In a rational model. Thats right, its always the one you most suspect. Scientists discovered that this technology can detect the concentration of microplastic in the water by measuring the surface of the water. Now, Im not sure how far along plant plastic or CO2 plastic are in the development process, but certainly very exciting possibilities if they could scale up. An alternative solution to the problem of aluminum-plastic multilayer waste utilization was suggested. The Worlds Largest Oil Field: Can the Saudis Wean Themselves. Does it get recycled? In all fairness, every material has a climate impact, and high-density polyethylene is not that bad if you stack its carbon footprint against other materials or even other plastics. Authors of the survey, conducted by international conservation organisation WWF and Australian-based campaignersPlastic Free Foundation, said "any meaningful progress in reducing global plastic waste" needs to include bans of "the most harmful and problematic types of single-use plastics, fishing gear, and microplastics.". I know it sounds silly, but it would make a difference. "Tally up the different types of plastic packaging used," she advises, "and go through the trash as well." AD READER: Is it 12:01am on November 1st? +1 (202) 729-7600. A Solution of the Legendary Plastic Waste Problem 38. . First, we transport our fossil fuels to a type of petrochemical plant called a cracker. Cracker? The analysis is the second in recent weeks to look ahead to the future of the plastic economy and conclude that correcting the waste problem40 percent of plastic manufactured today is. Whos building these things, Triscuit? Vatican-Nicaragua relations: Strained or broken? People who collect plastic can trade it in for money, items (fuel, cook stoves) or services, such as school fees. For the specifics on your area, check out Earth911.orgs recycling directory. They act as a convenience store for the worlds poor communities, and accept plastic waste as a form of currency. These three simple facts provide a glimpse into the overwhelming scope of it: 1,000,000 plastic water bottles are bought every minute. What do they think this is, a Ritz quick scheme? A lot of plastic packaging that's created and used today can't be recycled. There was a 72 percent drop in grocery bag litter in the state just one year after it was fully implemented. Legislators must consider and adopt different, complementary approaches to be most effective, including bans and restrictions, economic instruments, information standards and labeling, and extended producer responsibility including reuse, recycling and deposit-refund schemes. And so when we think about these policies, were balancing these different environmental objectives. ETHAN: Obviously, bags are the only policy option like we talked about theres fees theres more voluntary approaches You know, with straws, something that intrigued me was default choice modification. So if its, if it makes it into the environment, it stays there, it breaks into smaller pieces, it gets blown around the world, many different ecosystems. So that means fewer animals getting entangled over time which is good, but unfortunately, it also means plastic bags take a lot less time to become microplastics. I collected data from supermarkets, on the types of bags people were using at checkout, both before and after the policy went into effect. Each year, at least 14 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans. The Alliance The plastic waste problem explained March 22, 2021 3 min Overview Plastic is a life-changing resource, but the same qualities that make it usefulalongside poor waste managementhave created a global waste challenge. Plastics have even been found in people's bodies and in the air. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency . This paper in particular was interested in a California policy, which is a ban on thin plastic, carry out bags, and a fee for paper bags of about 10 cents, usually, sometimes five cents. The only solution to this burgeoning problem, the Pew report concludes, is a massive $600 billion overhaul of the world's plastic system that reuses and recycles plastic in a . Every year, around 500 billion plastic grocery bags are used worldwide. The plastic crisis is one of the greatest challenges facing Planet Earth. Using computer simulations and scale models, the group tested and trialled the system with hopes for it to be trialled in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. What Comes Next for Venezuelas Oil Industry? If we were able to come together as we did in 1987, we can collectively tackle the plastic pollution problem. If you want to take two minutes to help out The Sweaty Penguin, you can either leave us a five star rating and review or join our Patreon at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. Lets start with paper: the only kind of bag that is, in the most literal tense, tearible. 