impossible to remove, this plastic patch will continue swirling in the ocean for hundreds, if not thousands, of years to come. The problem isn’t just in the Pacific, either. A plastic garbage patch in the Atlantic Ocean was recently discovered that stretches over a thousand square miles.
Some scientists suggest plastic pollution may be worse for the environment than our carbon footprint. Plastic is made to last… and last and last. This is a beneficial feature in products we use over and over for years. But too many plastic goods are used only once. They then live on to choke our waterways, litter our land, and persist through the food chain.
Endangered sea turtles, marine animals, and birds often die after mistaking plastic debris for food. This plastic debris, which breaks apart into smaller molecules but doesn’t disappear, eventually makes it to our dinner tables, where we feed it to our families.
So what can we do? It’s time to utilize the most powerful tools we currently have for change—our wallets and our social networks. Don’t buy plastic water bottles and other disposable, one-time-use plastic items. Purchase reusable canvas bags and refuse plastic bags. Recycle everything possible. Encourage your friends in to similar recycling programs and instill these values in your children and grandchildren.
Supporting environmentally minded companies and green small businesses that take sustainability seriously goes a long way, too. Take Electrolux AB for example. The company’s Pacific Ocean vacuum cleaner, (pictured) is made from plastic trash that washes up on one of Hawaii’s dirties beaches, Kahuku. The company also produces vacuum cleaners made from plastic found in the Indian Ocean, the Baltic Sea, and the Mediterranean to highlight the problem of plastic pollution. Patagonia comes to mind as well due to their efforts toward sustainability. Patagonia creates fleeces and other outdoor gear made from post-consumer recycled plastic and aluminum cans, in addition to other socially responsible investments. Inquire about the environmental efforts and sustainability reporting of your favorite shops and manufacturers.
It’s up to consumers to support and sustain a societal shift toward a more ecologically sound way of doing business. We need to send a message that we care about the planet, the oceans, our wildlife, and our own health—and it needs to be loud and clear. No more throwaway plastic.
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