Why it’s time to go plastic free.
Unlike the many changes needed to tackle the climate crisis, addressing plastic waste is something individuals and communities can tackle in their day-to-day lives. Here’s why you should go plastic free.
In the fall of 2020, the Canadian federal government announced a ban of six single-use plastic items that are set to be phased out across the country by 2022. The list includes plastic grocery bags, straws, stir sticks, plastic cutlery, six-pack rings and food containers made from hard-to-recycle plastics. However, many including Oceana Canada, says this list only covers ‘a fraction’ of what is actually used on a day-to-day basis. According to Ashley Wallis of Oceana Canada, “we know that…the vast majority of plastics that we use are actually challenging to recycle.”
Every year Canadians throw away 3 million tonnes of plastic waste, only 9% of which is recycled, meaning the vast majority of plastics end up in landfills and about 29,000 tonnes finds its way into our natural environment. Plastic pollution has now become a part of the food chain, devastating to wildlife, ecosystems and the future of the planet.
A grizzly bear eating food waste from a plastic bag in British Columbia, Canada.
IMAGE SOURCE: Adobe Stock
A brief history of plastic
Plastic was once touted as the material of the future. Well, that future is now and in many ways, this statement is true… but not in the way that anyone could have imagined or intended.
What are plastics?
Plastic is a word that originally meant “pliable and easily shaped.” It only recently became a name for a category of materials called polymers which abound in nature. Over the last century and a half humans learned how to make synthetic polymers which are stronger, more lightweight, and flexible than those found in nature. In other words, it’s what makes them so plastic and exceptionally useful.
Endless possibilities.
In 1907 Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, meaning it contained no molecules found in nature. Bakelite was not only a good insulator; it was also durable, heat resistant, and, ideally suited for mass production. Marketed as “the material of a thousand uses,” Bakelite could be shaped or molded into almost anything, providing endless possibilities.
The rise of plastics.
The surge of plastic production started after World War II. The possibilities of plastics gave some observers an almost utopian vision of a future with abundant material wealth thanks to an inexpensive, safe, sanitary substance that could be shaped by humans to their every whim. In terms of production, product after product, market after market, plastics won over traditional materials and eventually it took the place of steel in cars, paper and glass in packaging, and wood in furniture.
A shift in perception begins.
Plastic debris in the oceans was first observed in the 1960s, a decade in which people became increasingly aware of environmental problems. Gradually, a shift in perception began and plastic became a word used to describe things that are cheap, flimsy, or fake. By 1969, the unblemished optimism about plastics in the 50s and 60s quickly started to fade as awareness about environmental issues began to spread and the persistence of plastic waste raised concerns.
Plastic waste starts to mount.
By the 1970s and 80s, anxiety about plastic waste increased as so many plastic products were disposable, but lasted forever in the environment. Recycling became the go-to solution of plastic manufacturers, and communities were encouraged to collect and process recyclable materials as part of their waste-management systems. However, the cost and difficulty to recycle most items, left most plastics in landfills or in the environment and recycling as a solution failed.
The fall of single-use plastics.
When the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - what has often been described as a swirl of plastic garbage - the size of Texas was found floating in the Pacific Ocean, the problem with single-use plastic was made visual. Along with growing concerns about the potential threat to human health - through chemicals that leach out of plastics into our food, water and bodies - the need to eliminate single-use plastics became a global issue.
A section of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
IMAGE SOURCE: Parsons Education
A few facts about plastic
There is no doubt that plastics have saturated our word and changed the way we live. On the positive side, plastics have made possible the development of computers, cell phones, and most of the lifesaving advances of modern medicine. Lightweight and good for insulation, plastics help save fossil fuels used in heating and in transportation. Perhaps most important, inexpensive plastics raised the standard of living and made material abundance more readily available. Without plastics many possessions that we take for granted might be out of reach for all but the richest. Replacing natural materials with plastic has made many of our possessions cheaper, lighter, safer and stronger.
However, making things cheaper, lighter, safer and stronger, has resulted is some staggering consequences:
10M
10 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into our oceans annually. That’s equal to more than a garbage truck load every minute.
50%
of all plastic produced (380 million tonnes per yr) is for single-use purposes - used for just minutes and then thrown away.
100%
of mussels tested have contained microplastics and 1 million marine animals are killed by plastic pollution every year.
Where do we go from here?
Over the past few years, we have seen a major shift in attitude towards plastic. People are becoming more aware of how they are personally contributing to the mounds of plastic clogging up our planet. In fact, according to a poll released by Oceana Canada, two-thirds of Canadians think the federal government should expand its announced plastic ban to include additional harmful single use plastics. And, a staggering 88 per cent of Canadians feel surprised, angry, guilty and/or helpless to learn that less than nine per cent of Canada’s plastic waste is recycled and that the majority is sent to landfills or incinerators.
Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada will ban single-use plastics as early as 2021 and make plastics generators responsible for their own waste.