127 Countries Now Regulate Plastic Bags. And thats not purchasing garbage bags. Industry's championing of various recycling schemes is a marketing ploy designed to fend off plastic regulation and efforts to curb an escalating plastic pollution problem." "The only solution to the plastic waste piling up in our communities and oceans is to limit plastic production to essential uses and eliminate the use of toxic . The fungus secretes enzymes that degrade the plastics, and in return, the fungus gets food from it by dissolving the plastics, said lead author Sehroon Khan. ETHAN: After we drill and frack and insert other PG13 sounding term here, we have to actually turn our fossil fuels into polyethylene. Are Plastic Bag Bans a Solution? While the increased use of plastic is necessary to fight the pandemic, particularly for PPE, countries need to ensure these emergency changes do not derail long-term progress on the passage of laws aimed at reducing plastic pollution. According to Sander Defruyt, who leads the New Plastics Economy initiative at the US-based non-profit, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, recycled plastic would be more competitive if fossil fuel subsidies were phased out. So some of my recent research was looking at to what extent do we actually see border shopping occur? But heres the buzz-killing reality: There are millions of tons of debris floating around in that waterand most of it is plastic. Per capita, that boils down to nearly 300 pounds of plastic trash per person(!) Bag bans seem to be all the rage, but its not the only option. So when you do lifecycle assessments of these two different types of material, paper bags end up being much worse on sort of their upstream, the manufacturing side, so its a bit concerning to also see the shift to paper. *This article was originally published in 2018. And so its the sort of carrots versus sticks story, the sticks of the taxes seem to be much more effective than the carrots of the bonuses. Suite 800 So is there anything you would suggest to policymakers as they tried to address the issue? And so many of these supermarkets have actually rolled back their policies. Businesses may be reluctant to engage in default choice modification because customers might not realize the law and think theyre just getting bad service. In December, the city of Vancouver, Canada postponed fees for disposable cups and its ban on plastic shopping bags for more than one year. . Each year, at least 14 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans,1 and the consequences for sealife are tragic, from choking turtles to poisoning whales. Plastic waste generation is strongly influenced by primary plastic use, but also the product lifetime. Product standards, certifications and labeling requirements can be designed to educate the public on the environmental impacts of plastic, and on the health and safety hazards involved in their production and use. Jenkins is in the process of testing the fungus on PET and PU plastic and discovered the fungus to populate as it consumes more plastic, potentially creating a new source of biomaterial for food, or feed stocks for animals, or antibiotics. All three counties are majority minority, the first two are over a third low income, and according to data from Texas Rising, if you rank all 254 counties in Texas for the overall environmental and social burdens they face, these three counties come in at #3, #8, and #53. Australian company Licella Holdings has developed a new patented technology, known as the Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR), that can convert unrecyclable plastic into oil, it has been able to melt plastic and convert it into liquid fuel. Often they need to be reused at least 100, if not more times, to be more environmentally friendly than those thin plastic bags that were so familiar with. I know youve done some comparisons on different strategies and looked at this more holistically. Thinner than a human hair, these coils resemble bed springs under a microscope, and are coated in nitrogen and a magnetic metal called manganese. (And while youre at it, make sure youre frequenting a dry cleaner that skips the perc, a toxic chemical found in some cleaning solvents.). Different studies say different things, but the point is clear: even though paper bags are much better for the environment in the disposal stage, the rest of the supply chain is riddled with problems. Inspired by a scuba diving trip in Greece, Dutch CEO Boyan Slat created the organisation consisting of a large team of people and technology designed to effectively collect plastic from the, , which consists of 600m-long floating structures intended to contain marine debris and designed to collect. Anyway, at a cracker plant, they use extreme heat to crack the molecular bonds in the oil or gas to produce a new gas called ethylene. Its taken long enough. is paying above-market rates for plastic waste. How Do We Protect Avocados From Drought, Deforestation, and Drug Cartels? 44 Likes, 4 Comments - GreenHouse (@ucgreenhouse) on Instagram: " Calling all aspiring social changemakers wanting to make an impact on a social or environmen." Driven by public pressure, governments and corporations are considering . Again, Im not referring to carbon emissions, Im talking nitrous oxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, smog, Sagittariuses, really bad stuff. And so in terms of ranking those, that would be my order, taxes, hybrid bands, and then least preferred standalone bands. Will we use our cotton tote hundreds or thousands of times? LASZLO: What I want to know is why I wasnt consulted in inviting this creature into our home. But that tiny switch makes it so people dont feel different or left out if they dont have a straw. So thats exactly what I did. A darkly pigmented species of fungus, known as Aspergillus Tubingensis, has been found to contain agents that can degrade polyurethane (PU). Cotton tote bags dont fare well either. Some will, yes, but not that much. