I was cleaning my hair brush today. I finally have enough hair again that it requires a brush to make it do something other than flat with flip wings. I had pulled it out right before my trip, but I hadn't taken time to clean it until now. No, this isn't going to be all about how dirty my brush was (although, to be honest it really needed the old hair spray and other product leavings cleaned). My brush is plastic as are many other things in my house. There's a challenge going on right now about how to reduce your plastic footprint. I've been pondering plastic a lot for longer than the challenge though.
No need to fight, guys. It's complicated, but not that contentious.
You've probably heard about the Pacific garbage patch. I'd heard about it a long time ago, but like many, I had an incorrect image of this massive floating island made of plastic refuse until I did some research on it several months (perhaps longer) back. The BBC and National Geographic did some great pieces on it if you're so inclined. It's not something you can walk on. It's not one, isolated mass. It's not mostly plastic bags or soda bottles. There are single use plastics mind you, but the bulk is from fishing vessels. Among those nets and gear, you can see plastic bags, soda bottles, toys, and other consumer plastics some of which are as old even older than me. But it's mostly old fishing garbage.
Not sure if there's any of this though.
I've read a lot about how the microplastics and other plastics impact ocean creatures. Whales that wash ashore with massive amounts of plastic in their bellies. Birds with stomachs hardened by plastic garbage they've eaten. Turtles with beer rings wrapped around them so they grow deformed. The haze of the plastics that cloud the visibility under water. As someone who holds sea life near and dear to her, I find all the stories distressing and wonder what I can do about it without making matters worse on this planet.
That's right, Earth. Keep on tryin' is what we gotta do.
Some cities have enacted plastic moratoriums so that people are forced to use reusable bags instead of plastic ones. I do this. Yes, I am one who sometimes forgets. I often don't use the plastic fruit and veggie bags. We actually have some reusable varieties of those, too. While this seems like a logical step toward reducing plastics, the inevitable counter-argument points out how much cotton costs to produce versus plastic.
No, Janeway. Just predictable deflection.
With the bags, it is considerably cheaper to use plastic. Of course it is! It's been used longer and a lot of money has been poured into making production quick and easy. Alternatives to plastic make life more difficult and are not yet cost effective when you consider things like emissions. Another example are diapers. Cotton diapers cost a lot to produce and negatively impact carbon footprints. There's also the cost if you choose to clean them professionally. Cloth diapers are significantly cheaper to the moms and dads since you are reusing rather than buying new. If you clean them yourself, it's better than a laundromat and contributes to the reduced cost. However, the environmental impact from producing cotton diapers is staggering. Apparently the moratoriums on plastic do positively impact the coastal communities, but for landlocked states like mine, it's minimal and means using that cotton bag a gazillion times; like enough times that you'd be lucky if duck tape held it together.
Although...it is surprisingly strong.
It seems to me that perhaps investing in ways to make the cotton production cheaper and the environmental impact less is the way to go. Of course environmental legislation is being rolled back, so who knows where climate change policy and innovation of new production items will be going. Nowhere good would be my guess. Incentive is going to disappear and I am cynical enough to doubt too many big companies are going to try if they're not required to. Hopefully, private sector development and eco-conscious companies will lead the charge. Hopefully.
May this not be their response.
Still, I feel I should do something to reduce my plastic consumption. I use the cloth grocery bags. I don't use the plastic fruit and veggie bags. But I still have plastic storage bags, plastic wrap, and purchased products that come layered in plastics. It's tough. I have found silicon reusable storage bags to reduce reliance on the disposable ones. I did find beeswax sheets to replace plastic wrap. Yes, they are cotton, but I will reuse them a lot and they're apparently fairly sturdy for longevity. However, I went with the silicon stretchable food covers. I can purchase groceries that don't over package. I can lobby for less plastic in consumer products. I just need to feel like I'm doing something to reduce the impact on the oceans.
Frolic away, little cephalopod.
An informed consumer must research and weigh the impact of choices against what other eco-issues will be impacted. Being a good steward for this world is a difficult. One article stated bluntly that reducing meat consumption would have more beneficial impact on the environment than plastic replacement on grocery bags. Guess it's a good thing we're getting our meat from a local producer who isn't part of big ag.
Rest easy, Moose. Not you. Never you.
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