Plastic (Not so) Fantastic

May 20, 2019

From wonder product to planetary scourge, plastic has come full circle. How do we help kick the plastic habit?

In the 1967 film “The Graduate,” the one word of career advice given to Dustin Hoffman’s young character is “plastics.” 50+ years later we are starting to comprehend all the damage this wonder product is causing in our world – millions of tons of waste that persist for hundreds of years, breaking down into smaller and smaller particles, leaching chemicals into our bodies and our groundwater, killing marine life, birds and animals, and polluting the oceans so that there will be more plastic than fish by weight within 30 years.

More and more people are confronting the ways that plastic, a product of fossil fuels, cause harm. From municipal bans on various kinds of single use plastics, to restaurants switching to paper straws, to stores encouraging customers to bring their own bags, the era of single-use plastics in our everyday lives is one that needs to be relegated to the past — and quickly.

 

Philadelphia Freedom

Philadelphia City Councilman Mark Squilla plans to introduce legislation in the current session of council to restrict single use plastic bags in the city. These bags trash our neighborhoods, and by clogging machinery gears they are the most frequent cause of breakdowns in recycling centers — which is why plastic bags are not permitted in your street-side recycling.

At a time when China has stopped accepting much of our recycling waste and Philadelphia has been reported to be burning half of its collected recyclable materials, it’s time we own responsibility for the waste we generate and for reducing it as much as possible.

At our local food coop, Weaver’s Way, a plastics reduction team of citizens was formed in 2018, led by Weaver’s Way Zero Waste Consultant, Alisa Shargorodsky. The team has been meeting regularly to discuss and research strategies for how the co-op can reduce its use of plastic packaging, and how co-op shoppers can reduce, and even eliminate plastics from their grocery carts and their homes.

plastic pollution on beach

Suburban Momentum

Following the lead of Narberth Borough, which passed a bag and straw ordinance in Oct, 2018 (video), and West Chester, many suburban communities are considering similar action. By encouraging the use of durable shopping bags and discouraging thin plastic bags with fees on plastic (and paper) bags, encouraging discounts for those that bring their own bag, or outright bans on single-use bags, the goal of municipal legislation is to make people think about the impact of all kinds of plastics in our everyday lives.

Sierra Club is encouraging all municipalities to engage with community leaders, affected businesses and elected officials to discuss parameters for a local ordinance. We need to continue discussions with grocery and convenience store owners. And work out a transition plan that works for everyone.

Kudos to the Girl Scouts Troop 7885 who have established free durable bag kiosks in the business district of Narberth. We need to make sure this transition is not shouldered by those that are least suited to invest in durable bags, no matter how modest that might be. 

What You Can Do

Looking for ways to reduce plastics in your own life?

Start by making the package part of every purchasing decision — and tell business managers you prefer minimal packaging that does not include plastic.

Polyester, acrylic, lycra, spandex, fleece and nylon are all plastic fabrics that create microfiber pollution when laundered. Too small to be filtered by water treatment systems, these microplastics pass into our waterways and oceans. Look instead for natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, hemp and bamboo (and even innovative designers upcycling trash into fashion).

For grocery shopping, take a supply of reusable bags and cotton produce bags. More and more grocery stores are offering bulk products that you can package in your own containers. A fold-up bag in your purse or backpack will enable you to avoid plastic bags in other types of stores.

Support our Philadelphia campaign to encourage reusable bags

First, sign our petition at litterfreephilly.wordpress.com/petition.

Next, convince your congregation, school or place of work to endorse the Litter Free Philly campaign. Have them sign the letter at litterfreephilly.wordpress.com/orgs.

Also, contact Philadelphia City Council member Mark Squilla. Tell him we need to eliminate single use checkout bags. He can be reached via... 

Karen Melton & Meenal Raval are active members of the Southeastern PA Group of the Sierra Club. Karen also volunteers with Citizens Climate Lobby and 350 Philly. Meenal is on the steering committee of 350 Philly and produces the weekly radio show Philly Talks Climate, about the climate crisis and how it affects Philadelphia. Contact Karen at karen.melton59@gmail.com. Meenal at meenal.raval@gmail.com. 

This blog was included as part of the 2019 Spring Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!