22 Facts About Plastic Pollution (And 10 Things We Can Do About It)

[Judi Lynn]

22 Facts About Plastic Pollution (And 10 Things We Can Do About It)
Lynn Hasselberger, The Green Divas | April 7, 2014 1:35 pm

It seems nearly impossible to escape plastic in our every day lives, doesn’t it?

And we can’t escape plastic pollution, either.



Plastic is literally at my fingertips all day long. Plastic keyboard. Plastic framed computer monitor. Plastic mouse. The amount of plastic I encounter daily doesn’t end there. Chances are, you can relate. Plastic is an epidemic.

But where does all this plastic go? We ship some of it overseas to be recycled. Quite a bit ends up in landfills. And more than you can imagine ends up on the loose as plastic pollution, eventually making its way into our waterways.

Tiny plastic beads used in hundreds of toiletries like facial scrubs and toothpastes have even been found in our Great Lakes—the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world! Giant garbage patches (one twice the size of Texas) can be found floating around in the oceans. And all this plastic pollution is not only a problem for the earth, it’s bad for our health.

More:
http://ecowatch.com/2014/04/07/22-facts-plastic-pollution-10-things-can-do-about-it/

[Sherman A1]

1. Came up with a plastic recycling idea at work years ago

saving the company about $34k per year by reusing some plastic bags (thus eliminating the use of new barrel bags for the same purpose) that come inside of product cartons to collect other plastic going to recycle. Had to re-prove the idea twice, was told it didn't work, although I had 6 months of proof that it did and finally gave up. Only when they came through to order the barrel bags that I had been replacing and noted that we used far less than other facilities did the idea move forward. For my efforts and the cost savings to the company I received a lovely certificate (suitable for framing) and an invite to a baseball game (I loath sports).

Swore I would never, ever try to save them money again. I even hesitate before turning off a light switch in an unused area at work since.

I will recycle at home, at work when I do it, it is to help the environment as I can.