Waste

America's disposable lifestyle

Plastic wasn't always our go-to. In fact, it didn't gain popularity until the 1960s, and it didn't even exist until a little over 200 years ago. Watch this video by Kurzgesagt about how our world turned into the plastic planet it is today. As you watch, make note of three things you learned, two things you were surprised by, and one question you still have.

Q: Name three things you learned, two things you were surprised by, and one question you still have.

Next, let's take a closer look at the journey that our discarded plastic takes, and the impact that it has on the environment. When we throw away plastic, it's certainly "out of sight, out of mind" for us, but for the plastic, an arduous and tragic journey lies ahead.

Note that the video cites recycling as the cure-all viable solution. However, bottle #3's journey isn't quite the happy ending we imagined either. Recycling is a flawed fix, and we'll discuss its shortcomings later in this unit.

Marine plastic pollution

So, a lot of the plastic we throw away ends up in the ocean — 8 million tons of it per year. Much of that marine plastic pollution circles into one of five gyres in our oceans, the largest being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Does the name sound familiar? Read through The Ocean Cleanup's research on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, including what it is, how much (and what kind of) plastic is in it, the effects that it has on marine life and humans, and how they conducted their research. Pay attention to the impacts section, and pick another section to report back and summarize.

• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Explained, The Ocean Cleanup

Q: The Ocean Cleanup lists five main sections:

1. What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
2. How much plastic floats in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
3. What types of plastics float in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
4. What are the effects on marine life and humans?
5. How did the Ocean Cleanup conduct its research?

Summarize a section of your choice from the article.

The Ocean Cleanup has a variety of useful resources, so let's look at one more: the price tag of plastic pollution. Most sources focus on the ecological impacts of plastic pollution, but The Ocean Cleanup also makes the economic case for creating cleaner oceans. According to their economic assessment model, the greatest costs of plastic pollution come from cleanup. Plastic waste hinders profits to the fisheries and aquaculture industry, as well as tourism. Funding these necessary cleanups would cost billions.

Explore this interactive map and take note of what you find. Lighter shades of blue indicate higher costs from plastic waste, while darker shades indicate lower costs. Hover over a country to find the average amount of money that they pay for plastic waste. In the pie chart that pops up, scroll over each section to learn about the money paid by each industry. If you're curious to learn more about the model behind this interactive map, check out the article linked below.

• The Price Tag of Plastic Pollution, The Ocean Cleanup
• The Price Tag of Plastic Pollution article, The Ocean Cleanup and Deloitte

Q: Which countries are paying the most for plastic waste? Choose a country—how much does that country pay, and which sector does it lose the most from?

Visit this overview of our global plastic pollution crisis from National Geographic, where they review most of the information that we've covered so far. Pay attention to the photo gallery of animals in a world of plastic.

• The World's Plastic Pollution Crisis explained, The National Geographic article

Q: How do these photos make you feel? Out of the 11 photos, which one impacted you the most? Which one was the most memorable?

You may have noticed that many of our sources have mentioned the toxic microplastics that make their way up the food chain and onto our dinner plates. Take a look at this essay from the New York Times, written by one of our writers (Vivian Li)!

• An Unexpected Dinner Guest, NYT article

Q: Summarize the article. How did the information make you feel?

Finally, watch the first two minutes of this video from Oceana for some dramatic visuals of the plastic we've dumped in the oceans. It's terrifying, but let's think—how can we solve this?

Can't we just recycle?

Those impacts sound pretty scary. But no worries, right? Recycling will solve all of our problems! Well… not really. We've been raised on this mantra: "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." It’s hanging on posters in the cafeteria, echoed in school PSAs, and promoted as a way to go green. However, recycling isn't a long-term solution. Like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, recycling is a feeble attempt to adapt to a full-blown crisis. Let's watch a video from It's Okay To Be Smart, where Dr. Joe Hanson explains why recycling is broken today.

Next, let's watch a short clip from the Climate Lab, where Dr. M. Sanjayan and Lauren Singer break down the role government and corporations have taken in selling the deceptive idea that recycling is the cure-all solution. Watch from timestamps 3:10 to 5:31, or watch the whole thing!

Instead of halting this environmentally harmful practice, these corporations blamed individuals for not cleaning up the mess. Why would they choose to clean up the mess instead of avoiding it in the first place? There's an easy answer: creating the mess is intrinsically tied to their money-making—mo' money, mo' mess.

Beyond advertising recycling as the only solution, companies regularly deceive consumers with the three-arrow recycling symbol on their products, leading to aspirational recycling. Let's watch this video from the New York Times, which expands on issues that make recycling feel contradictory (or even impossible) at times.

