Dear Editor,
Plastic pollutes our world gathering in ocean garbage patches with the largest: Great Pacific Patch, is twice the size of Texas. There are two other slightly smaller Pacific patches. Patches have 1.8 trillion floating plastic pieces, approximately 250 pieces per person; equivalence of a truckload of plastic dumped in the ocean each minute, gigantic monuments to today’s modern world.
Dead beached whales, found with plastic in their stomachs causing their deaths have been found like: pregnant whale with 50 pounds of plastic; whale with 88 pounds of plastic; whale with 200 pounds of plastic.
Global population is 7.8 billion people. Yearly eight million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean; some estimates are 12.7 million metric tons equivalent to the weight of two million elephants. Plastic in oceans could triple in the next decade. Ellen MacArthur Foundation, with World Economic Forum, predicts that by 2050 ocean plastics will exceed the weight of all living oceanic animals.
Americans use 100 billion plastic bags per year with an average “use time” of 14 minutes. Fewer than 10% of bags are recycled; the remainder are simply disposed of. Community cleanup cost is 17 cents per bag. Annually Americans use enough bags to circle the world over 750 times. Global use is 500 billion bags, or 62 bags per person. That many bags can circle the earth 3,750 times. So that life doesn’t suffocate, where will all this plastic go?
Smith’s, a subsidiary of Kroger Foods, provides plastic bags to those who need them. Holiday (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, etc) bag use is six cases per day and non-holiday bag use is four cases per day. A case has 12,000 bags at an average cost of three cents per bag. Current bag policy at Smith’s provides a five cent customer credit to those who provide their own bags, hereafter referred to as: BYO (bring your own). Kroger’s plan is to end their use of plastic bags by 2025. Kroger’s developed Zero Hunger & Zero Waste programs and for their environmental and humanitarian efforts they are to be both applauded and replicated.
Eight states have banned store use of plastic bags: Delaware, Connecticut, Maine, Hawaii, Vermont, Oregon, California and New York. Other states have devised other measures (like fees and taxes) to reduce plastic bag usage. Many nations and cities globally have banned plastic bag store usage.
After states’ legislation that restricted plastic bag use, bag distribution decreased 70%. In seven years, the number of bags was reduced by two-thirds, avoiding use of 1.4 million tons of bags.
Many areas in Canada and Mexico ban, or tax, plastic bags. Mexico City on 1/01/20 banned plastic bag use. However, current Arizona law prevents outright banning of plastic bags. We consumers are not powerless to decrease plastic pollution and become responsible consumers. Bring our own (BYO) containers since this self-reliant BYO step is doable, legal and a sane policy.
Americans proudly proclaim self-reliance so demonstrate this and show who we say we are! But wait there’s one more thing …. science recently developed a plastic-eating enzyme and massive operational system development is underway.
Plastic bags require about 1,000 years to biodegrade. Estimates are 79% of plastic bags ever produced are now in dumps, landfills or simply in the environment. With educated and a cooperative public, plus the innovative technologies such as plastic-eating enzymes and alternate biodegradable materials made of algae, fungus, seaweed, corn, etc., humanity inches to eco-friendly waste management policies.
Imagine store coolers that formerly held bottled water posts a sign that reads, “This store no longer sells plastic bottles. BYO container and fill it at the drinking fountain.”
Overseas, consumers are expected to supply containers. Join the rest of the world and become responsible consumers … BYO!
Styrofoam
Styrofoam plastic is air-injected polystyrene and is not eco-friendly since it’s petroleum-based. 2016 Worldwatch Report reports: “Four percent of worldwide petroleum consumption is used in plastic-based products. Another 4% is used to power plastic manufacturing processes.” Annually, eight million metric tons of styrofoam enters our oceans.
Styrofoam’s production by-products contain carcinogens effecting: nervous, gastrointestinal, reproductive, cardiac, respiratory, immune and hormonal systems.
Plastics and styrofoam break into tiny pieces called microplastics. Animals then consume these pieces. Death results from blockage of their stomachs leading to starvation. Plastic absorbs carcinogenic pollutants like DDT, and eventually is deposited on the sea floor. When fish eat any plastics material, then people consume the fish, it harms both people and animals alike.
2016 World Economic Forum study showed U.S. and Europe produce 40% of plastic items and 2% of marine plastic waste. Asia produces 45% of plastic items and 82% of plastic waste. More effective global waste management systems are needed.
Replacement for styrofoam challenges scientists but hope lies in the following:
• Ecovative Design created a line of styrofoam-like products, made from fungi which eco-friendly, used for take outs/building/packaging materials alike.
• Bio-degradable composite materials are available that replace styrofoam. Request restaurant to supply these rather than styrofoam..
• Plastic eating enzymes and ocean-sweepers exist to clean ocean plastic ‘patches.’
• Black Bear supplies only biodegradable take out trays, frequent them!
Use only products manufactured from renewable resources, containing biodegradable materials, and/or those that are easily recycled.
Cleveland State University study: It requires more than a million years for styrofoam to decompose. Essentially, this represent a non-biodegradable material that harms our earth.
Citizen Action Plan
Request paper cups, reject styrofoam. Many coffee outlets and convenience store retailers offer discounts when BYO mugs or cups are used.
Request that restaurants and merchants provide “credit” for each BYO container (bag or take out tray) then credited to the bill. This credit incentivizes patrons to BYO container(s).
When implemented, this credit “model” will eliminate the use of styrofoam takeout trays. When asked if you want a carry out say, “No thank you.” Styrofoam hurts our world, so I bring my own take-out container but thank you anyway.” This exchange becomes a teachable moment for the service staff. Advise management your return business is assured when they no longer use styrofoam.
Reduce pollution. Individually manage use of plastic bags and styrofoam. Be a part of the solution, not the problem’s source. BYO containers!
Business Solutions
Expect responsible customers to BYO containers.
Provide credit for each patron-supplied container.
Chris Meisenheimmer
Kingman