IMAGE SOURCE: Twitter @JustinTrudeau
The Government of Canada responded with the release of the action plan to reduce plastic pollution. According to a statement released by the prime minister’s office, “Canadians know first-hand the impacts of plastic pollution, and are tired of seeing their beaches, parks, streets, and shorelines littered with plastic waste. We have a responsibility to work with our partners to reduce plastic pollution, protect the environment, and create jobs and grow our economy. We owe it to our kids to keep the environment clean and safe for generations to come.”
While making simple changes like carrying reusable shopping bags, buying in bulk with reusable containers, or carrying a travel mug are fairly easy, we need a fundamental shift in our thinking and production of plastics. For example, cotton produce bags are kind of useless if everything is already wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. Learning from the ‘blue box’ recycling program introduced in the 1980s - which was enthusiastically embraced by Canadians - actually increased waste as manufacturers were permitted to use cheaper single-use plastics in exchange for partially subsidizing the program.
Despite these grim facts, every individual can make a difference
Unlike the many substantial changes needed to tackle the climate crisis, addressing plastic waste is something that individuals and communities can ultimately tackle in their day-to-day lives. Though seemingly small gestures in the grand scheme of things, behavioural changes can cause a ripple effect, especially if they influence manufacturers and brands to reconsider their use of single-use plastics. Simply put, if you don’t buy products that use single-use or hard-to-recycle plastics, then there will be pressure on companies to reconsider how they manufacture and package their products if they want to meet consumer demands. And as a consumer, you have a lot more power than you think.
There are many resources and organizations that can help you find ways to reduce plastic waste. Here are just a few of our favourites:
PARTICIPATE
Plastic Free July® - The Plastic Free Foundation
The Plastic Free Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit charity whose award-winning Plastic Free July campaign has has become of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world. Millions of people across the globe take part every year, committing to reducing plastic pollution (not only in July) but far beyond.
For more information visit plasticfreejuly.org
PLEDGE
The Zero Waste Pledge - The David Suzuki Foundation
Agree to adopt one or more of the proposed actions:
REFUSE single-use plastic items.
ASK for reusable cutlery and pass on plastic straws in restaurants.
REPLACE single-use items with reusable items.
GIVE UP non-recyclable, plastic, disposable items.
OPT for items that contain recycled plastic if non-plastic isn’t available.
PICK UP plastic debris.
RECYCLE all plastic waste.
APPLY 5Rs: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rot (compost).
ASPIRE to a zero waste lifestyle.
SUPPORT a federal ban on single-use plastics.
For more information visit davidsuzuki.org
SUPPORT
Plastic Oceans Foundation Canada
Plastic Oceans Foundation Canada is a federal non-profit organization, that offers individuals and organizations the opportunity to support their four individual programs: Education, Shoreline Cleanups, Direct Action and BlueCommunities through donations. The Plastic Ocean Initiative is to provide education that inspires change through direct action, advocacy and science innovation to protect the health of our shores, lakes, rivers and oceans.
For more information please visit plasticoceans.ca
The future of plastics needs innovation and determination
There needs to be a clear distinction between single-use plastics and those plastics that are an important and necessary part of our future. Since there are certain plastics have a valuable place in our lives (in the fields of medicine and technology), some scientists are attempting to make plastics safer and more sustainable. Some innovators are developing bioplastics, which are made from plant crops instead of fossil fuels, to create substances that are more environmentally friendly than conventional plastics. Others are working to make plastics that are truly biodegradable. Some innovators are searching for ways to make recycling more efficient, and they even hope to perfect a process that converts plastics back into the fossil fuels from which they were derived. All of these innovators recognize that plastics are not perfect and we need new alternatives.
Although we’re far from a complete solution to this issue, and it can all get overwhelming, making some small changes CAN actually make a huge difference. We can switch to reusable shopping bags, food containers and produce bags and save throwing away a bunch of plastic bags every week. We can use eco-friendly products instead of disposable plastic and learn the proper way to recycle common plastics and reuse as much as possible. We can avoid the use of plastic straws, cutlery and balloons to reduce environmental harm. We can support local businesses and buy local and in bulk. We can avoid throwing cigarette butts in the environment and instead find designated bins. We can use a reusable bottle or mug for our beverages and a reusable bag or container for our food. We can also try a plastic-free week, then a month and then a year.
Single-use plastic is a serious issue, but it can be resolved if we take action and each do our part.
RESOURCES AND REFERENCES
PLASTIC OCEANS Plastic Pollution Facts
PLASTIC FREE JULY What you can do
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Environment and Climate Change Canada
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Canada one-step closer to zero plastic waste by 2030
CTV NEWS Majority of Canadians want plastic ban expanded: survey
SCIENCE HISTORY INSTITUTE The History and Future of Plastics
NATURE CONSERVANCY CANADA The effects of single-use plastic on the environment
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
OCEANA CANADA Call for a strong ban on single-use plastics
