By Isabelle Reinecke, Sidwell Friends School, Founder of Youth Against Plastic Pollution,
Every year, over 8 billion tons of plastic waste are dumped into our oceans. Although this is an issue that affects all nations, a recent National Geographic study shows that the United States generates more plastic waste than any other country. It is estimated that the average American consumes over 1,200 single use plastics each year. Once in the ocean, plastic debris pollutes our seas, harms marine life, and often washes up on the shores of countries that contribute minimally to the problem. These nations are left drowning in the United States’ plastic waste.
Plastic pollution contributes significantly to climate change and negatively impacts human health. The production of plastics emits huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and a recent study has found that plastics contribute to 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In the low-income communities where factories that produce plastics are generally located, children are 40% more likely to develop severe asthma and citizens are at a much higher risk of cancer because of the poor air quality caused by factory emissions. One region within the U.S. that suffers immensely from plastic pollution is referred to as “Cancer Alley.” This area, stretching across southern Louisiana, is lined with massive plastic production plants and is considered a prime example of environmental racism in the U.S. In this region, it is estimated that the average person ingests a credit card’s worth of microplastics annually.
In recent years, awareness surrounding the plastic pollution crisis has increased and environmental advocates have focused on encouraging consumers to pay more attention to the choices they make in their daily lives. Lonely Whale is one of the organizations on the front lines of the movement against plastic pollution. In a 2018 interview regarding the organization’s campaign to ban plastic straws, Dune Ives, Lonely Whale’s executive director, commented, “It’s about pointing out how prevalent single use plastics are in our lives, putting up a mirror to hold us accountable. We’ve all been asleep at the wheel.” On average, every American uses 554 plastic straws each year, meaning that if the U.S. were to ban them, it would eliminate over 181.8 billion straws. Since 2018, six states and many more counties in the U.S. have banned plastic straws. More recently, activists and lawmakers have begun to expand bans and advocacy to include other categories of single use plastics.
Today, the movement against plastic pollution is largely youth driven. All over the world, young activists are raising awareness and rallying their communities to make changes that aim to combat plastic pollution. Many have started to embrace lifestyles with less waste and more reusable products. Through social media alone, thousands of individuals, organizations, and businesses are sharing their stories and encouraging others to reduce their consumption of single use plastics. In the past year, the environmental community has rejoiced over the many plastic bans that have been enacted or that are scheduled to take effect in different regions across the world. Peru, Canada, the European Union, China, and the United Arab Emirates have committed to banning single use plastics in the coming year. While the U.S. has yet to propose a national strategy for combating the problem, many states and counties across the nation are instituting bans that set a standard for future national policies. For example, in October 2020, Maryland became the first U.S. state to ban styrofoam cups and food containers.
Although the situation may seem overwhelming, it is far from hopeless, and we are on the threshold of major change. Personal choice is a key part of the solution. Those interested in taking action to help put an end to plastic pollution can start by reducing their individual usage of single-use plastics and encouraging friends and family to do the same. Little by little, the small changes can add up. While it may seem difficult at first, reducing plastic waste and consumption on an individual level is a crucial step toward ending the global plastic pollution crisis.
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