It adds up big time

The war against plastics is heating up. You don’t really think about the small, to some, inconsequential, items in use until they’re under the spotlight. Consider Britain’s recently announced intention to ban plastic straws to cut down on waste, the manufactured materials infiltrating the environment everywhere. Britain invited other countries to follow its lead.

In Nova Scotia, a municipal councillor in the Halifax Region did suggest following suit on straws.

This comes as yet another chapter in a continuing saga, one that seized a lot of attention in past months as waste facilities everywhere grapple with the problem of what to do with bags and other single-use plastics. The game changed after China began restricting imports of the waste, potentially recyclable materials.

When the issue suddenly focuses on an item like a plastic drinking straw, it highlights how ubiquitous these materials are in our day-to-day habits. And when you muse upon the various ways of sipping on a beverage, you can’t help but realize there are other options — such as doing without.

So, a straw ban — it might work, some might miss it for a while, but would likely learn to cope. It could put a damper on a tight-budgeted soda fountain date.

But the overall question of plastics — much bigger than bags and straws — is getting increasing attention.

With plastic trash such a common eyesore, it’s no wonder that items get in ditches, streams, other waterways and ultimately flow seaward. Many have expressed alarm about the growing concentration of plastics in the ocean.

In fact, federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna is in the midst of negotiating a plastics charter with other G7 nations that aims to reduce ocean garbage, similar to international agreements regarding industrial airborne emissions. The proposed charter will be a centerpiece of a leaders’ summit in Charlevoix, Que., in June.

As a backgrounder for this issue, studies suggest anywhere from six million tonnes to 10 million tonnes of plastic garbage ends up in the ocean each year. More than half of it comes from a small number of countries, mainly in Asia, where garbage collection is lacking.

But McKenna has made the point that even if Canadians aren’t one of the bigger sources of that garbage, the country still has a role to play in developing packaging products that are easier to recycle. People can also find ways to reduce use of single-use plastics in their day-to-day lives — and certainly plastic straws and superfluous use of grocery bags when there are alternatives come to mind.

McKenna said the charter, if adopted, would see countries pushing industry to create less harmful packaging and also help underdeveloped countries get a better hold on waste disposal.

Since the recent discussion about plastics, companies that specialize in recycling have come forward to say they do indeed have good renewable uses for the materials. That will be part of the bigger picture, let’s see what they can do, and let’s help them along. Because straws and bags are only the start.