Tons of waste with nowhere to go:

Forty-two million metric tons of plastic waste was contributed to land and sea by the United States in 2016. This ends up being 286 pounds of plastic waste per person a year! Where does all of this plastic waste go? Almost 90% of all US recyclable plastic is exported to countries with inadequate infrastructure. The solution to the plastic pollution crisis is to reduce plastic production at its source! The authors of this article talk about how to reduce the enormity of plastic waste in our country and the environment. Plastic producers, production companies, and the United States’ FEDERAL government must take action regarding plastic waste disposal and recycling. We agree that it is beyond the scope of individuals to address the obscenity of this issue. Check out the article to find out more details about how scientists have gathered information on the United States’ contribution of plastic waste!

One country’s trash is another country’s… trash

Malaysia became the top importer of the world’s plastic waste after China banned imports in 2018. Recently, the country sent back 267 shipping containers of now illegal plastic waste, and is in the process of returning 81 more. It’s also important to mention that of 150 containers returned, 17 were from the US. This news reiterates the fact that the United States does not have the capacity to deal with its own waste and has a history of pawning off its environmental pollution on developing nations. Companies must be held accountable for the waste they create to sell their products with things like extended producer responsibility– taking the burden of addressing plastic product pollution from the consumer to the ones who create the product in the first place. Check out the article to learn more about Malaysia’s drive to stop other countries’ from smuggling their waste into Malaysia’s borders.

Plastic pollution takes on new front in the remote arctic:

Microplastics in the arctic? Are we surprised? Microplastics (i.e. tiny plastic particles, fibers or fragments less than five millimeters) have been documented across the globe, from city centers, remote uninhabited islands, and on the ocean floor.These tiny plastics are carried by wind currents and found throughout the arctic. Plastics absorb heat more than ice or show, which can accelerate snow and ice melt that is already threatened by global warming. Plastic pollution has become intertwined with the climate crisis and we cannot hope to mitigate climate change without taking a deeper look at how our trash causes irreconcilable harm to the environment. Read the full story here. 

Basic? We think Starbucks new green initiative is anything but. 

Hold on to your inner basic, millennial white girl, because Starbucks has recently piloted a new green program at their headquarters in Seattle. Customers pay a one dollar deposit when they order their drink and return their cup at their next visit, receiving a one dollar credit in addition to ten reward points. This program will kick off as a two-month trial in five Seattle stores, and we hope this sustainable initiative provides an effective alternative to disposable hot cups. Check out the article for more info on other trials Starbucks has run and sustainability contests run by Starbucks and McDonald’s.