Guest Columnists
It is clear to us in the short-sighted comments reducing the Garwood adoption of the ‘Skip the Stuff’ law into harangues about ketchup packets that those opposed to this action may simply not be aware of the BIG environmental picture.
Plastics are made from toxic chemicals and fossil fuels and have become the scourge of our earth. They are literally killing us. They pollute the air we breathe when they are burned (nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic organic matter, heavy metals, and dioxide). They pollute our oceans and waterways from which obtain our drinking water and fish. In the next few years there will be one pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish in the ocean. We’ve all seen pictures of whales and dolphins with bellies full of plastic, and sea turtles with straws in their noses. Microplastics have been found in human blood, organs, and lungs, mother’s breast milk and placentas. Recently they have been found in our hearts – they bind with plaque to increase heart attacks, strokes and premature death.
Plastics recycling is an abysmal failure as in reality only plastics #1 and #2 are recycled – other plastics are reused, but they are not recycled. To keep their industry going in the wake of anti-plastic movements, the plastics industry is now promoting chemical recycling (heating plastics at very high temperatures to turn them into fossil fuels). Using fossil fuels to reclaim/use fossil fuels??? Since fossil fuels are also destroying our climate, how about we simply stop the use of fossil fuels?
Our only solution is to make and consume less plastic. Prohibiting single use plastic bags was a start. “Skip the Stuff” is another small step towards this goal. As more towns adopt this law, the state will make it a statewide requirement. People oppose government regulation, but without government regulation, actions that would prevent further destruction of our own bodies will just not happen. Plastic manufacturers are only in pursuit of more profit – not improving our health – and they will never advance ideas to reduce the use of plastics. We should support legislation to advance six plastic reduction goals. 1) Plastic packaging must be reduced – we consumers should ask for paper and stop accepting plastic packaging of all kind; 2) The use of toxic chemicals in packaging – PFAS (forever chemicals), lead, mercury and vinyl chloride, and formaldehyde must be prohibited; 3) Chemical recycling should be called out for what it is – more pollution; 4) A fee should be placed on the companies making the packaging so funds can go to municipalities to provide for waste reduction and recycling programs; 5) The ‘polluter pays’ philosophy -which is transferring the financial burden of managing packaging waste from consumers and our municipalities back on to the companies that generate the waste to begin with – should become law; 6) We should support bottle bills that encourage the use and reuse of glass bottles via a ‘deposit/ return’ process at the demise of single use plastic bottles. Who needs more phthalates, and Bisphenol A (BPAs) in our endocrine and reproductive systems anyway?
The bottom line this 2024 Earth Day is that we humans are indeed killing ourselves. From our continued mining, fracking, land despoilation, and use of fossil fuels, to our continued buying of foods that are packaged in plastics (including water), to our obvious lack of sense of urgency regarding plastics, we need to change. We need to walk, bike, car pool, use mass transit. Opt for products that are not packaged in plastic such as eggs in a cardboard box or boxed cookies. Refill the plastic bottles you do have in a refillable store – it is surprising how many items can simply be refilled. Use reusable mesh bags for your produce. Stop taking plastic straws, condiment packages, and utensils that we do not need. Garwood is now ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing waste. We are proud of Garwood’s actions. Given the larger picture, we would have hoped everyone would be.
