Currently, about 430 million tons of plastic is produced every year. One-third of this total takes the form of single-use plastics, which humans interact with for seconds or minutes before discarding.
Most of the plastic we make, 72%, ends up in landfills or the environment, according to a 2022 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (See report HERE). Only 9% of the plastic ever produced has been recycled, and 19% has been incinerated. Some of it reaches the sea; estimates suggest that between 8 million and 11 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean each year. According to the National Academy of Sciences, that’s the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute.
It may appear that buying single-use plastic items is the cheapest, easiest way to go, but the toll on our health and the health of our environment leads to a very costly outcome indeed.
Solutions such as recycling cannot deal with this much waste. Instead, we need to find alternatives to buying single-use plastics in the first place. Only then, will plastic production be reduced.
Although daunting, there are many things we can do to help turn the tide on the damage single-use plastics leave behind. As part of IWMAC’s on-going education campaign, we will share with you some simple changes you can make for positive change.
START NOW!
Get in the habit of using a water bottle for your beverages and frequent businesses that will re-fill your reusable coffee cup.
When you order take-out, tell the restaurant you don’t need the plastic cutlery. Ask for your food order to not be put in plastic bags for pick-up.
If you forget your reusable grocery bags, ask for paper bags and reduce our dependence on plastic.
Source: MIT Technology Review
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