Look around you. Do you spot
any plastic? We are surrounded by plastic, from plastic water bottles to
plastic toys. It is hard to go a day without using something made out of
plastic. What was once a breakthrough invention has now become a problem, both
a big and microscopic.
A study done by 5 Gyres in
December found that the ocean contains over 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic!
This includes microplastics, pieces of plastic that are less than half a
centimeter. This tremendous amount of plastic is polluting our environment, our
waterways, and potential harming our health.
In a world littered and
addicted to plastic, what do you do? It may seem over whelming, but there are
plenty of ways to break this plastic addiction. Just like there is tons of
plastic, there is lots of alternatives! We have gotten caught up in this use
once and toss society, it is time to choose to reuse.
Here are a few items to help rid you of plastic
addiction:
Water bottles.
Did you know it takes three times the water to make the bottle as it does to
fill it? The water bottle has become the staple item to use once and discard. A
reusable water bottle, whether glass or aluminum, will help reduce plastic
pollution, while also saving water and fossil fuels.
Plastic bags. Countries
and states are putting in place plastic bag bans or fees to help reduce the
amount of plastic bags used. This is for good reason since around 1 trillion
plastic bags are used worldwide every year! These bags may seem convenient, but
they are becoming dangerous to our environment, especially to animals and
marine life. The alternatives are endless, from canvas bags to a bag once made
out of plastic water bottles. There are big bags for grocery shopping or
mini-bags to keep in your purse or pocket for a trip to the store.
Straws. In
2014 during our Spring & Fall Beach Sweeps, 18,372 straws and stirrers were
picked up! A disposable straw on average is said to be used for a mere twenty
minutes, while those coffee stirrers are used for a just a few seconds.
Restaurants are starting to tackle this issue by issuing request only straw
policies. When you dine out remember to ask your server to hold the straw. Also there are also plenty of reusable options for
at home or at work including glass, stainless steel, and bamboo. Carry it with
you to use.
Beauty. We all
have heard the saying ‘it hurts to be beautiful’, however some beauty regimes
are now inflicting pain on the planet. Microbeads, the tiny plastic beads found
in face washes, body scrubs, and tooth paste, are ending up in our waterways. States,
including New Jersey, are banning the use of microbeads. On a federal level,
Congressman Pallone from New Jersey’s 6th congressional district,
introduced legislation, the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2014, in June of 2014,
that would ban the use of these microbeads.. In 2015, Congressman Pallone,
along with Congressman Fred Upton, reaffirmed his belief is this topic by
introducing the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015.
While although the NJ microbead ban is a step in the right
direction, it contains a loophole that would allow the personal care industry
to incorporate "biodegradable" plastics such as polylactic acid
(PLA). PLA is able to disintegrate, however, only within municipal
composting facilities in high heat environments. Microbeads are too tiny to be
filtered within wastewater treatment plants so they'll still end up in our
waterways and won't biodegrade since our waters don’t meet the heat
requirements needed to degrade. It’s important for the public to understand the
whole story and know how to properly advocate for such legislation.
In addition to legislation,
companies are also banning the use of microbeads, such as Johnson & Johnson
and Unilever. However, there are other companies, such as Aveda, who have never
incorporated microbeads into their products. Longtime supporters of Clean Ocean
Action, Aveda has continued to understand and support clean water initiatives.
These beads may ‘exfoliate’
your skin, but they are wreaking havoc in our waters. If you want to avoid
using such products on your skin, look for polyethylene
and polypropylene under the
ingredients list. There are also plenty of other alternatives including DIY
salt scrubs and body washes.
Clean Ocean Action works
tirelessly to protect our ocean and marine life from plastic debris. We
recently launched the first microplastics research study in New Jersey to
document the scope and magnitude of microplastics on New Jersey beaches,
waterways, coastline, and in marine life. Even with the Beach Sweeps and
microplastics research it is still up to you to reduce your plastic pollution
footprint! For more information please visit our website cleanoceanaction.org
