Problems
- Plastic production / pollution causes disease, injury, and suffering.
- Plastic pollution contributes to climate change and loss of biodiversity.
- Plastic recycling doesn't work.
- Plastic production requires water, energy, transport, and synthetic chemicals.
- A lack of comprehensive legislation to reduce plastic pollution.
- Government corruption / connections to the oil industry.
- Capitalism is driving waste and pollution.
- Colonialism.
- Exporting waste / illegal dumping.
Solutions
- Focus must be on reducing plastic production rather than recycling plastic. Turn off the tap!
- Reduce, reuse, repair, refill.
- 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.
- Bioplastics require land, energy and resources. Some contain toxic plasticisers. Some contain fossil fuel derivatives.