This is going to sound bad, but I value plastic, let me explain. Whether it is in the form of a bicycle helmet or car airbags that keep us safe in the event of a car accident, the list goes on. To an extent, we need plastic in our lives in order to protect ourselves from the unpredictable. The true problem comes in the form of single use plastics, that are disregarded after one use and end up in a landfill where it takes anywhere from 20-500 years to degrade.
I envision a world where single use plastics are eliminated and swapped for alternatives such as wood for cutlery and beeswax wraps in lieu of saran wrap. However, this will not solve the problem and society does not like major change, therefore creating an issue and divide between groups. This proposed idea is already implemented on the UBC campus and throughout Vancouver but this will not create a noticeable impact on the health of our environment. Not to mention that we have rid ourselves of plastic grocery bags, but what about all the products we buy in the stores that are, you guessed it, wrapped in plastic. To create change, we need to enlist the help of the entire world, which is extremely challenging.
I support NGO's targeting this challenge, including 4Ocean. A company who has removed 30 million pounds of plastic from the ocean in Bali since 2017 up till June of 2023 (Oceanographic). This company takes the plastic they remove from the ocean and recycle it into bracelets sold for $20 each and remove one pound of plastic per bracelet sold. It is companies like this that are driving us into the future by aiming to restore our environment as best as they can. However, is it enough? The answer is no. To create a meaningful impact at restoring the health of our environment, we need a major societal change. How late is too late? We must act now.
Picture from: https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/4ocean-collects-record-setting-30-million-pounds-of-trash/