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise. First, we transport our fossil fuels to a type of petrochemical plant called a cracker. Cracker? The EU has made some steps in this direction, having banned 10 single-use plastics products that not only blight Europe's beaches but contravene a circular economy model via which all disposable plastics in the EU will be reusable or recyclable by 2030. Wait, sorry, wrong kind of cracker. No plastic is a match for this device. In fact, it may not even be the most effective option. Dozens of cities throughout the U.S. have banned plastic foam. According to the Ocean Conservancys 2020 Coastal Cleanup Report, plastic grocery bags ranked number 6 for trash in the ocean. "My family sort of makes fun of me because my backpacks are starting to get bigger and bigger every year.". Chhotray notes that you're likely to find a lot of plastic in the kitchen and the bathroom. Our world faces increasingly severe hurricanes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and more, but grocery bags have somehow become one of the hottest environmental topics. No, of course not. Before I jump in, were trying out a little bit of a different format today. ETHAN: And youve written several papers on plastic bags, Ill start with your paper that won the Journal of Environmental Economics and Managements Best Paper Prize in 2020, which discussed some of the unintended consequences of plastic bag bans. 500 billion plastic grocery bags are used worldwide. I hope at least one of those cracked you up. I took a look at a 2017 Congressional Report which found the petrochemical industry was, at the time, pursuing 48 new plastics-related projects in the Houston area. "Why would we want to participate in something that is actively oppressing and hurting people's health?". And, she says, bring your own containers to avoid using the plastic bags provided by the grocery store. Most plastic packaging is produced from seven grades of plastic that are largely incompatible with each other, and are costly to sort for recycling. It increases cancer rates, and it hurts people," Arellano says. And thats actually increasing the carbon footprint. Anything thats not zero gets, you know a pretty big impact. In Staten Island, perhaps? Some of their success has been due to the flexibility of ban legislation in allowing for exemptions for medical products and other necessary use while promoting the use of alternative products like cloth or paper bags. .chakra .wef-facbof{display:inline;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-facbof{display:block;}}You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. Major funding forPeril and Promiseis provided byDr. P. Roy Vagelos and Diana T. Vageloswith additional funding from Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III,and the Estate of Worthington Mayo-Smith. This story comes from Life Kit, NPR's family of podcasts to help make life better covering everything from exercise to raising kids to making friends. In November 2018, a second plastic road was built in Overijssel. Not only is it healthier, but making your own meals doesnt involve takeout containers or doggy bags. Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems' ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people's livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being. If they were going to use a slur for white people, why not name it Karen or Wonderbread? Plastic bag bans havent fixed the entire problem where theyve been implemented. ETHAN: Another thing I wanted to bring up part of why I was so excited to talk to you is that there is the word behavioral economics in your work. After the introduction of the tax on carrier bags Denmark's reduction in paper and plastic used is estimated to be. This encourages people to collect ocean-bound plastic before it enters the waterways, and it can be traded for social benefits, including money, food and other services (such as school fees). Its like time outs. The packaging industry claims that flexible packaging has environmental benefits as it's lighter than more rigid plastics and causes less transport emissions while also keeping food fresher for longer. [wrong buzzer, rewind] Cracker? The US Congress is considering a a bill that would suport research into plastic use reduction and recycling. Some believe the solution to global plastic pollution is to simply reduce the amount of plastic that is being used. The fight against plastic has led engineers and designers to search for other materials that could be used for packaging foodstuffs. And I also looked at not just shopping at a supermarket across the border but also eating out Instead of grocery shopping, and I do find that there is this, you know, substitution, this cross border shopping, some people do try to avoid going to, you know, regulated supermarkets, especially if they live near a border, where they can easily get to another another grocery store, while other customers if they dont live near a border, they might be slightly more likely to decide to eat out for dinner as opposed to grocery shopping, especially if they didnt bring their bags with them or that party. Most parents agree that kids should be learning about climate change. As compared to plastic bags, paper bags also require significantly more energy and water to manufacture, and more energy to transport since theyre heavier. , lead biotech engineer for bio-manufacturing firm Biohm was studying different types of fungus in a research project, when she came across the plastic-eating fungus and found the fungus had eaten its way through the plastic sponge that was used to seal it. Whats more? In 2018, it was three times the size of France and its total amount is 80,000 tonnes.2 Engineers from the Netherlands, led by a 24-year-old Dutch inventor called Boyan Slat, have launched an ocean cleanup system called System 001. In November 2018, a second plastic road was built in Overijssel.3. In 2020 alone, it is estimated that more than 97% of the plastics generated in