Really Plastic? Really??

There has to be a solution to our plastic problem in life. You know, the problem of having EVERYTHING come in or with some form of plastic. I mean, it is a little ridiculous to see just how much plastic there really is. And most all of this is just plastic waste that has a very short intended life/purpose before it gets discarded. The worst part of it all is that plastic does not go away.

Sure, we don't see it any more, but it's still out there. Any plastic that is not recycled or repurposed just sits buried in the ground doing nothing! It does not break down like paper products or other organic matter - it just sits and waits. What does it wait for? Well, at some point somebody in the future is going to be digging in the ground (say, to plant an organic garden) and they are going to find this plastic that has been waiting. By this time it may have separated into smaller pieces, but it is all still there - only now it is a lot harder to clean up.

I have witnessed this problem first hand recently as I entered into the dark underbelly of my house's crawl space. I knew there was a lot of trash to clean out from first looks - I mean, a couple tires are easy to see, but I never expected to find so much plastic. While the soda and water bottles were fairly easy to pick out and put in the recycling bin (it's never too late - see photo below) it was all of the wrappers and bags that were far more difficult to remove. Just finding them is hard enough as they have become buried in the ground over the years. With each rain the crawl space of the house would flood with water and when it finally went away, the plastic would settle further and further into the mud. The plastic has also become entwined in the far-reaching roots of various plants that have spread out along the ground. As I pull up each group of roots I am greeted to an unnatural crinkle sound only to pull out some wasted food bag. I don't know how long some of this waste has been under the house, but I venture some items have been there as long as I've been alive.



While it is not the easiest thing for one to control the use of plastic in the world today, it is VERY EASY to control what one does with the plastic acquired. To me, the best way to combat the plastic problem is to follow the advice we have all heard many times: Reduce - Reuse - Recycle. These steps are listed in priority, as the first way one can help is to simply acquire less plastic; reduce your use. Stop using plastic bags when shopping (there is no excuse not to have numerous reusable bags by now, at least for the grocery store); avoid purchasing items that come individually wrapped and instead buy in bulk; invest in a reusable water bottle and stop buying the bottled water (even if you live in SoCal where the water does suck). I could go on with ways to acquire less plastic, but I think the point is made clear - use your purchasing power to buy less.

The next step to take is to reuse. So you forgot your reusable bags at home and are stuck with a plastic shopping bag, assuming you bought more than you can just carry by hand. It happens, but make a point to find another use for these bags. All you dog owners can come up with at least one use for them, but the bags also work great for lining small trash cans in the bathroom or bedroom. Plastic bottles can be used for arts and crafts projects, and turned into such things as beautiful flowers. Lastly, if you still end up with some plastic, please at least recycle it. I know no one is perfect, but if everyone made a conscious effort to be more aware of their choices/habits, I think we will all be living in a much better place.

Even if you are very responsible with your plastic, it's clear that not everyone else is. With that in mind, next time you see plastic (or any litter) on the ground, please spend the 3 seconds to stop, pick it up, and dispose of it properly. For those of us who live near a body of water, a lot of litter left on the ground ends up in our local river, ocean, harbor, lake, etc. Nobody wants this, but then again, nobody really wants to go around picking up trash after other people. Regardless, make the decision to be a better person and help keep this planet a great place to live. We really do only have one place to live, and as we already are witnessing, a lot of little waste can really add up.