Why I’m Not Going Plastic-Free and What I’m Doing Instead
How you can join me in solving the plastic pollution crisis
Most of us know that plastic pollution is a huge problem. We’ve seen pictures of marine animals caught in plastic and beaches awash in trash. In our daily lives, we’ve all played a role in the waste cycle. Just think about all the plastic that comes into and goes out of our homes. Collectively, we toss a lot of single-use plastic. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that by 2060, humanity will discard 1 billion tons of plastic annually.
However, plastic is not just a waste disposal problem. it’s also a human health, ocean, and climate issue. As Brook Bauman states, plastic manufacturing requires immense quantities of fossil fuels, which then turn into greenhouse gas as it breaks down in the waste steam and oceans. Beyond Plastics, a non-profit whose “mission is to end plastic pollution everywhere,” says that “Plastic is the new coal.”
The U.S. plastic industry is currently responsible for emissions equivalent to 116 coal-fired power plants. This amount will continue to grow, likely reaching 5%-10% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Furthermore, “The health impacts of these emissions are disproportionately borne by low-income communities and communities…
