What do we do about plastic?

Nova Scotia has a new problem: the recyclable film- type plastic we put into blue bags used to get shipped to China for re-processing.

China is no longer accepting this stuff, so what do we do with it?

Let’s recall some ways in which plastic pollution is a problem. The ugliness of litter is the most obvious, but the least important. Plastic entangles and strangles wildlife. When it gets eaten, it can block digestive systems, leading to death by starvation.

As it breaks down, it can do the same to the little bugs that feed, for instance, and many of the fish we depend on. Plastic particles can adsorb toxic chemicals and as they break down further they act as toxins in unknown ways themselves.

We still don’t know enough about the dangers of discarded plastic. I will recommend downloading a movie, A Plastic Ocean, and reflecting on the powerful messages it sends.

When we have a choice, avoid using disposable plastic products. When we shop, aim for the product that has the least unnecessary packaging.

One- use bags can be used many times. So can plastic containers and other so-called disposable products. Think of all that plastic wrap and packaging you often buy with the stuff you really want. When they don’t pose a hazard to health, use them until they are useless.

When any plastic has no further use, wash and recycle it. Collect smaller plastic bits together in a plastic bag you’re recycling. Otherwise, they go to landfill. Don’t litter.

When we do have a choice (such as when we shop) use reusable bags. When we forget and need a shopping bag, don’t complain about paying five cents for a plastic bag.

Crafts people can think about how to put how to put waste plastic to use. I have seen clothing and mats made from plastic bags. What else can creative people do to turn a liability into an asset?

That’s a challenge for governments, too. Dumping recyclable or reusable plastic into a landfill is not a long-term solution. How can we put this resource to use? Operations in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario may be able to use at least some of our waste plastic. If there is a madein-Nova Scotia solution lurking with some creative entrepreneur, so much the better.

In general, governments need to encourage us to lower our plastic consumption as rapidly as prudently practicable. Sustainable replacements for one-use plastic shopping bags are needed, and if they cost us more, so be it. One-use plastic shopping bags are banned in a number of jurisdictions already; the lessons they have learned should make similar bans here less painful.

Government cannot do this alone. It’s up to all of us to reduce our use of plastics, and as much as possible, to treat the plastic that comes our way as a resource, rather than as garbage.