the world were derived from fossil fuel resources (mainly petroleum-based resources). So back to you and me and the question of whether we can do anything about all this. Toothpaste, exfoliating scrubs, shower gels and many other cosmetics and personal hygiene products contain tiny plastic particles that cannot be filtered out. And those seven ethylene projects are concentrated in just three counties in Texas: Harris County, Jefferson County, and Brazoria County. So if its not effective, and its expensive, its not a recommended policy tool. ETHAN: But first, its time for Plastic Bags 101. "Recycling is not the problem, plastics are," Ramsden explained. Its the same you know, it gets rolled into the price of your groceries the same way that youre paying for the cashiers, and the store workers and the age back and all of that you are paying for your plastic bags, but you dont see that what we call marginal cost per plastic bag. In the last couple weeks, I believe around five of our team members got sick, so weve been struggling a little bit! The first time you say your dog ate it, its a funny story, but by the fifth time, youre definitely going to fail first grade. Once in the ocean, it is difficultif not impossibleto retrieve plastic waste. And so this was an unintended consequence of the policy. The Plastic Bank is a social enterprise which pays an above-market rate for plastic waste. It now recovers 97 percent of them. Anyway, at a cracker plant, they use extreme heat to crack the molecular bonds in the oil or gas to produce a new gas called ethylene. TAYLOR: When I put my economist hat, the sort of first tool that I really think that policymakers should consider is a small fee, or a tax on all the different types of carry out bags. Phytoplankton: How Too Much of a Good Thing Causes Problems. Its been more than five years since single-use plastic bags like these were banned from grocery stores, a ban advocates say made strides for the environment. I'm no expert on the psychology of all this, but I do know that when something seems overwhelming, I'm tempted to give up on it altogether. Then, that ethylene can be sent to a new plant where theyll add a catalyst which initiates a chemical reaction and forms our high-density polyethylene. So were still figuring it out right now, but weve got a great episode for you today. NASAs Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, also known as CYGNSS, was originally created to predict hurricanes by monitoring tropical wind speed over the ocean. TAYLOR: Yeah, I think one thing that stands out, when we think about plastic bags, and when we think about sort of packaging, in general, is that theres this perception that its free, that theres no price, and that you can you know, youre not paying for the plastic bags that you use, thats not actually true, you actually do pay for the plastic bags that you use at the supermarket. One of the most important scientific solutions to plastic pollution that have emerged is the plastic-eating enzyme. For those times when you do order in or eat out, tell the establishment you dont need any plastic cutlery or, for some serious extra credit, bring your own food-storage containers to restaurants for leftovers. And I think part of what intrigues me is a sort of principle of like free market economics is that people are rational actors. Around 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide annually, and only half of this can be recycled. They work with local seaweed farmers to create a range of different types of packaging such as sandwich wraps, burger wraps, sachets for spices, and soap, which can be dissolved in hot water, and in some cases, edible. Since the mass production of plastic began, almost six billion tonnes of it - approximately 91% - has . In fact, they may even feel too awkward to ask for one. Again, Im not referring to carbon emissions, Im talking nitrous oxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, smog, Sagittariuses, really bad stuff. ", INTERACTIVE: RECYCLING 101 What's recyclable, what becomes trash and why. [wrong buzz, rewind] Cracker? Many supermarkets have experimented with bag bonuses trying to get people to reuse their either bags by giving them five cents, and they havent found them to be particularly effective. And do you think that it is more broadly true that cracking down on one specific plastic product can have rebound effects with other plastic products, or is this maybe a more isolated case that you found? Samantha Jenkins, lead biotech engineer for bio-manufacturing firm Biohm was studying different types of fungus in a research project, when she came across the plastic-eating fungus and found the fungus had eaten its way through the plastic sponge that was used to seal it. To help combat this waste, several American states have enacted bans on plastic grocery bags. This number is expected to grow a recent report from Pew Charitable Trust suggests that without improvements to waste management, 90 million tons of plastic could enter the world's aquatic ecosystems by 2030. So the best thing we can do to protect our waterways is try to keep as much plastic as possible out of the waste stream in the first place. The plastic waste problem is a waste management problem. Can Cryptocurrency Rein In its Massive Energy Consumption? Around 85% of plastic packaging worldwide ends up in landfills. And to be fair, it is an issue. Another idea to come from the Netherlands is a project called PlasticRoad. You know, thats a bit of sort of the speculation of why these behavioral changes occurred. . The U.S. is the number two producer of polyethylene in the world behind China, and in the U.S., 