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Flowers, Fruits, and Frass

Path of plastic 

Man sorting through plastic on conveyor belt

Which of the following statements are true?  

  1. There are hundreds of types of plastics.  

  1. Since the 1950s, global plastic production has grown by an average of 9% per year.  

  1. 80% of grocery bags and more than 1/3 of entire plastic packaging production is for short term use by US customers.  

Unfortunately, all these statements are true. Globally, our population continues to grow, and with more people comes more production. Many of our popular plastics used in everyday products are known as single-use plastics (SUPs). Examples of SUPs include plastic water bottles, plastic bags, plastic cutlery, and plastic wrap. The concern with SUPs is the waste litter that accumulates in our environment.  Oceans, rivers, and soils are being impacted by this waste, and as the plastics break down, they slowly degrade into fragments known as secondary microplastics.    

  

History of landfills  

Every human generates waste, and this waste must go somewhere. When not handled properly, communities with piles of waste are vulnerable to public health risks. As a result, in the 19th century, disposing of waste became a controlled manner to help protect public health.  

The first landfill-resembling solution began in California in 1935, although it still resulted in various environmental and sanitary issues. The Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 was created to reduce waste and protect community health by decreasing pollution and promoting better waste disposal technologies. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was added in 1970 as an amendment to provide additional protection to groundwater, surface water, air, and land.    

 

Modern day landfills  

Today there are over 146.1 million tons of waste in landfills nationwide. Landfills are categorized by the type of waste they receive including municipal solid waste, industrial waste, and hazardous waste. Landfills are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act continuing to be the guiding law on managing waste.   

In 2018, landfills nationwide received 27 million tons of plastic. A significant increase in recycling occurred from 1990 to 2000, but there continues to be a growing need to reduce our waste.   

 

Action Steps  

Many of us are familiar with the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. These three actions are great steps toward sustainability. Adding to this mindset we can look more holistically at the 5 Rs and apply these practices to all materials, including plastics.  

  

  • Refuse- Say no to items you do not need or know you will not use such as plastic bags or printed paper receipts.   

  • Reduce- Lower the number of items you are purchasing and throwing away. Reduce the amount of paper you use by keeping electronic files or printing on both sides of the paper.    

  • Reuse- Utilize alternatives to single use plastics and reuse items you already have. Invest in a reusable water bottle compared to plastic water bottles or use cloth grocery bags.  

  • Recycle- When an item has come to its end, sort out recyclable items such as paper, plastic bottles, cans, and glass jars so they do not take up space in the landfill.   

  • Repurpose- Creatively find new life in old items. Turn fabric into cleaning cloths, use plastic bottles for craft projects, and use jars to organize supplies.  

If you cannot utilize the 5 R’s,   

  • Compost- Rather than having food scraps live in the landfill, put them to use by putting them back in the soil. Food scraps including fruit, vegetables, and coffee grounds can be used in compost to create great soil.   

  • Landfill- If materials are unable to fit in any other category, see if the items can be donated, and then resort to the landfill.   

  

In the United States, the recycling rate is about 32.1%, while global research suggests less than 20% of all waste is recycled each year.  We all call Earth home. Together we ought to reduce our waste by being more conscious of what we are consuming and of what are are throwing away into the landfill. Increasing our recycling is one step, yet by combining all five of the Rs we can decrease the amount of waste in our landfills and create a more sustainable life.