Anne Escacenas
Professor Griffith
English 101
13 December 2018
The Never-Ending Debate About Plastic
Imagine yourself scrolling through your timeline on Twitter and you stumble upon a tweet about a sea turtle that has died from eating a plastic bag, or maybe it’s a bird that has soda can plastic rings wrapped around its body. You might feel upset and angered by death of an animal caused by improperly disposed plastic waste and retweet the post. This happens multiple times, more and more animals dying from plastic waste dumped in the oceans. You may not be completely aware of how serious the damage is and just continue with your day. You may even be contributing to the problem without realizing it. How many products with plastic in them have you used within the past week, months, year? Maybe you’ve thrown away some plastic packaging recently. Do you use plastic bags or fabric bags when you shop for groceries? Do you reuse or recycle any of the plastic bags you’ve received when you get take-out? Even if you’ve managed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, there are many people out there who aren’t.
There are plenty of people who do not properly dispose of their plastic waste; either throwing recyclables in the trash or littering the street without care. It ends up everywhere and it hurts our environment, especially our oceans. Among those who do not properly handle their plastic wastes, many of them defend the production and use of plastic, one of the most debated products being plastic bags. Plastic waste in general negatively affects our environment and something needs to be done to reduce the amount of pollution being created, either by trying to improve the management of trash disposal and recycling or trying to reduce it with legislations dealing with the distribution of plastic bags, both of which are already occurring. However, before deciding what to do, we need to understand more about plastic and how it’s become an issue.
What is plastic? Plastic first only meant “pliable and easily shaped”, but over time came to be used as a term to refer to polymers, which are made up of long chains of molecules (“History and Future”). Polymers can occur naturally. Cellulose, for example, is a natural polymer that makes up plants’ cell walls. Over time, man-made plastics have been created. The first synthetic polymer was created by John Welsey Hyatt. He treated cotton fiber cellulose with camphor, and it became a plastic similar to natural materials like linen, horn, ivory, and tortoiseshell ("History and Future”). This was called celluloid and it was meant to be used as a substitute for ivory when billiards was becoming more popular. The first completely synthetic plastic was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, called Bakelite. This plastic was meant to be substitute for a natural electrical insulator called shellac. More than just an insulator, Bakelite was also heat resistant, durable, and ideal for mechanical mass production. Many newer plastics are made up carbon atoms that can be taken from fossil fuels, such as petroleum. The polymers of these plastics are arranged differently than those of natural polymers. They’re longer and repeat themselves, resulting in them being stronger, lightweight, and flexible. These properties, along with our growing knowledge of creating and manipulating them, have made plastic a major part of our lives.
A noticeable growth in the production of plastic was during World War II. Production grew by 300% in the United States ("History and Future”). Plastics were used in place of natural resources because the preservation of natural resources was just as important as winning the war. Plastics, such as nylon, were used for helmet liners, body armor, ropes, etc. Another plastic substitute was Plexiglass, used for aircraft windows. Even after the war, the production of plastic continued to grow.
There are plenty types of plastics now. The most common plastics are polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). These are what standard polymer bags, such as the plastic bags in grocery stores are made of. These two plastics can be “differentiated into different categories, based on density or molecular branching. Two types are important to produce plastic bags: low-density (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE)” (Christin Müller et al. 465). Unfortunately, neither of these plastics are biodegradable. Other common plastics include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used for bottled drinks like water and soft drinks and is recyclable, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), used in pipes and synthetic window frames. Polystyrene is used to make disposable cups and utensils, as well as the trays used for packaged meat in grocery stores. There are numerous uses for plastic now.
Plastic is even used in clothing. Much of our clothing is made with synthetic materials or are mixed with natural fibers. However, these synthetic fibers in our clothing contribute a large amount to pollution. It has been reported that “600,000 to 17,000,000 clothes fibers are released in every 5-kilo wash” (Alex Ditvoorst et al.). Since these fibers are so small, they easily pass through sewage plants and end up in water and our food supply. Particles can be found in plankton, mussels, even leaves. These particles are small enough to get through cell walls, suggesting that they can get into our respiratory system and enter our bloodstreams. This is one of the reasons many dislike plastics.
The main reason many people dislike plastic is how much pollution it creates. As said before, the plastics used for grocery bags are not biodegradable. Many other plastics are not biodegradable as well. Instead, they just break up into smaller pieces of plastic. It will take hundreds or thousands of years to properly degrade. Because of this, plastic pollution will stay around for a long time. Plastic products from the previous century are most likely still around, in landfills or oceans, because they won’t degrade like other materials. They’ll most likely stick around for a few more centuries. Newer plastic products, ranging from plastic bags to disposable eating utensils, from plastic packaging to straws, are everywhere. Take a walk outside and you’ll see at least a handful of plastic products on the streets. This happens all over the country, even globally. These products are even thrown into oceans, endangering marine life that mistake them for food. Only small portions of plastic are actually recycled, everything else is piling up somewhere on the planet.
