Plastic has a big carbon footprint, accounting for 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and it is growing. Produced from chemicals sourced almost entirely from fossil fuels, plastic generates heat-trapping gases at every stage of their life cycle. The problem begins with the extraction and transportation of fuels, refining, and manufacturing. They are all greenhouse-gas intensive. Plastics even emits traces of methane and ethylene when exposed to sunlight, and, when incinerated all the stored carbon in the plastic is released into the atmosphere, along with other air pollutants.
Plastic also doesn’t break down and is building up as waste in almost every corner of earth, from the great garbage patch to the human placenta. Unsurprisingly, this is bad for human health. A 2023 report found that of the seven thousand chemicals linked to plastic material, about half are associated with adverse health effects.
Microplastics seem to be everywhere. Everyday items like clothing, food packaging, cosmetics and car tires shed tiny particles of plastics, which in turn find their way into blood, baby poop, placentas and breastmilk. According to recent research, plastics are even in the intricate, delicate tissue that makes up our lungs. And now, a new study published in the journal Physics of Fluids discovered that those plastics can get lodged into our airways and stay there over time. Therefore, while some plastics can be avoided through consumer choice, (which is challenging), even those living a “plastic-free” lifestyle, are exposed.
Two chemicals of particular concern are phthalates and bisphenols. These can act as endocrine disrupters meaning they either mimic or disrupt hormones and their functions within the body. These chemicals have been linked to a wide variety of issues, including asthma, behavioral issues, and lower sperm counts in males. There is also mounting evidence of their links to Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. However, a 2019 report from the Plastic Pollution Coalition stresses the fact that the effect of plastics on human health needs to be addressed at every stage of the plastic lifecycle, whereas current research lacks this holistic and nuanced approach.
And because plastic doesn’t decay, it doesn’t ever stop polluting. The Guardian published an illustrated story about the 8.3 billion tons of plastic that was produced between 1950 and 2019 and where it went. 30% is still in use. The rest was disposed of in one of 3 ways: 79% to landfill, 12% incinerated, 9% recycled. Vast quantities of plastic waste are exported each year from high-income to low-income countries, where it accumulates in landfills, pollutes air and water, degrades vital ecosystems, befouls beaches and estuaries, and harms human health—environmental injustice on a global scale. Plastic-laden e-waste is particularly problematic. A profound amount is ending up in the ocean, with an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastics entering the ocean yearly. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California, is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world. And, a recent study on microplastic pollution in the oceans has found that that problem has been grossly underestimated.
In 2019, a study published in Nature found that the amount of plastic could triple by 2060 if we do nothing about it. Find a Plastic Footprint calculator here and 15 ways to shrink your footprint here.
In May 2022, a report “The Real Truth About the U.S. Plastic Recycling Rate” documented a recycling rate of 5-6% for post-consumer plastic waste in the U.S. for 2021. Furthermore, the per capita generation of plastic waste has increased by 263% since 1980.
You might just join the reuse revolution and learn about 10 simple steps you can take to move closer to zero waste.
A reporter in California kept a diary of her plastic use. It was soul crushing. You might just read that and nothing else.
Or you might watch a stunning Frontline documentary called Plastic Wars.
No more plastics. Period.
Below is an environment art installation by the Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong – A viral creative focused on telling epic stories through his surreal photography and videography experiences. This is from the series #TurnOffThePlastic Tap
CREDIT: ARTIST BENJAMIN VON WONG
