Plastics and Pollution

This week we got to listen to a lecture by Dr. Gimzewski about plastics. For as long as I can remember recycling and limiting plastic use has been a huge part of our society which is quickly headed in a detrimental direction for our environment. Though, I can say with confidence that I learnt many things that I was unaware of or completely wrong about from Dr. Gimzewski’s talk. While I thoroughly enjoyed his whole presentation, one thing that really stuck out to me was the fact that even though most places we shop, eat, and convene at have separate bins for recycling, landfill, et cetera, in reality, less than 1% of single use plastics actually get recycled. Despite having these separated bins, workers and disposal companies often throw all of the bins together to be transported to landfill. A quick google search told me that even here in California, where we claim to be so ahead of the curve on being environmentally savvy, “at least 85% of single use plastic items don’t get recycled, even if they carry the familiar triangular symbol” (Garcia).

 

Image Source: https://www.acmeplastics.com/content/your-guide-to-plastic-recycling-symbols/

 

Another point which I found both surprising and intriguing was the fact that even our coffee that so many of us religiously drink every morning contains nano-plastics. I have to say, for someone who also drinks her fair share of coffee cups, this fact was startling and succeeded in making me at least think about reconsidering my coffee habits. There have been studies that show that after drinking only 13 cups of hot coffee or tea, that is equivalent to consuming “one nanoplastic particle for every seven cells in your own body” (Shinkman). These nano plastics are so prevalent in society now that studies have even found these nano plastics embedded in the ice sheets in both the North and South pole (Strether et al.). These facts are frankly quite alarming because ingesting plastics has harmful effects on your gastrointestinal tract and can completely change the composition of your gut’s microbiome (Medical University of Vienna). 

 

Image Source: https://www.foodrepublic.com/2016/11/09/the-best-way-to-cool-hot-coffee-according-to-science/

 

If the threat to our body was not enough to deter us, Dr. Gimzewski also mentioned the impacts on marine life and how these animals so often get tangled or stuck in plastics. After hearing about this it reminded me of an intriguing and very relevant documentary that many of us may have seen: Seaspiracy. While the documentary does look at plastic pollution effects on marine life, it also uncovers and argues that commercial fishing may be the leading cause of marine ecosystem destruction (Wilson). 

 

Image Source: https://www.sinergiaanimalinternational.org/single-post/10-facts-seaspiracy

 

Talks like Dr. Gimsewski’s and documentaries like seaspiracy are extremely important for educating the world about the detriments of plastic use and unsustainable practices. If we continue to subscribe to the wasteful modern consumer mentality, our world is headed in a dire direction. After his talk, I am going to make an active effort to be more diligent in the plastics I use, and try to be better about using more sustainable items.


 

Works Cited

Garcia, Marissa. “California recycling: State may ban symbol from many plastics.” CalMatters, 2 August 2021, https://calmatters.org/politics/2021/08/california-recycling-single-use-plastic/. Accessed 16 May 2022.

Medical University of Vienna. “Health risk due to micro- and nanoplastics in food.” ScienceDaily, 24 March 2022, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220324130253.htm. Accessed 16 May 2022.

Shinkman, Paul D. “Your Take-Out Coffee Cup May Shed Trillions of Plastic 'Nanoparticles.'” USNews.com, 3 May 2022, https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-05-03/your-take-out-coffee-cup-may-shed-trillions-of-plastic-nanoparticles. Accessed 16 May 2022.

Strether, Lambert, et al. “Plastic Watch: Nanoplastics and Coffee Cups | naked capitalism.” Naked Capitalism, 15 May 2022, https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/05/plastic-watch-nanoplastics-and-coffee-cups.html. Accessed 16 May 2022.

Wilson, Sarah. “Seaspiracy: what is Ali and Lucy Tabrizi's shocking Netflix fishing industry documentary about?” The Scotsman, 26 March 2021, https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/seaspiracy-what-is-ali-and-lucy-tabrizis-shocking-netflix-fishing-industry-documentary-about-3180441. Accessed 16 May 2022.