Flaming nonsense

Re: Make plastics a burning issue, Terence Corcoran; July 12

The only thing worth burning is the asinine idea that incineration is the best defence against plastic pollution. Incineration misplaces responsible investments and placates the single-use throw-away culture we’ve developed.

Corcoran is correct in stating that Canada is not a significant source of the 32 million tonnes of plastic waste in our oceans despite bordering the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. However, he neglects to consider that 10,000 tonnes of plastic make it into the Great Lakes every year, and that in Lake Ontario there are 6.7 million plastic particles per square kilometre.

The idea that incineration — at home or abroad — will make plastic pollution go away is absurd, and simply creates an entirely new set of environmental impacts.

Reducing single-use plastic products while supporting and expanding our recycling systems is the best approach for the environment and the economy. Studies estimate that seven jobs are created for every 1,000 tonnes of material diverted from disposal. Every 1,000 tonnes disposed of (or burned) creates just one job.

The Oceans Plastic Charter, while non-binding, is a strong blueprint that supports greater efficiency for plastic, that we would be wise to adopt. It lends an effective approach to plastic pollution that can bolster domestic recycling capacities and encourage environmentally responsible production of products to avoid them from ever becoming waste at all. Jo-anne St. Godard, Executive Director, Recycling Council of Ontario, Toronto