The Problem with Plastics
It’s kind of a love/hate relationship we have with plastics By Skagit Plastic Reduction and Recycling plastics used. Whereas in Europe, the plastic recycling rate is 30%. This unrecycled plastic Coalition has ended up in landfills, incinerators, or floating free and polluting the environment. Plastic is an amazing thing. Invented in All that plastic will last long after its useful 1907 and perfected during the first half of life has ended. It takes 450 years for a plastic the 20th century, plastic hit the market in full-force in the post World War II era. A 1950s bottle to decompose in a landfill. More numbers, because we love Life Magazine article touted the advent of them. And it takes a lot of energy to make “Throw-Away” living and promised how it all the plastic we use. In the US plastic would free us from the burden of household manufacturing consumes 12 million barrels chores. Plastic is durable, cheap, stain resistant, and light. We use it in so many ways, of oil each year in the production of 30 billion plastic bags. Between 8-10% of the nation’s from airplanes to eyeglasses. Its durability is oil supply is used during the manufacturing one of plastic’s attractions, but it also causes process of plastics and it is predicted that some serious problems related to disposal. plastics production will consume 20% of That “Throw-Away” lifestyle has come at a significant cost to the environment and health. the world’s oil production by the year 2050. Nearly half of the 400 million tons of plastic By the Numbers. It is said that every produced worldwide each year is destined for piece of plastic ever made still exists on the single use items (e.g., straws, cups, bottles, planet today. An estimated 6,300 million bags) that have an average useful life of only metric tonnes, or 90.5% of all plastic waste ever manufactured, has never been recycled. Americans only recycle about 9% of the PLASTICS | continued on page14
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