TEE-CEE’S TIP

Dear Tee Cee,

I recently watched the documentary “The Story of Plastic,” and I’m very motivated to take big action to tackle the plastic problem. I already avoid buying plastic packaging as much as I can, I bring my own bags to avoid taking a plastic bag, and I bring my own containers to bulk stores like Simply Bulk. I also recycle the plastics I do have when they are recyclable. But I learned through the documentary that problems like plastics in the ocean really need to be addressed on the producer level, not just by individual action. (Which makes sense!) Do you know of any action on a state or national level going on right now that I could support?

Thanks!

Fatima

Dear Fatima,

Thanks for mentioning “The Story of Plastic.” It does do a really good job of explaining what the problems actually are around plastic pollution and where solutions lie.

Reducing and recycling as a consumer, which you are so clearly doing, are very important actions to take in the effort to address plastic pollution. But you are right, these actions can only provide part of the solution — we will never recycle our way out of this problem. The bigger challenge is the rate at which plastics — particularly disposable, singleuse plastics — have been increasingly pumped into our society. The burden for handling that prolific waste is placed on consumers and government, largely without the involvement of the producers. Markets for recycling are generally created by producers buying their product back for remanufacture into new products, which is the case for glass, steel, aluminum and paper. We need the same to be true for plastics.

The problem calls for a larger, systemic solution that includes changes to our entire plastic production system and involves the participation of the producers. One of the best ways to do that is through Extended Producer Responsibility laws, in which producers take fiscal responsibility for the end-oflife management of the products and/or packaging they produce. It’s an approach that has been in force in parts of the EU for some time, but has only recently begun to gain traction in the U.S., as many states are proposing EPR legislation.

Hereincolorado,wehavea brand-new bill that was introduced just last week in the House called the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (HB21-1162). This bill would:

Reduce the use of plastics by prohibiting restaurants, hospitals and school cafeterias and other food and retail establishments from using expanded polystyrene (foam) products (e.g., cups, plates and containers). Polystyrene foam is one of the most harmful plastics to human health, containing styrene, a known carcinogen. It can be easily substituted with less-toxic reusable, recyclable or compostable products. Reduce a common source of plastic pollution by prohibiting retailers from providing single-use plastic carry-out bags and requiring stores to charge 10 cents each for paper bags to reduce overall bag consumption.

Empower local communities to take control of their plastic pollution by repealing the ban on local government regulation of plastics. Currently, municipalities and counties are preempted from enacting their own bans on plastic packaging. Colorado communities are demanding more options to manage the costs and environmental impacts of these polluting products.

If you’d like to support the bill, write your state legislators and let them know you are in favor of it. You can also go to ecocycle.salsalabs.org/ breakupwithsingle-useplastics to customize a premade letter.

For those wanting to learn more, “The Story of Plastic” is currently available to watch on the subscription Discoverygo streaming service, for rent on Amazon, on Apple TV and on Xfinity video on demand. It’s a tough look at the problem, but know that solutions are comingforwardasnever before.

Tee Cee

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