By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director
During the month of July, we are going to look at various aspects of plastic pollution and attempt to abstain from one type of single-use plastic each week.
Efforts to either recycle or break down used plastic products will not come anywhere close to solving the issue. Recycling only considers the end of the life cycle of a plastic product, which does nothing to hold the plastic manufacturers accountable. They are still fully profiting from a practice that is very damaging to the planet. In essence, the manufacturer is only concerned with creating demand for plastic, but once it is purchased, disposal becomes someone else’s problem. The only real solution to reducing plastic pollution is to focus on the beginning of its life cycle; we need to “turn off the tap” on plastic. Reducing plastic consumption (in contrast to recycling) holds the plastics industry accountable.
Green Tip
Begin the process of reducing your plastic consumption by thinking about and listing the types of plastic products that you use regularly. Attempt to prioritize them in terms of reducing or eliminating their use.