Written by on December 1, 2021

Single Use Plastic

Climate Change

We all know the world is facing a huge problem: climate change. This is a problem with many faces. Think about the food industry, using gas for cars, and global warming. Maybe you can think of another one? Let me give you a hint: you use it daily and only one time. Single-use plastic. 

Our problem 

Okay, let’s start at the beginning. What is the problem exactly? Single-use plastics are products that are made from fossil fuel-based chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be thrown away right after you used them. Think about packaging, bags, straws, and bottles. And why is this a problem? It sounds like the perfect invention! Well not completely. Besides the plastic that is important like surgical gloves, or straws for people with disabilities, single-use plastics are just a glaring example of the problems with throwaway culture (Lindwall, 2020). 

People like to prioritize convenience over durability and consideration of long-term impacts. We don’t like to invest in products with quality that sometimes will last a lifetime. Because of that, we produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide. Half of that is single-use items (Lindwall, 2020).  

The impact 

What is the impact of all of this? Good question! Because plastics are made from fossil fuels it leaves a large carbon footprint. And once plastics are used, only a small percentage is recycled. It takes hundreds of years to disintegrate plastics. You may have seen the pictures of floating garbage in the Mariana and Kermadec trances of the Pacific Ocean. Did you know that 90% of all trash floating on the ocean surface is plastic? It’s causing damage to marine animals and birds. But also a concerning consequence is that plastics are entering our food chain through microplastics and nano plastics (Recycle Coach, 2018). 

Global plastic production has increased by 620% since 1975 and much of that is for single-use products. About 80% of the plastic that ends up in water whether it’s in the rivers, lakes, or oceans comes from the land and is carried into our water systems and can accumulate there and so in the oceans, we can end up with these huge masses of plastics. The most well-known is the great Pacific garbage patch which is thought to be even larger than the state of Texas (Shedd Aquarium, 2017). 

The four R’s 

Now we know it is a big problem and it is doing a lot of damage we can start to think about the solution. Is there even a solution to this? Because we use it in our daily lives. So it will be difficult to completely ban it from our lives. But maybe the four R’s could help you to understand and help you to use fewer plastics in your daily life:  

  1. Reduce 

Try to reduce the use of single-use plastic. For example, try to buy your vegetables without packaging. Or use a shampoo bar instead of a shampoo bottle.  

  1. Reuse 

Use your plastic bottle more than one time. Or give the plastic tub where your tomatoes were in a new life by using it as a planter.  

  1. Recycle 

With reuse, you use the whole product again. But with recycling, you use the materials again for another product. The most recyclable fossil fuels are glass, aluminum, carton, and plastic.  

  1. Recover 

And the last step is to recover. This is a step where energy is recovered from the materials. Think about converting it into, for example, new cups or bottles. 

These steps can remind on how we can make a difference by using plastics or other materials. You can also apply it to other areas of sustainability (JASA). 

It’s your turn 

Keith Tharp for Seacoast once said in his TedTalk: “Recycling is not the solution. We must reduce our demand for single-use plastic (Tharp, 2018).” You can reduce your single-use plastic in your daily life. Think simple or just be creative. You can start by avoiding the use of single-use plastics such as straws. And when you go shopping you can bring your own bags. Those are some very simple changes you can make in your day-to-day life (Iberdrola). If you want to do more you can start by doing research. Because everyone is different and not everyone wants to make the same changes. I was prepared to use shampoo-, conditioner-, body- and face bars. I also don’t consume fish and not as much meat anymore. But are you also willing to do that? There are a lot of options so start your research to find the options that work for you!  

Even the little things matter. As David Attenborough once said: ‘The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water, and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it (Attenborough).’ 

Bibliography 

Lindwall, C. (2020, January 9). Single-Use Plastics 101. Retrieved from nrdc.org: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101#what 

Recycle Coach. (2018, May 16). Single Use Plastics: The Impact and Possible Solutions . Retrieved from recyclecoach.com: https://recyclecoach.com/resources/single-use-plastics-the-impact-and-possible-solutions/ 

Shedd Aquarium. (2017, April 7). The Problem with Plastics. Retrieved from youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=526gMLHDVLg 

JASA. (n.d.). 4 r’s of sustainability. Retrieved from jasa.nl: https://www.jasa.nl/innovaties/4-rs-of-sustainability/ 

Tharp, K. (2018, September 25). Reducing single-use plastic at the local level | Keith Tharp | TEDxPortsmouth. Retrieved from youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BQp9XOPrUc 

Iberdrola. (n.d.). Reduce your plastic consumption and lessen its impact on the environment . Retrieved from iberdrola.com: https://www.iberdrola.com/environment/how-to-reduce-plastic-use 

Attenborough, D. (n.d.). David Attenborough > Quotes. Retrieved from goodreads.com: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/106444.David_Attenborough