Single-Use Plastics | habitatuci

As I’m sure many of you know, the world’s plastic consumption has grown exponentially in recent decades and is becoming a huge problem for our environment.

A big component of this issue is the heavy use of ‘single-use plastics’. Single-use plastics are plastics that are used with the intention of being tossed away right after, like plastic utensils, water bottles, plastic packaging.

Nowadays, most products you buy at the grocery or receive in take-out at restaurants will contain some sort of single-use plastic.

In the 1970’s the use of these plastics skyrocketed by manufacturing companies as they were cheaper and more readily available than their glass or paper counterparts.

8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s, with half it being produced in just the last 15 years.

91% of the world’s plastic is not recycled, it just sits in landfills or seeps into our environment. Smaller single-use plastics are not even accepted into many recycling plants as they get stuck in the crevices of the machines.

If just left in these landfills, over time plastic breaks up into microplastics instead of breaking down. These microplastics often get in the ocean and into our air.

In recent studies, plastic has been found in 90% of seabirds and 100% of turtles. This can cause many health issues to the animals, like punctured organs or fatal intestinal blockages.

These microplastics have been found in humans as well. They can cause hormonal imbalances, reproduction, and even cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has labeled them a ‘probable human carcinogen.

Also, in many countries, plastic waste is burned, which has been shown to cause skin rashes to residents of those areas. Also, the process of making plastic is detrimental to the environment.

Drilling for these the materials needed to make plastic, oil, and gas, releases lots of greenhouse gases into the environment.

Refineries that turn crude oil into plastic are one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases in manufacturing.

While I had been aware of the growing problem of our society’s extensive plastic use, I became more aware of the dangers of single-use plastic because of a friend of mine who was passionate about it.

For lent this year she decided to try and give up using single-use plastics. For some insight, I asked her to elaborate on her experience for this newsletter.

She mentioned that while she knew this experience that would be challenging, it was even more difficult than she thought it would be.

A big aspect of her problem was that most food items are wrapped in plastic so grocery shopping was very difficult. Also whenever she would have a craving for a snack, she couldn’t have it as it would use single-use plastic.

To avoid using these single-use plastics she also made some changes to her lifestyle. She started carrying around reusable utensils and finished all her food when she ate out to avoid to-go containers.

She also tried to avoid plastics at the grocery store, but when she had to buy an item with them, she tried her best to repurpose those plastics.

While she did try her best to follow her no single-use plastic rule for all of lent, there obviously were times she had to break it for things like for floss, trash bags, and gifts.

Reflecting on her experience, it is clear that completely phasing out single-use plastic in your life would be currently impossible, but there are definitely choices you can make every day to limit the amount you use.

There are ways that we as individuals can try and reduce our single-use plastic usage.

One way to avoid using ziplock bags and plastic water bottles and make sure to use reusable containers and water bottles.

There are also reusable plastic wraps for sale, like Etee wraps. Also for items, you use often, you can buy them in bulk to reduce the individual packaging. When possible go to buy items in-store, as online orders also come in lots of packaging.

We can also try and make a change on a bigger scale by trying to change laws and company policies. You can always reach out to a company, restaurant, or local government representative to voice your concerns.

It is also important to vote when laws that ban single-use plastics are proposed, like the ones in California, Hawaii, and New York that banned single-use plastic bags and charge for reusable plastic bags at grocery stores.

While it does seem daunting to try and get rid of all the single-use plastic in the world, if we each try our best to reduce our use and use our voting power, we can definitely see some beneficial changes for our environment and our own health.

What do you think?
Every week, we will invite you all, our general members, to engage with these topics that each board member offers. Consider reflecting on the following questions and sharing your opinions with us via social media. With your permission, we will add your responses/opinions in the following newsletter to further develop the conversation (and it totally can be confidential too!)

Please feel free to expand or ask other questions, and let us know what you think, here.

1. What are some items that you can think of that necessarily use single-use plastic and how do you think they could be sold or displayed differently?

2. Are there any stories you have heard about the environmental or health dangers of single-use plastic or just plastic in general?

3. What are some ways that you have tried to reduce your plastic use or ways that you would like to in the future?

Spotlight Writer

Michelle Amalraj, Intern

I’m Michelle Amalraj and I am an intern in this club. I am a 2nd year biomedical engineering major. I am originally from Norcal, specifically Palo Alto. In my free time, I enjoy playing games with my friends, watching TV shows, and listening to music. One of my favorite movies is the Sound of Music, as I watch it nearly every holiday season with my family.