Kiss Plastic Goodbye for Earth Day

 

Kiss Plastic Goodbye for Earth Day

Written by Kristine Manganelli-Rappaport (Somerset County 4-H Program Coordinator)

My favorite holiday, Earth Day is April 22! Although we should consider our impact on the planet every day, Earth Day is an excellent time to evaluate our habits and lifestyles, and make a pledge to do our best. A perfect place to start is by giving up plastic bags. In New Jersey starting on May 4, you won’t have a choice. New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores, and food service businesses will no longer provide or sell single-use plastic carryout bags. Gather all of your reusable totes and don’t forget to bring them with you whenever you go shopping.

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 was the brainchild of a young Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson. He was inspired by the destruction caused by a massive oil spill off the coast of California. 20 million Americans (10% of the population at the time) joined movements happening across the country. 51 years ago the public was not aware of the link between a polluted environment and health. At this time there were not laws to limit the amount of water or air pollution created by vehicles and industry.

Work done by environmental activists has been monumental in bringing about positive legislative change that has vastly improved the health of both people and wildlife. This includes the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the passing of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and countless other protections.

Since 1970, this event has inspired over 1 billion people worldwide to join the movement to protect our planet. Over the years the movement has evolved to take on the most crucial concerns, especially those related to climate change. Another one of the biggest challenges we face today is the plastic crisis.

Each year millions of pieces of plastic are pulled out of our oceans and collected on our shores. The biggest culprits are single-use plastics such as utensils, bags, straws, bottles, and containers. Like the name suggests, these plastics are used once, and then thrown away. Unfortunately, plastic can take hundreds of years to break down. This is incredible when you consider that plastic bags are used for an average of only 12 minutes, and that trillions are used each year worldwide, or 1 million every minute. The average American throws away 185 pounds of plastic per year. We have to understand that recycling is not the only answer. In fact, less than 9% of plastic is recycled. The real answer lies in using less plastic all together.

The most devastating outcome of our addiction to plastic is the impact on our beloved oceans. 10 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean every year and by 2050 scientists predict there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight. If this fact doesn’t inspire you to change, perhaps imagining an ocean void of our most cherished creatures like sea turtles, whales, and birds will encourage you to think about how each of us can make small changes! Over 100,000 marine mammals, and 1 million seabirds die every year from ingestion when mistaken for food or entanglement in plastic litter.

If and when plastic does eventually break down, it doesn’t go away. It breaks apart into microplastics that marine animals ingest and absorb. Microplastics are tiny; less than 0.2 inches or 5 millimeters long (about the size of a sesame seed). In addition, the chemicals in plastic are toxic, known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) that are hazardous to marine health and human health.

A study published this year revealed that microplastic particles and fibers have now been detected in both the human bloodstream and lung tissue. The plastic used to make water bottles, polyethylene was found most abundantly. This is likely because indoor air contains high concentrations of microplastics. While research is still being done on the impact of microplastics on human health, they have so far been shown to cause inflammation and asthma-like symptoms in the lungs, as well as changes to the gut biome. Many plastics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that affect the body’s hormone systems and have the potential to lead to reproductive disorders, diabetes, and cancer. This highlights the urgency of continued research in this area.

While not much can be done to reverse the sheer amount of plastic we interact with, there are ways to limit contact. Many people are unaware that clothing made from materials such as polyester and spandex shed microplastics in our living environment and into the water stream when washed. Check the label when you buy clothing and try to aim for items made from natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, bamboo, and hemp.

This information is not meant to cause feelings of despair but quite the opposite! In addition to the clothing we wear, there are easy changes we can make in our everyday lives to help make a difference. We all have responsibility to take care of the planet we call home. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for the ocean, do it for the Earth!

Make Every Day Earth Day

Pledge to use less plastic by following this chart for simple suggestions, and check out the Surfrider Foundation for even more ways you can reduce plastic in your life.

Get OUTSIDE

With adult supervision, now is the perfect time to plan a clean-up of your favorite outdoor spaces.

Sources:

 
Somerset County 4-H