Continuing Plastic Free July
With the end of July came the closure of the annual Plastic Free July campaign. However, even though initiatives can end, plastic and its impacts on the planet remain. Roughly 400 million tons of plastic are produced each year. About 36%, or 144 million tons, are used for packaging, such as single-use food and beverage packaging. Items like plastic cups, cereal and chip bags, and Styrofoam trays cannot be recycled and end up as trash or, when disposed of improperly, litter (unep.org).
Most single-use plastics – an estimated 98% – are produced using fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and climate change. Currently, most single-use plastics cannot be recycled in Orange County. The recycling industry alone will not be able to solve the issue of plastic pollution, as plastic production rates continue to increase every year and not all plastic is intended to be recycled (plasticsoupfoundation.org).
Consider ways you or your household can continue to reduce plastic use in your daily lives. Set new goals on reducing plastic consumption and challenge yourself to refuse single-use plastics at stores and restaurants. Simple actions like bringing your own mug to a coffee shop or swapping your plastic snack bags for reusable containers may seem small, but collective small actions add up to larger, noticeable changes as the County strives to reach “Zero Waste” by 2045.
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