Plastic Thoughts

Earlier this year I read a book on plastic which was eyeball popping and devastating. To learn the hard global reality of the ripple effect of a material so widely used, we don't think twice about the damage it has caused to the planet. We can't see the after effects of our consumer choices and thus continue behavioral patterns based on the economic laws of supply and demand. 

Plastics are the most available, convenient, and accessible material. They have allowed us the ease of convenience. The ability to dispose after use. It has allowed us as the consumer to become the garbage disposal of the world. 

Apparently the US produces as much CO2 as several 94-5) European countries combined. When I was in London a year ago with my kids, all the cafes and takeaway food shops had compostable cutlery and cups etc. You had to go out of your way to get plastic. I also found this in progressive states like Oregon, Vermont, and California. But this isn't reflective of the majority of the US or the globe for that matter. Policies have not restricted our use and consumption of this petroleum based product which is subconsciously Godly to us Americans, and many other citizens across the globe. 

As in my previous post I discussed how design dictates our behavior. The design of capitalism has prioritized convenience over durability. Cheap and quick yields a higher response to solid and pricy. Yet the make, take, waste mantra has become the American way. You have to go against the wind to move at a different pace. 

Some staggering facts on plastics:

+In 2015, the world produced +380m tons of plastic

+80% of plastic waste was thrown away in landfills, burned, leak into the environment

+ Every year plastic production and usage release 1.8b tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere

(4% of total CO2)

*smithschool.ox.ac.uk

In my following posts, I will explore some solutions which are quite fun to learn about and more accessible than we think. It's essential to understand the scale of impact and have some perspective on the ripple effect of a way of living, but before drowning in sorrow, we have to choose to swim over sink. I think in the true meaning of the word sustainable, coming up with and implementing resolutions, creative design solutions, and restoration ideas is key in paving a way forward.

We've all seen and lived how NOT TO.. now let's get into the HERES HOW TO DO IT BETTER