This sounds tough. In summary, single-stream recycling—where all papers, plastics, and metals are mixed, instead of sorted into separate commodities—has led to significantly more contaminated recycling after it was introduced in the late 1990s since we think less about what we're tossing. We shipped our problems overseas until China put their foot down in response to the half-eaten pizzas, soy sauce packages, and dirty diapers they received. We're stuck dealing with our own trash, but we haven't developed our own recycling infrastructure because we were so reliant on other countries. Due to hefty costs, many cities are now wheeling around blue bins full of plastic headed directly toward landfills and incinerators. The presence of a blue bin doesn't necessarily indicate the presence of a recycling program! Misinformation campaigns have painted a halo around burning plastic waste to generate electricity, but incineration has sketchy health impacts, pumping out greenhouse gases and toxins like mercury and lead. It's also much cheaper just to make virgin paper and plastic, or brand new materials, so even cities who have the funding aren't willing to shell it out for recycling.

Recycling is hard, but there are ways we can work to improve it. When in doubt, throw it out. Let's clear up some of those doubts together. Watch this video from The YEARS Project, or visit the "Recycling 101" page from Waste Management to learn about what you can and can't recycle.

Q: Name two things you were surprised that could or could not be recycled.

If you read the video description, The YEARS Project has included a recap of what can and can't be recycled. Feel free to combine these general guidelines with the recycling guidelines set by your city or county, and print it out as a handy cheat sheet. Let's do that right now!

Q: What are the recycling requirements for your county or city? What can you recycle, and what should you avoid? Was there anything that surprised you?

Composting

So, maybe you can't recycle food, or anything with food on it (like used pizza boxes and napkins). Have no fear! You can still put these materials to use through composting. Follow Lucy Biggers’ series “One Small Step” from NowThis Future as she composts her food scraps with a program in New York City.

If you paid attention, you'll notice that not all food can be composted either. Check out this guide from The Spruce, which notes what you should and should not compost.

What about old phones and tablets that we can't recycle OR compost? They're often left in old drawers and forgotten about, and disposing of electronics inappropriately can lead to dangerous, toxic waste. There are ways to give e-waste a second life, but regular recycling facilities aren't equipped to deal with your devices, either. Thankfully, many businesses like Canon and Apple have takeback programs for their used products, and there are other companies that you can send your e-waste to as well.

Bioplastics are also arising as a popular "solution" to our chronic single-use addiction. Although they are derived from biobased materials rather than petroleum, they paint a cure-all narrative: a single-use material that magically melts away into nature when we toss it. However much we'd like for this pipe dream to be true, bioplastics often can only be composted and recycled in special facilities—otherwise, they waste away in the landfill and release methane, another potent greenhouse gas. Read about why bioplastics are not the solution to our plastic problem in this article by Jim Robbins from Yale Environment 360, and/or watch this video from "One Small Step."

• Why bioplastics will not solve the world's plastic problem, Yale E360 article

As Robbins mentioned in the article, there is no "silver bullet" for this single-use catastrophe. In addition to developing smart recycling infrastructure, companies should be taking an active role in recycling and reuse rather than throwing the costs onto consumers.

Q: Robbins's article mentions several specific disadvantages associated with replacing our current plastics with bioplastics. Explain one of your choice.

Recycling isn't the only tool we have in our toolbox, either. In "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," recycling actually comes after two other R's, which are much more important. Instead of recycling a plastic water bottle every day (where it probably isn't really being recycled), reduce the number of bottles you buy and reuse a sturdier bottle that isn't made to be thrown away.

The ultimate solution to our recycling dilemma is to eliminate dependence on single-use plastics, investing in reusable substitutes instead. We know reusables will be successful too—it's not uncharted territory. After all, only 70 years ago, soda used to come in reusable glass bottles that people returned for cleaning and reuse.

Reusable solutions

If not plastic straws and Ziploc bags, then what? Reusables are central to many aspects of our lives, yet so foreign when it comes to single-use plastics. We reuse mugs at home, and we wouldn't toss a chair after sitting on it just once. Many environmental advocates have adopted a way of living that minimizes the negative impacts that waste causes—the zero-waste lifestyle. Followers of zero-waste find inventive solutions in our current disposable habits to avoid creating waste. What does this look like? Let's take a look at a zero-waste grocery store in Los Angeles, tare.

The core of zero-waste consumption lies in minimizing packaging. Remember that statistic from "How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic"? One-third of plastic waste in the U.S. comes from plastic packaging alone. Businesses like tare minimize packaging waste by buying in bulk and using reusable or compostable packaging when necessary. As consumers, we can minimize our waste by bringing our own container. Heading to a coffee shop? Bring a reusable coffee cup, especially the collapsible kind that saves space. Buying froyo, deli items, or restaurant food? Ask them to serve you in a personal container. It might feel embarrassing at first, but bring a friend (like a dare!) and know that you're setting an outstanding example for the adults around you, curating Bring-Your-Own (BYO) culture as the mainstream.

In addition to conscious choices on the consumer's side, places including restaurants, delivery services, and school campuses all play a role in solutions to minimize our waste. Let's watch a video from the Climate Lab to learn more about solutions that are transforming what takeout looks like today.

