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Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.
WHY?
Plastic is mostly made from fossil fuels. The entire plastic production process is polluting and unhealthy, especially for communities of color as this Sierra Club article, Plastic's Influence on Environmental Racism, explains.
Plastics generated 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 – that’s 3.4 per cent of the world’s total emissions, a number that is set to grow considerably as the production of plastics is expected to triple by 2060, according to this United Nations report, Plastics – fueling oil demand, climate change and pollution.Plastic is choking our oceans. According to Sir David Attenborough, “We dump eight million tonnes of plastic into the sea every year”. It’s killing and harming marine life including turtles who eat plastic bags mistaking them for jellyfish, seabirds who mistake plastic for food and feed plastic to their young, all sea creatures who become entangled and trapped in plastic debris, coral reefs, and foundational animals like plankton which consume microplastics that transfer to predators including humans. This World Wildlife Fund article gives more details.
Plastic ends up polluting farmland, according to this NRDC report, A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields. “We are, unfortunately, confirming that yes, agricultural soils are a hot spot of plastic contamination,” says Luca Nizzetto, a researcher with the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, who coauthored an op-ed about the issue in 2016 for Environmental Science and Technology. According to the op-ed, as much as 300,000 tons of microplastics end up on North American farmlands each year.
Microplastics are suspected of helping drive increasing cancer rates among young people, as reported in this article from the University of California-San Francisco.
Plastic is burying the Earth. Much less than 10 percent of plastic is recycled. Most ends up in our oceans and waterways, in landfills, or being incinerated and likely releasing toxic chemicals into our air. Read this Earth.com article, Plastic pollution is changing the entire Earth system.
HOW?
If you have a choice, don't buy plastic and don't buy things wrapped in plastic. Tell the seller or business that you want less plastic packaging. If you are able, bring your own glass, paper (but watch out - it might be contaminated with PFAS or coated with plastic!) or metal container and refill it (we have options including bulk food sections at grocery stores and places like Larson's General.)
Plastic bags, even if they might get recycled (but probably they won't), are not needed and easily replaced with other options. If you must use a plastic bag, use it many times. This National Geographic article digs into the pros and cons of different choices.
Don't use plastic to store, heat, or cook food, including plastic tools and non-stick cookware.
Do not use, buy, or distribute single use plastic bottled water. There's a whole world of problems with bottled water, not the least of which is the plastic pollution this unnecessary habit has caused, but also including research showing the product is often pre-polluted with plastic particles and PFAS. Visit The Story of Bottled Water for more information.
Synthetic fibers in our clothes and housewares, including polyester, nylon, acrylic, and recycled plastic, degrade into the environment. Laundering them releases millions of microplastics particles into our water. Prefer natural fibers when possible.
Teabags may be releasing microplastics into the tea and water. This site tests and lists plastic in tea: https://www.implasticfree.com/why-you-should-switch-to-plastic-free-tea-bags/
Keurig cups pollute. Stop using them. Find an alternative. Tell the company to stop.
Plastic foodware releases particles when used and may be contaminated with PFAS and contributes to the pollution and harm caused to sea and land animals. Use metal, ceramic, or glass for food storage and consumption. Even some "green" foodware, like paper plates and cups, may have plastic coating that contains PFAS. See more from the Center for Environmental Health.
Find alternatives that don't require plastic. Bar soap and shampoo don't need a plastic bottle full of water. Metal, reusable straws and foodware can easily replace plastic. Mix up your own cleaning supplies.
Speak up in your community. Tell your fav third space you want reusable foodware and no bottled water. Tell your local government to install public water stations and water-filling stations. If you can (in Wisconsin, we cannot thanks to our Republican overlords), work for a ban on plastic containers like shopping bags, foam foodware, and bottled water. If you can't discourage their use wherever you can. Tell your neighbors, friends, family, and colleagues.
There are many more reasons to avoid plastic. Learn more from Viroqua Plastic Free.
Check out this Island Press free e-book, A POISON LIKE NO OTHER: How Microplastics Corrupted our Planet and our Bodies by Matt Simon. Visit this link: https://mailchi.mp/islandpress/summer-read-poison-simon-announcement
