Plastics are an environmental justice issue.
Plastics are devastating our natural environment; worldwide annual plastic production has an approximate carbon equivalent of the yearly emissions of 19 million vehicles, according to Stanford University Magazine. Images of our polluted oceans, beaches, and the entanglement of marine life in these products are heartbreaking, but the impact on human life also needs unpacking.
Plastics, which take thousands of years to decay, affect our health in three ways: (1) direct toxicity (lead, cadmium, mercury), (2) carcinogens (DEHP), and (3) endocrine disruption. Exposure occurs at every lifecycle stage, including production (extraction, transport, refining, and manufacturing), the use of plastics (contact with food, skin), microplastics/additives directly entering our food chain (fish/mammals/water/air), and the incineration of plastics, which releases toxic gases.
As we all know, plastics are a huge waste issue, and waste often flows to the most vulnerable communities. As of 2018, the world’s top exporters of plastics (US, UK, Germany, and Japan) can no longer send their waste to China. This has resulted in the flow of waste to poorer countries. A new research collaboration between Greenpeace East Asia and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) exposed the impact of the global flow of waste, finding many communities with garbage piled 10 ft high, crops poisoned, and open plastic burning. In addition, petrochemical plants are often located in areas populated primarily with people of color. One area with several petrochemical plants in Louisiana, USA, is nicknamed ‘Cancer Alley’ due to the high rates of cancer in the area.
It is simply disturbing to consider the effect of the use of plastic, especially on those most vulnerable. I am more compelled than ever to make permanent changes in my life. At the same time, we must keep demanding better and more affordable alternatives be stocked on our shop shelves.
