Sometimes it’s hard to face the facts until they are put into context. Today, I came across an article that really hit home the reality of the negative impact of plastic. Of course, everyone has heard about the island of plastic in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. What I didn’t know (did you?!) was that it was larger than all of France! You could form a whole new country on top of that!
“So much plastic is being consumed that there is an area bigger than France of throw-away plastic swirling at all depths in the North Pacific Ocean. It has become so ubiquitous that birds are using it to build their nests.”
For me, this really put into perspective the massive scale of human consumption and human waste. Not only is plastic an incredibly long-lasting and durable product, but it is also entirely too disposable for most people. The way in which plastic-using products are designed allows us to toss them away without having a second thought.
“If Leonardo da Vinci had drunk water from a plastic bottle when he was painting the Mona Lisa, that bottle would not have fully decomposed yet.”
Another thing that shocked me was the degree to which this problem has been a product of our modern generation. The author pointed out that “there are people alive today who were born in an almost plastic-free world.” Imagine that – an island larger than France built in a short human lifetime (not to imagine everything that also exists in our landfills).
What the author did do a good job of pointing out is the way in which we begin to scale back our impact. Think about what you purchase. Don’t buy plastic products intended to only be used once and disposed. Recycle. Buy reusable products. I think the key factor in all of this is recognizing your impact and taking time to think about how you change. Maybe if everyone starts being more intentional and proactive in their consumption patterns, we can start to make a dent.
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