Laura Anderson
“30% of our plastics are recycled!” they claim - but this is far from the truth. Collectively, only 9% of our plastic is recycled. So why do so many cling to this green process, when it has such little impact?
Recycling saw its surge in popularity in the 2000s to 2010s. However, over time the process has fallen out of trend. Why is this? Over time, recycling has become a less profitable business and has fallen out of favour for many companies. Plastic which is recycled becomes “downcycled”, this means that the plastic becomes less useful over time. As a result, good products are not guaranteed and recycling loses its shiny appeal. In addition to this, recycling is expensive and takes time. The process of recycling costs more than manufacturing new plastics. Whilst items in recycling bins are often mixed up and have to be sorted through by both human and machine. This whole process requires energy which is often provided by burning fossil fuels - contributing to pollution. But why are we recycling plastics in the first place? Plastics can take up to 20 to 500 years to break down. As they lay in landfills they break down into microplastics. These pose both a physical and toxicological threat to organisms. Each year, millions of animals are killed by plastics - both marine and land animals alike.
Furthermore, plastics from landfills end up in our oceans, with around 8 million tonnes being dumped there every year. Single-use plastics account for a total of 40% of plastics that are produced each year; these plastics are used for a total of a few minutes or an hour before floating in our oceans for hundreds of years. Many of these plastics have gathered at the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” by getting caught up in ocean currents. This floating island of rubbish covers an estimated 1.6 million square kilometres - about three times the size of France! This patch is difficult to trawl - where plastic is collected by nets - as much of the debris sinks metres beneath the surface.
The Big Blue Ocean Cleanup and the Ocean Conservancy are non-profit organisations which are aiming to clear up our oceans and conserve marine life. Both take volunteers if you are willing to dig your hands in and tackle plastic pollution! There are other ways to reduce your plastic footprint - which don’t include recycling! For starters, you can reduce your use of plastic.
Ditch plastic cups for your own disposable coffee cup or invest in a bottle to use for years to come.
Quit using cling wrap and instead use foil - metal is recycled more often and can be reused and recycled repeatedly without losing its quality!
Avoid plastic food wrapping when you can - buy your fruit and veg loose.
Replace your wrapping paper with biodegradable beeswax paper and give someone an eco-friendly present.
Stop using those pesky plastic straws and learn how to drink a glass without one.
No one is perfect, but making small conscious decisions to protect our planet is better than doing none at all!
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