The Problem with Plastic: It’s Worse Than You Think
It can be impossible to avoid plastic in everyday life. Plastic forms the basis of many of our goods, its packaging, and even the bag it comes in. Plastics have pervaded all aspects of our consumerism. And also, our environment.
Greenpeace researchers have found plastic pollution all over the world, from the ocean's deepest trenches to remote forest paths. Research shows that by the year 2050, plastic may even outweigh fish in the ocean. Once in our environment, plastic breaks down into difficult-to-remove microplastics. Marine life and seabirds consume this plastic, and traces have even been found in the human digestive system.
Recycling may seem like an easy solution. But what happens after you toss your used plastic packaging into curbside recycling? The answer may surprise you. Recycling is a worldwide industry.
According to The Guardian, America exports over one million tons of plastic waste overseas. Until 2017, the bulk of it shipped to China. It was a lucrative way to harvest the most valuable plastics that could be repurposed and resold. But the USA sullied the deal by sending material contaminated with food or dirt or that was unrecyclable.
The States continues to send its plastic waste abroad. But now the burden lands in poorer, developing countries with limited environmental regulations. The waste is unloaded often in areas already inundated with trash. Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia are among the nations accepting America's plastics.
The human impact of unregulated recycling practices is staggering. Individuals are employed at a low wage to ready the recycled plastic for resale and are subjected to dangerous toxic fumes. Fumes from burning plastics can cause respiratory illness, developmental disorders, and cancers. Local environments are plagued by contaminated water supplies and crop death. And vast swathes of trash surround communities.
The Guardian also reports that these countries mismanage 55% to 86% of their waste, which adds to the global pollution crisis. Consider that on top of the fact that experts estimate 20% to 70% of "recycled" plastics are discarded as unusable.
Hopefully, change is on the horizon. A new corporate responsibility bill from the Democrats would target plastic waste. As reported by Joseph Morton for Roll Call, the legislation would require that producers of plastic packaging create and pay for recycling programs. This would lift some burden off the consumer. Instead, companies like Nestle and other major manufacturers would support a producer-responsibility approach.
Still, a global solution is twofold. Society must address and redress its reliance on plastic. (The EPA reports that America generated 35.7 million tons of plastic waste in 2018.) At the same time, the recycling industry needs reform to manage the global waste production. Any solution must also bear the responsibility of environmental and human wellbeing.