Not only do plastics cause physical pollution, they’re production contributes to air pollution as well. As stated earlier, many plastics are from carbon atoms that are found in fossil fuels like petroleum. The use of fossil fuels releases toxic emissions into our air, such as benzene, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, ozone, methane, and many more (Beth Terry).
One of the main products that many activists work to reduce or completely end the production and distribution of are plastic bags, specifically single-use plastic bags. Everyone is guilty of having used plastic bags at least once in their lives, either to carry out their groceries or hold clothes they’ve just bought. They can be found in grocery stores, department stores, restaurants, almost anywhere. Because they are used extremely often, they end up in the trash and everywhere else, contributing to pollution greatly. These plastic bags are also very thin and light, allowing them to easily be carried by wind and end up anywhere other than a trash or recycling bin.
Measures have been taken to reduce the amount of plastic bag pollution. Many places no longer allow plastic bags to be distributed for free. Bangladesh and many states in India have already worked on banning plastic bags since the 90s. Within the 2000s, more countries began to ban plastic bags as well. For example, the South African government created the Plastic Bag Agreement in 2002, banning ultra-thin bags and levying more durable bags (Elizabeth Mazzolini and Stephanie Foote 203). Some countries in eastern and southern Africa and Asia have developed laws like this as well. Work to reduce the use of plastic bags in the western world began in the mid-200s. In 2002, plastic bag use dropped by 90 to 95% in Ireland after a large tax was placed on them. Many cities all around the world began imposing bans. Within the United States, San Francisco, Los Angeles County, the city of Los Angeles, and many other smaller towns in California have banned plastic bags. Although the word “banned” is used, bags are not actually banned. I’ve witnessed in almost everywhere I’ve shopped plastic bags are still used. In grocery stores, plastic bags are not given away for free, but can be purchased for ten cents. So even though legislations have been made to counter the extreme use of plastic bags, they continue to be used every day. It is an issue that continues to be debated on even today.
Many arguments that are used to defend plastics are focused on plastic bags, it is one of the most discussed topics. Those who defend the use of plastic bags argue that they are not as bad as they seem and may even be a better option the supposed eco-friendly bags that people are encouraged to use instead. However, this is referring to a specific kind of plastic bag: HDPE bags.
HDPE bags are more environmentally friendly than paper bags. They require less energy and water to make and take up less space in landfills. Compared to reusable PP bags, the impact of HDPE bags depends on the amount of times they are reused (Marc Gunther). Many people against plastic bags believe that they are only used once, while the industry itself says that they are reused many times for many purposes, such as for garbage, carrying school lunches, etc. Regardless, HDPE bags that are not reused still have a lower environmental impact than alternatives. Paper, LDPE, cotton, and non-woven PP bags would all have to be reused multiple times in order to have a lower contribution to global warming than non-reused HDPE bags.
Others arguing in favor of plastic bags state that the number of plastic bags found in oceans are exaggerations. Much of plastic waste found in oceans or washed up on beach shores are not plastic bags, but other plastics (Marc Gunther). These plastics include PET bottles, detergent bottles, polyester clothing, straws, and toothbrushes. Plastic bags aren’t the entire problem, only part of it.
Even though plastic bags do not make up the entire problem, being part of the problem does not validate their use. Most plastics, regardless of how much smaller their environmental impact is than alternatives, are still contributing to the mass pollution that appears all around the planet. These plastics will continue to contribute to pollution because as everyone knows, almost all plastics are not biodegradable. Although HDPE bags can be reused, and may have a smaller impact than reusable bags, it does not change the fact that countless numbers of bags end up on streets as litter. I will agree that many people, including myself, reuse plastic bags. However, I cannot say exactly how many people do, nor if they reuse every single bag that they have. In the end, many bags will end up where they shouldn’t.
Plastic bags may not make up all the waste that is found in the ocean, but they are there. Plastic bags may break up into smaller pieces, just like many plastic wastes, and be mistaken for food by animals. Turtles, for example, “view plastic bags as floating jellyfish” and eat them (Eric Seleky et al.). The plastics eaten by animals can seal their gastrointestinal tract, causing them to starve. The stomachs of beached whales are filled with plastic bags. Plastic bags still contribute to the problem.
Plastics small enough for animals to eat are not the only threat. Many animals die because of entanglement. There are many different plastics that animals can become entangled in, such as abandoned fishing nets. For example, dolphins and seals cannot stay underwater for long, they need to come up for air. They get entangled in these fishing nets and end up dying quickly.
Plastic can become even more toxic when left alone in the ocean because they can attract persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (Eric Seleky et al.). PE, PET, and PVC are among the plastics that have this characteristic. This means that the toxicity of plastics grows the longer it is left in the water. Animals that consume these plastics will excrete it out. The question is whether these POPs will end up in the tissues of these animals and spread along the food chain, possibly reaching us humans.
