Date Published: May 29, 2020
Plastic is a part of all of our lives and in almost everything, we come into contact with on a daily basis. Each year over 300 million tons of plastic is produced and more than 8 million tons of plastic trash finds its way into the world’s oceans. The bulk of this pollution is made up of single-use items like bags and eating utensils. You may ask yourself, “Why is reducing plastic pollution important when we can just recycle it?”
Reducing plastic waste also reduces energy consumption
It requires a large amount of energy to produce plastics. The manufacturing of plastic products affects the environment through carbon emissions and other types of airborne pollution. It also requires petroleum products that are used for raw materials. Studies have shown that 4% of the world’s petroleum is used for plastic production. Using less single-use plastic items can help reduce the amount of energy consumption used to produce plastic.
Recycling plastic has issues
While recycling plastic trash is helpful in reducing plastic pollution it has its own unique issues. When dropping plastic into a bin for recycling we all assume that it will be processed and used to make new materials, thus decreasing the demand for more new plastic. However, reports indicate that most plastic that is shipped to plants for recycling cannot be processed due to it being too contaminated with food or dirt. This plastic trash just ends up in a landfill or even worse still finds its way into waterways and oceans.
What can you do to reduce plastic pollution?
There are several ways that plastic pollution can be reduced. You can use your own bags at the grocery store instead of taking one-time use plastic bags or you can use a metal or bamboo straw for drinks. You can also concentrate on the plastic waste that is already in the environment by becoming involved in a local cleanup day. Elastec also manufactures products that contain, control, or skim floating plastic trash and debris. Our solutions include containment boom, collection devices like the Brute Bin and trash skimming vessels like the Omni Catamaran. Contact us to learn more about our solutions for containing and collecting plastic pollution.