It seems that there are already some pretty viable options for campuses, workplaces, and cafeterias to invest in when looking to reduce their waste impact. Consider your own school system, too. How can your cafeteria improve?

There are also countless zero-waste substitutes for disposables that cover every part of our daily lifestyle. Check out Meri's blog with a list of 142 whopping sustainable substitutes, and click on the links if you're curious about what each item looks like. There are many other sustainable blogs out there that provide useful tips, tricks, and tutorials for making the most of a lifestyle to reduce waste. Keep these resources in mind on your journey toward sustainability!

Q: Of Meri's list of substitutes, what do you find most useful in your own life? Are there some items that stick out to you? Was there any commonly wasteful item that didn't have a substitute on Meri's list? How could you make that item sustainable?

Fast fashion

We love t-shirts, don't we? The ones at the mall, and especially the free ones they give out at events. However, fashion and clothing aren't safe from waste, either—the average American trashes 70 pounds of clothing and textiles every year. We also have to consider the toll that excessive t-shirt production takes on our environment. Let's watch as TED-Ed explains the extraordinarily resource-intensive life cycle of a t-shirt.

What does this mean for us avid clothing wearers? T-shirt production is a necessary evil (as many things are) and you certainly shouldn't stop wearing t-shirts, but there are ways we can shop more sustainably.

The fast fashion industry reigns when it comes to disposability, characterized by dirt-cheap prices and endless consumption. It's not magic: these low price points are fueled by workers without rights and synthetic fibers that end up in our waste streams. Fast fashion companies are deeply unethical, harming workers as well as the environment. Companies deliberately plan for quick trend changes throughout the season, leading to items that are only made to last for weeks before falling apart. Textile production generates 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, and discarded clothing bumps the figure up to 3.3 billion tons—roughly 8 percent of total global carbon emissions. Furthermore, plastic microfibers break off of clothing made from synthetic fabrics each time we throw them in the washing machine. Follow along as Our Changing Climate breaks down just how much of a threat fast fashion is to our environment.

Emails from these clothing companies clog our inboxes, constantly trying to convince us that we need more—"the more, the better!" As we've learned, more isn't better when we're constantly paying with our health and livelihoods (especially since marginalized communities experience these impacts to a much greater degree). So, what should we do instead? There are three main fixes: shopping less, shopping for secondhand items, and shopping from sustainable brands. The ultimate best solution is to ignore the flashy advertisements and instead focus on resourcefulness. Consider whether you really need that new hoodie, and find joy in the clothing you already own.

Boycotting fast fashion doesn't force fashion fanatics to kick style to the curb, either. Instead of items from Forever 21 and H&M, invest in pre-loved pieces and unique finds at thrift shops. Thrifting easily increases the lifetime of clothing items through a continuous cycle of buying and donating, indulging a love for fashion for a lower economic and environmental cost.

Sustainable brands like Reformation and Patagonia are also viable options to explore style, but they're also much pricier since they have to find and create their own infrastructure for materials and processes with a lower ecological footprint. If you're curious, check out this blog post from Aurorei that explains exactly why sustainable fashion is so expensive.

Organizations are popping up to solve the textile waste crisis, too. Let's follow along as Lucy Biggers visits FABSCRAP, a nonprofit organization that works with fashion brands to reduce their waste.

Q: What is one thing you've learned about fast fashion? What is one action you can take to reduce your textile waste?

Sustainability and Privilege

Evidently, many of the solutions associated with sustainability and zero-waste come from extremely privileged perspectives. This section has covered many consumer-side adaptations to curate a healthier planet, but it's important to remember that the responsibility of sustainable consumption falls on businesses and government as opposed to individuals like you and me. If you're not in an economic position to invest in reusable items or avoid fast fashion, don't feel guilty! On one hand, it's important to acknowledge how we can reduce our waste. However, on the other, our disposable-dependent society is largely the fault of irresponsible corporations.

Additionally, there's a lot of "stuff" that you can buy when living a zero-waste lifestyle as well. While these substitutes stand in for more harmful disposables, they're also second to reusing existing items. There are certainly ways to be sustainable on a budget, prioritizing resourcefulness and making the most of what you already have. The image of being zero-waste has in many cases become synonymous with white women at the farmers’ market, and the lifestyle has fallen under criticism for looking down on others that don't have the resources to be as perfect with reducing waste. Watch this video from Buzzfeed, where Dominique Drakeford explains the intersection between sustainability and targeted communities, and especially how minorities and marginalized communities have actually long embraced sustainability and resourcefulness as a core aspect of their culture.

It's all about being creative, imaginative, curious, and forgiving.

Q: What's something you enjoy, or something you do every day? Is it sustainable, or does it contribute to waste in some way? Are there ways that you can make that activity have a lesser negative impact or a greater positive impact on the environment?

Activity: Try going zero-waste for 48 hours, and report back, writing down each piece of waste that you weren't able to avoid. How did you do? What was the most difficult part?