No More Plastics

By: Justin Bowles 

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, up to 80 percent of ocean plastic pollution enters the ocean from land. At least 267 different species have been affected by plastic pollution in the ocean. It takes 500 (or more) years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately, the bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment. Less than 20% of that plastic has been recycled or incinerated, leaving nearly 80% to accumulate in landfills or as litter in our natural environment. With statistics such as these, it isn’t hard to see why states like New York and New Jersey officials are considering a statewide ban on plastic and paper bags, while the state of Delaware has already adopted a similar ban on plastic bags.  New York is to begin imposing a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales on March 1 of next year. This conscious effort to try to reduce the amount of paper and plastics that end up in our oceans is starting to gain traction around the US. Although getting rid of plastic and paper bags is good for the environment, it puts supermarkets in a bit of complicated situation. Of course, Walmart, Publix, Kroger, and many of the supermarket chains have all promised to try to reduce the amount of plastics they use, but according to research from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), in 2018, supermarkets put an estimated 903,000 tons of plastic packaging onto the market, an increase of 17,000 tons on the 2017 footprint. The numbers for this current year are on track to be even higher.

Helpful links: https://www.plasticstoday.com/sustainability/how-think-about-plastics-2020/2443745761987

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/28/bags-for-life-making-plastic-problem-worse-say-campaigners