As climate change is the alerting topic in today’s world, it is very essential to explore and recognize the largest contributors to climate change. Fossil fuel industry is topped as the third-largest in carbon emissions. This is informally linked to the growing plastic industry (Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 2019). For more than 100 years, plastic has been one of the most essential tools we use to generate the materials of our physical world. For all their benefits, though, plastics also present challenges. This post will be highlighting the environmental impacts of plastics production and behaviors to mitigate these impacts.
Plastic bags are inexpensive manufacturing products however, the low-cost price doesn’t account for the environmental costs of using plastic bags. According to a study conducted by the English Environment Agency resource extraction and raw material production account for 60% of the environmental footprint of plastic bags. In other words, 60% of the bags environmental impacts happen before we even put our groceries in them (Edward & Fry, 2011). Nearly, 8% of the world’s oil production is used to make plastics. Accordingly, this contributes to the burning of fossil fuels and cause climate change (Teece & Lowell, 2019).
After a single use of plastic, most plastics are tossed away and statistics from National Geographic has estimated that 91% of the plastic wastes are not recycled each year, which mainly end up in landfills or oceans causing plastic pollution. Furthermore, plastic does not decompose until 500 years; the ocean animals mistake the brightly colored microplastics for food and pass the toxins through the food chain. Eventually, this will not only affect marine life but consumers as well, as some of their food resources come from the ocean. By 2050, scientists predicted that if consumers constantly use plastic by this same rate, the oceans would contain more plastics than fish (Parker, 2018).
The mitigation of plastic production is simply to discontinue the use of plastics as much as possible. Nevertheless, before any prevention of plastics, first and foremost training and awareness must be performed to the uneducated consumers. Consumers are obligated to be aware of the causes and impacts of plastic production, which will benefit them to comprehend why to prevent plastics in the first place (Industry Sector Emissions, 2019).
Followed by the awareness, there are two techniques to mitigate plastic production, which is how to minimize the use of plastics and it is important to start within the individuals first. In my opinion, it is important to start small to help the environment then slowly but surely maximize your targets. Therefore these practices are ways that individuals can implement in their daily life:
- Avoid plastic straws, utensils, and bottles: First and foremost, it is always best to reduce the consumption of plastic at all time. Use stainless steel straws, utensils and bottles and disregard any plastic materials to help eliminate the chances of climate change and global plastic waste crisis. The recent viral news, which group of scientists spent practically ten minutes pulling a plastic straw from the nostril of an olive ridley sea turtle (Jee, 2018). Stainless steel can be used multiple times for 30-50 years, whereas plastic is typically 1-2 time use and thrown away disturbing the environment. (Derek, 2016).
- Reuse bags: Study by English Environment Agency, they found the real environmental cost of a bag whether plastic paper or cloth is heavily rooted in the production side of the product. Plastic has the smallest environmental impact out of those three materials. In order for longer life bags to have a smaller environmental impact, they need to be used multiple times. (Edward & Fry, 2011). However, by no means, the single-use plastic bags are the best option, when possible we must avoid using plastics. Reusing is the key to mitigating the negative effects of plastic; buying a new plastic bag every time, only perpetuates the problem.
Recycling, unfortunately, is not one of the keys in mitigating climate change. This is because, when recycling burning the plastics is mandatory and this contributes to carbon emission. Nevertheless, recycling can mitigate plastic pollution in the landfills and the oceans. Bee’ah introduced great home service initiatives, where residents can separate plastics, cans, and paper into different bags and contact Bee’ah team to collect the bags. (Waste Management, 2019) This ensures your plastics will be 100% recycled, avoiding your plastic wastes landing in the landfills or oceans.
Plastic production is one of the contributors to climate change; 1 million plastics are produced every minute and the planet is gradually warming. Consumers can’t seem to make better choices; purely because they lack knowledge of plastics and its impacts on the environment. Since plastics are around consumers, who use it on daily basis, I strongly believe, it is one of the easiest methods to start and be part of the mitigation of plastic production, as I have personally begun and found it easygoing. However, reducing your plastics shouldn’t be viewed as your sole contribution to climate change mitigation. It’s a small alteration that needs to go hand in hand with other actions, for instance reexamining how much food you’re buying from the store. Lastly, the bag you choose matters not as much as how it was produced, what you put in it? And how you use it? These questions must be constantly occupying your mind at all times.
References
Waste Management. (2019). Retrieved May 12, 2019, from Bee’ah: https://beeah.ae/en/beeah-tandeef
Edward, C., & Fry, J. M. (2011). Life cycle assessment of supermarket carrier bags: a review of the bags available in 2006. Environment Agency.
Derek. (2016, September 1). What is the Lifespan of Stainless Steel Pipes? Retrieved May 12, 2019, from Link Plus the USA: https://linkplususa.com/lifespan-stainless-steel-pipes/
Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (2019). Retrieved May 12, 2019, from the United States Environmental Protection Agency – EPA: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Industry Sector Emissions. (2019, April 29). Retrieved 2019, from Greenhouse Gas Emissions: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Jee, J. (2018, June). HOW DID SEA TURTLE GET A STRAW UP ITS NOSE? Retrieved May 12, 2019, from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/how-did-sea-turtle-get-a-straw-up-its-nose.aspx
Parker, L. (2018, December 20). Planet or Plastic? Retrieved May 11, 2019, from National Geographic: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/07/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment/
Plastic Bags Fact Sheet . (2014, October 14). Retrieved May 11, 2019, from Earth Policy Institute: http://www.earth-policy.org/press_room/C68/plastic_bags_fact_sheet
Teece, M., & Lowell, U. (2019, March 9). Climate Change and The Plastics Industry. Retrieved May 12, 2019, from Plastics Facts: https://www.plasticsfacts.com/blog/2019/3/6/climate-change-and-the-plastics-industry
Very informative, great article!