By Den Fusso
Consider only nine percent of plastic created has ever been effectively recycled, and then only one-to-two times before it ends up in the landfill; ALL the plastic ever created is still on the planet unless it was burned, which puts toxic chemicals into the air. Fossil fuel companies now create more plastic by weight than all the eight billion humans who inhabit our planet on an annual basis. Where will we put all of that? The highest landform in Hamilton County, Ohio is Mt Rumpke - which consists of garbage in the landfill! Because plastic is so pervasive throughout our environment (food packaging, food storage containers, clothing made of synthetics, carpeting, furniture coverings, home use products, etc.), over time, small pieces of Microplastics break off and become part of our dust, causing us to breathe microplastic. Humans now consume five grams of plastic A WEEK! which is approximately the weight of a credit card. A lot of plastic ends up in the ocean, creating a plastic “soup” that gets swirled around by the currents. Marine life, as well as birds, have died from eating so much plastic, they are unable to pass it and starve to death. There’s more, but honestly, the “Take Home Message” is STOP using SINGLE USE PLASTIC. To raise awareness of the plastic problem and what you can do to make a difference, consider participating in Plastic Free July. This grassroots campaign began in 2011 by a woman in Australia, and 40 friends. They challenged each other to limit their plastic use during July. The idea spread, and as of 2022, 140 MILLION participated in Plastic Free July. The idea is to raise awareness in July, to help people work to decrease use of plastic throughout the year. Consider following this simple calendar of activities to help you limit your plastic use. You can also take the pledge to participate in Plastic Free July.