80 percent of our primary petrochemical supply is in Texas and Louisiana. In fact, the only place they havent been is Dave and Busters. Maybe call the manager over or fly the CEO in on a helicopter or pull the fire alarm so everyone starts screaming and running. Any time someone needs bags, make a trip to the back to get them and have them wait. Even if bags arent the worst offender though, theyre a very hot topic and in my opinion, a really really interesting and misunderstood one, so Im very excited to talk about it today. Though the breakdown process remains to be relatively slow, scientists have been working to speed it up. Look at the items on your plastic inventory list and ask yourself, "What can I replace the plastic with?" We must reduce our plastic dependency We use an incredible quantity of single-use plastic items, such as straws, plastic bags, packaging, plastic cups, plates and cutlery. Confused about what can and cant go in the bin? Thats one idea that Ive seen floated all over the internet. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest accumulation of plastic in the oceans, and it sits between California and Hawaii. Like blueberries or trips to the bathroom, not all plastics are created equal, and single-use plastic bags are typically made from a material called high-density polyethylene. The Permian Basin Hosts the Highest Emitting Oil and Gas Project in North America. Now, a new law hopes to take things a step further by banning these: single-use plastic pre-checkout bags that are not recyclable and can contaminate compost facilities. ETHAN: The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. This ground-breaking research method can be fundamental in tracking and managing ocean plastic debris and one of many crucial scientific solutions to plastic pollution. We need increased ambition and innovation by governments, companies and civil society, as well as the thoughtful adoption of a variety of preventative policy and legislative measures to address the scale of the problem. Chhotray discovered that small canvas bags she'd bought for an art project work just as well, or you can bring your own jars or other reusable containers just make sure to zero the scale before filling up. It has been promoted as one of the. Once you have your list, do a little more homework. And so I think, and subsidies can be quite expensive for governments to run or source to run. Polystyrene foam, like that used for meat packaging or egg cartons, is not recyclable unless a drop-off location exists in your area. And so whats really interesting is just adding a small price to each, each bag, you know, five cents, we see really large behavioral changes just with that small price. And we're not just talking about people dumping their garbage overboard. So I was really interested to see what the data would say about this were people having to buy more garbage bags now that the plastic bags that they got from grocery stores were no longer available. In 2018 though, 68.1 percent of paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling, which is a really impressive number, although its worth noting that paper fibers become weaker each time theyre recycled, so there are still limitations to that. Meanwhile, more than 30 African countries have either completely or partially banned lightweight plastic bags. 1. [wind blowing, floors creaking, various night time sounds]. Still,circular product design also relies onthe myth of recycling, whichin its current guise is doing little to ease a mounting plasticscrisis. Chhotray acknowledges that lowering your plastic footprint takes work. The one perk with bans is that its by far the easiest policy to explain and enforce. This episode of The Sweaty Penguin explores a wide range of issues including plastic bag manufacturing and looks at the shortcomings of some proposed solutions. ITS PAPER. The aim of Plastic Bank is to make plastic too valuable to throw away and turn it into a currency. Ninety percent of the plastic items in our daily lives are used once and then chucked: grocery bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, straws, coffee-cup lids. One idea to stop plastic getting there in the first place is a little more abstract. It is a way of re-using plastic bottles, cups and packaging instead of burning it or putting it in landfill. All of these policies give consumers a little more freedom, but try to nudge them in the right direction through small fees or rewards in the 5 to 15 cent per bag range. In the US, which is by far the world's biggest plastics polluter, only around 5% of over 50 million tons of plastic waste produced by households in 2021 was recycled, according to Greenpeace. To help combat this waste, several . Learn more about the eight innovators that are making an impact on the ground to fight plastic pollution: Siklus is reinventing the future of retail in Indonesia by delivering refills of everyday needs to people's doors - without plastic waste. The road uses 70 per cent recycled plastic, but subsequent versions plan to use 100 per cent recycled plastic. ", Use the comment section on a company's website or its social media accounts. Im really proud of this one and I hope you enjoy it! One idea to stop plastic getting there in the first place is a little more abstract. Thats a border shopping behavior. She says some days she also carries chopsticks and a reusable straw. You get merch, bonus content, and more. Xiaoguang Duan, a co-author of this study found that nano-coils have a 30% to 50% reduction rate in microplastics over a period of eight hours in early experiments. 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