why is it hard to reduce plastic waste essay
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We use plastics in virtually every shape and form in our daily lives. It carries our drinks, holds our shampoos, and keeps our veggies fresh. According to the to the UN Environment Programme, humans are consuming resources and producing waste at a greater scale than ever before, and per capita consumption levels are projected to increase with continued development. Data indicates that during the 20th century, global material resource use rose at about twice the rate of population. Plastic is everywhere! We love it because it is waterproof, relatively cheap, durable, and versatile. Plastic makes our lives incredibly convenient, disposable, and easy, but most people rarely think about the effects it has on the environment. Unlike other materials, it never really goes away. Plastic does break down, but in a landfill it takes up to 400 hundreds years; worse, it doesn’t ever become other materials, it just breaks into microscopic pieces of plastic that are still non-biodegradable. From there, plastic fragments most often find their way into the oceans. But it’s not just the end of a plastic’s life cycle we need to worry about. When plastic is produced, it’s made from toxic materials such as benzene and vinyl hydrochloride. These chemicals are known to cause cancer, and the manufacturing byproducts contaminate our air and soil.
We all know the phrase reduce, reuse, recycle, and it’s common knowledge that these steps are generally good for the environment. What you might not know is that the order of those words has meaning as well. The words are in order of greatest impact in lowering your carbon footprint, reduce being the most important. If you want to reduce the harmful effects of plastic pollution, follow the hierarchy of steps and tips below.
The first step; reduce.
The most effective way to reduce plastic pollution is to not create plastics in the first place. Reduce and refuse! Sure, it’s great to recycle a plastic water bottle after you are done with it. But it’s MUCH better to never use it in the first place, eliminating the extraction of materials from the earth, energy used to manufacture it, and fuels to transport it to wherever it will be sold. Each child who brings non-reusable bags for lunch to school every day generates 67 pounds of waste each year. Try to keep this most important step in mind every day!
You might be surprised on how little thought you devote to your plastic use. The straw in your water at a sit-down restaurant, your deodorant tube, extra plastic bags for your produce, and even the plastic wrap your sandwich comes in can be avoided with enough planning, or simply just asking to skip the plastic packaging. Also be aware of hidden plastics you can avoid, such as microbeads in facewash! You can also reduce your plastic usage by simply buying bulk! Instead of needing two bottles of shampoo a month, buy a larger bottle and reduce the overall packaging by only purchasing one.
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Reducing plastic waste is important because plastic production requires an enormous amount of energy and resources. This causes carbon emissions and contributes to global warming. Recycling plastic is not efficient – only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled. About 60% is discarded in landfills and oceans.
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