Problems
- Gross economic inequality aka "The Cost of Living Crisis" is bad for communities, health, and the environment.
- Plastic pollution causes disease, injury, and suffering.
- Plastic pollution contributes to climate change and loss of biodiversity.
- Plastic recycling doesn't work.
- Supermarkets are reliant on plastic packaging. They cost the Earth.
- Plastic production is highly polluting, requires water, energy, transport, and synthetic chemicals.
- A lack of comprehensive legislation to reduce plastic pollution.
- Government corruption / connections to the oil industry.
- Colonialism.
- Waste incineration / waste-to-energy / energy-from-waste has many bad outcomes including high levels of pollution and contributing to climate change.
- Exporting waste / illegal dumping.
Credit
Credit
Solutions
- Economic equality.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle. Focus must be on reducing plastic production rather than recycling plastic (ie turn off the tap!).
- Support local, independent, and organic (where possible).
- Comprehensive legislation to reduce plastic production / pollution.
- Some bioplastics can reduce the use of fossil fuels.
- Setting a good example for others to follow - be the change!
Non-solutions
- Plastic / chemical recycling.
- Waste incineration / waste-to-energy / energy-from-waste.
- Landfill.
- Some bioplastics. All require land, energy and resources. Some contain toxic plasticisers, some contain fossil fuel derivatives.
