Problems
- Plastic recycling doesn't work.
- Plastic pollution causes disease, injury, and suffering to humans and animals.
- Plastic pollution contributes to climate change and loss of biodiversity.
- Supermarkets cost the Earth. Their business model is reliant on plastic packaging.
- Gross economic inequality aka "The Cost of Living Crisis" is bad for communities, health, and the environment in so many ways.
- 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.
- Propaganda / misinformation / disinformation: See Noam Chomsky: The five filters of the mass media machine and The Media Reform Coalition.
- Colonialism.
- Waste incineration / waste-to-energy / energy-from-waste has many bad outcomes including high levels of pollution and contributing to climate change.
- Landfill.
- Some bioplastics. All require land, energy and resources. Some contain toxic plasticisers, some contain fossil fuel derivatives.
- Exporting waste / illegal dumping.
- Inaction, overwhelm, apathy.
- Litter has many negative impacts.
Credit
Credit
Solutions
- Focus must be on reducing plastic production rather than recycling plastic (ie turn off the tap!). This corresponds to the waste hierarchy - reduce, reuse, recycle.
- Economic equality.
- 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. Love requires action. 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.
Benefits
Plastic pollution is a scourge on humanity. As we decrease it, there are many benefits:
- Cleaner environment.
- Better health / less disease.
- Improve biodiversity.
- Meet climate targets.
- Reduced costs.
- Less anti-social behaviour such as crime.
- ...and many more!
All of us can help reduce plastic pollution, setting a good example for others to follow. If we all do what we can, a greener, healthier, fairer world is possible. See the "Be the Change" section.