Re-think Plastic
Background
I always feel guilty using any plastic products because they have been labeled as non-decomposable and harmful to the environment and marine life. To reduce this guilt of leaving a permanent mark on our beautiful planet, I tried to avoid using plastic as much as possible. For example, at the grocery store, instead of putting fruits and veggies into plastic bags, I just place them directly into my basket and then into the fridge. This extreme approach reduced my plastic consumption but also made my food having less "fridge-life." My fruits and veggies started going bad faster in the fridge, which actually created more food waste. I started to think while plastic is often criticized for being single use and environmentally damaging, it is also an energy efficient packaging material that I seem to rely on. After reading the book "Not the End of the World" by Hannah Ritchie, I decided to re-examine my views on plastic in light of some thought-provoking facts.
The Silver Bullet of Recycling
What to Recycle
My apartment building follows a very organized recycling philosophy with separate bins for cardboard and other materials (like plastic bottles, glass, and cans). However, despite these efforts to sort recyclables by type, much of what ends up in recycling bins still goes to landfills due to contamination. For example, items like contaminated lunchboxes, greasy pizza boxes, and glass jars with sauce residue are often not recyclable. They contaminate other recyclables and end up being discarded instead of recycled. Recycling contamination is a significant issue—non-recyclable materials or improperly prepared recyclables (e.g., dirty food containers) can ruin entire batches of recyclables. This means that even though we try to sort our trash, contamination can still send much of it to landfills.
The ability to recycle also depends on local recycling facilities. Different counties or regions have varying capabilities for handling recycled materials. For instance, in my country - Hudson County (as per their recycling guide), only plastics labeled as #1 or #2 can be recycled (Hudson County Recycling Guide). Local recycling guides often provide detailed instructions on what can be recycled, but it’s nearly impossible for individuals to strictly follow these guidelines when sorting their trash. As a result, recycling is quite limited today, and a lot of what we think is being recycled still ends up in landfills.
Life Cycle of Recycling
Recycling of plastic and cardboard follows a similar path but has its limitations. Plastic bottles can rarely be recycled into new plastic bottles, in practice, most are downcycled into other products such as polyester fibers for clothing (e.g., fleece, jackets), carpets, furniture, fences, bags, and containers. This is because recycling plastic back into bottles is less common due to economic and technical challenges. Similarly, cardboard can be recycled 5 to 7 times before the fibers become too short to make new products. After that point, it can no longer be used to make strong corrugated cardboard and may be downcycled into lower quality paper products like paperboard.
Recycling is not an endless engine; it has limits. Materials degrade over time through repeated recycling cycles, meaning we cannot rely solely on recycling to solve our waste problems.
Understand Plastic
My Guilty Pleasure of Plastic
I have always been taught that plastic takes millions of years to decompose and leaves a permanent mark on the environment. It’s often labeled as one of the worst inventions ever created. Yet, despite this negative perception, I cannot live without plastic products. From food delivery packaging to single-use utensils, plastic plays an important role in keeping food fresh, sealing packages tight, and making cleanup easy. It’s also more energy-efficient and cheaper to produce than alternatives like paper bags. Plastic’s versatility makes it an integral part of modern life.
Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution remains a significant issue. When plastic is not properly disposed, it becomes trash that litters city streets, water bodies, and oceans. In regions with weak waste management systems, plastic waste accumulates exponentially, often ending up in rivers and eventually the oceans. This not only harms marine life but also creates an eyesore. However, much of the blame placed on plastic might be exaggerated. If plastic waste is properly disposed, even single used items like straws, the most criticized product I can think of, poses little environmental impact compared to when it’s mismanaged.
On the Bright Side
We shouldn’t worry too much about plastic waste if it is properly disposed of. For example, if all the world’s plastic waste were collected and stored in a landfill, it would occupy an area roughly the size of London (How Much Space Would We Need to Store the World’s Plastic in Landfills?). Modern landfills are efficient facilities, they are covered and layered like cakes, sealed tight, and even capable of capturing decomposed gases for electricity generation. The key is responsible disposal and maintaining hygiene standards. While plastic’s negative impacts are often exaggerated in media and public discourse, proper waste management can mitigate its environmental footprint.
My Take
I’ve always been curious about where trash and recycled materials go and have tried my best to reduce my plastic usage and recycle responsibly. However, I’ve come to realize that the environmental impact of recycling and disposing of plastic waste might be smaller than I initially thought. The more impactful approach is ensuring that trash is contained where it belongs and preventing it from entering water bodies. If you see trash on the ground or anywhere it shouldn’t be, pick it up and send it home, it’s a simple but the most powerful way to make a difference.