Plastic waste in general, is a strong threat to marine life, and possibly to humans. The plastic that ends up in oceans is “estimated to kill millions of marine animals every year. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by it” (Laura Parker). Microplastics are being consumed by all kinds of marine life, even zooplankton and whales. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), a flame retardant applied to plastics, was found in the tissue of some seabirds (Eric Seleky et al.). This could have only come from the plastic that they had eaten. This could mean that poisonous chemicals are absorbed into their tissue by consuming the plastic, and this could possibly happen to other species. Since the smallest pieces of plastic are able to pass through cell walls, it may be possible that poison chemicals, or microplastics may end up in the tissue of some species that are consumed by humans.
Plastic waste is a serious problem and we know plastic is not meant to end up in the ocean. However, it is not necessarily the plastic’s fault it ended up there. We let plastic be thrown into our oceans. Yes, some plastics, such as plastic bags, can be carried off to beaches by winds, but there are plenty of plastic waste found in oceans because they are carelessly discarded. Millions of plastic wastes are dumped into our oceans and we need to stop. This isn’t a completely impossible task, although it would incredibly difficult.
One might think the solution is simple: pick up the trash. There are plenty of beach clean ups being organized, but those don’t really make a dent. The reason is because “In recent years the surge in production has been driven largely by the expanded use of disposable plastic packaging in the growing economies of Asia—where garbage collection systems may be underdeveloped or nonexistent” (Laura Parker). Without proper garbage collection systems, garbage is just discarded incorrectly, greatly polluting the environment. Just Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Vietnam generated half of the world’s mismanaged plastic waste in 2010. Proper garbage collection systems need to be enforced more to reduce this amount, and not just in these countries. Countries all over the world need to work harder to reduce the amount of trash being discarded in our environment.
Many countries need to work on recycling more plastic waste. Letting all this waste is a significant problem, especially when much of it can be recycled. Unfortunately, most of recyclable waste is thrown in the trash. However, as of 2010, recycling rates have increased from 12% to 15% for PE bags, sacks, and wraps. In recent years, it is reported that “India recycles 40% of its plastic waste compared to a figure of only 15-20% in the developed world” (Abhijit Sarkar and Rajeev Pratap Singh 165). Many parts of the world still need to work on collecting and recycling more of their plastic waste. Hopefully, as more and more people become more become environmentally conscious, recycling rates will increase even more in the future.
Perhaps making plastic bags a bit more challenging to obtain could help. As stated earlier, use of plastic bags in Ireland dropped significantly after a tax was placed on them. Many cities in California either have plastic bags banned or allow them to be purchased. If more countries were to apply similar legislations, the desire to use plastic bags might decrease.
Plastic waste is a growing problem that has been debated about for years and will continue to be. Plastic waste created many environmental problems for our planet, from polluting our streets and oceans to affecting the air that we breathe. We’ve allowed the problem to escalate as much as it has, and it is our responsibility to fix it. People are aware of the problem and multiple measures have been taken, such as imposing bans and taxes on plastic bags, but more needs to be done. More action needs to be taken reduce the increasing amount of plastic waste pollution.
Works Cited
Ditvoorst, Alex, et al. “Synthetic Fibers.” Plastic Soup Foundation, Michiel Roscam Abbing , 2 June 2017, www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/files/synthetic-fibers/.
Gunther, Marc. “In Defense of the Plastic Bag.” GreenBiz, GreenBiz Group Inc., 22 Dec. 2011, www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/12/22/defense-plastic-bag.
Mazzolini, Elizabeth, and Stephanie Foote. Histories of the Dustheap : Waste, Material Cultures, Social Justice. The MIT Press, 2012. EBSCOhost, p-libpxy.piercecollege.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.p-libpxy.piercecollege.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=494098&site=ehost-live.
Müller, Christin, et al. “Experimental Degradation of Polymer Shopping Bags (Standard and Degradable Plastic, and Biodegradable) in the Gastrointestinal Fluids of Sea Turtles.” Plastic Soup Foundation, 29 Dec. 2011, www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Experimental-degradation-of-polymer-shopping-bags-standard-and-degradable-plastic-and-biodegradable-in-the-gastrointestinal-fluids-of-sea-turtles.pdf.
Parker, Laura. “We Depend On Plastic. Now, We're Drowning in It.” National Geographic, National Geographic, 16 May 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-waste-pollution-trash-crisis/.
Sarkar, Abhijit, and Rajeev Pratap Singh. Waste Management : Challenges, Threats and Opportunities. Nova Science Publishers, Inc, 2015. EBSCOhost, p-libpxy.piercecollege.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.p-libpxy.piercecollege.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=986705&site=ehost-live.
Seleky, Eric, et al. “Animal Cruelty.” Plastic Soup Foundation, Michiel Roscam Abbing, 7 Feb. 2018, www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/files/animal-cruelty/.
Terry, Beth. “Plastic Use Increases Air Pollution.” Moms Clean Air Force, 12 May 2016, www.momscleanairforce.org/whats-plastic-got-to-do-with-clean-air/.
“The History and Future of Plastics.” Science History Institute, 20 Dec. 2016, www.sciencehistory.org/the-history-and-future-of-plastics.