Use less. Recycle more. Buy this. Don’t support that.

When talking about pollution, especially plastic pollution, the conversation often targets individual action. The choice, and therefore responsibility, always seems to lie with the individual.

And while these shifts in personal choices are by no means futile, it is also imperative that we look to our governments to develop legislation as well. The decline in environmental health due to plastic pollution is not just an individual or community problem, but a global one. And therefore, it demands influence from a wide range of sources, including our governments.

“We have to abandon the conceit that isolated personal actions are going to solve this crisis. Our policies have to shift.” – Al Gore

There are several water pollution issues that countries around the world have begun to effectively regulate through policy and legislation. For example, the Clean Water Act was first passed in 1972 in the United States in order to regulate water quality standards.

This established pollution control regarding point source discharge, non-point discharge, wastewater standards, and contaminants for lakes, rivers, streams, and coastlines. The European Council established it’s first Environmental Action Program (EAP) in 1973. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act in India was first introduced in 1974 to provide the prevention and control of water pollution.

These laws became the foundation for pollution regulation and policy control of businesses, fisheries, agriculture, and public wastewater treatment plants.

These same policy concepts can be applied to the plastic pollution problem as well. By enforcing this legislation, governments are doing two things: forcing businesses to adapt to a new standard and promoting a cultural shift in material usage. Through taxation, permit markets, deposit-refund systems, etc., the government develops a shift in how businesses and society manage plastic pollution on a large scale.

Environmental Policy

Law and regulation surrounding environmental pollution have been successful in the past to correct human error that is otherwise toxic to the environment, such as industrial water and air pollution. Now, environmental policy is beginning to foster the same regulation on plastics.

There are several types of policy control that are either currently in place or in process of being introduced. This ranges from taxation, to deposit-refund systems, to outright banning manufacture of certain plastics.

Plastic Bag Laws

For example, several countries have now banned the production and sale of single-use plastic bags. Countries like Bangladesh, the Phillippines, Cameroon, China, Brazil, and 16 African countries have banned the production of thin or ultralight plastic bags.

In Europe plastic bag taxes have been implemented in Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, The UK, and the Netherlands. The taxes in Ireland are recorded to have cut single-use plastic bag use by 95% and Europe has seen an overall reduction in plastic bag ocean pollution since 2010.   

In the U.S., over 150 cities have enacted plastic bag bans or fees.

Around 1 trillion plastic bags are produced each year and are among the 12 items most commonly found in coastal cleanups. Bans such as these not only limit the manufacture of plastic bags, but also force society to find alternatives. In places where plastic bags are banned or taxed, it becomes a lot easier and cheaper to use alternatives such as cotton or jute bags.

Reduction of Plastic Packaging

Styrofoam has managed to infiltrate a wide variety of products and packaging, despite it’s inability to biodegrade. Because of this, over 100 cities in the U.S. have managed to ban Styrofoam in public facilities and/or businesses. Other countries, such as Zimbabwe and Taiwan, have also enacted measures to reduce the use of Styrofoam packaging.

Britain has gone even one step further by encouraging all major supermarkets to ban unnecessary single-use plastic packaging by 2025 and is considering a plastic tax for single-use plastic items. This could include disposable coffee cups, takeaway boxes, and polystyrene packaging. 

Microbead Regulation

Canada was the first country to sign a nationwide ban on microbeads in personal care products in July of 2015. Later that year, California signed a ban on microbeads without loopholes, or certain product regulations and the Microbead-Free Waters Act was passed in the United States. 

Between 2016 and 2017, several countries in the EU, Australia, and New Zealand either banned, or introduced legislation to ban some form of microbeads. And Taiwan’s ban on cosmetic microplastics will go into effect in July 2018.

However, the banning of microbeads in cosmetics only accounts for about 2% of plastics in cosmetics and is a relatively small amount in terms of microplastics. While the regulation of microbeads globally is an important feat, there is still much to be done in the way of microplastics.

Legislative Flaws

As pointed out by the BBC, in correlation to the banning of microbeads in various countries, still 130,000 tons of microplastics from buildings and 80,000 tons from road paint will end up in the ocean each year.

Though an extremely drastic comparison, this is an example of the disparities in environmental policy and legislation. Yes, each and every one of these laws on plastic pollution reduction is a major step forward in the fight to remove plastics from the ocean and our natural environments. However, proper legislation is often slow to come to fruition, especially regarding environmental concerns.

Many countries have recently made sweeping declarations to reduce plastic waste, but are slow moving in regards to actual, physical laws that demand a change. There are many pitfalls as to why this occurs, but one of the major ones is the lobby of special interest groups.  

Take plastic bag bans, for example. Many countries and cities have successfully banned or taxed some form of single-use plastic bags. Many, though, only address certain types of plastic and in countries like China, the ban is hard to enforce. Or, on the opposite end entirely, there are places like Michigan that have actually passed bans on plastic bag ban legislation.

That’s right. A ban on plastic bag bans. But Michigan isn’t the only one and, unfortunately,  this isn’t the only case of special interest groups lobbying for a less than environmentally-friendly outcome.

But when it comes to legislation, some is better than none, and while it may not be completely favorable, it is considerably more effective when combined with other plastic pollution solutions like innovative, alternative products, reduction of consumption, and global clean up efforts. 

How Can I Contribute?

Legislation may often seem complicated and overwhelming, but there are many things that you can do as an individual to help promote legislation against plastic pollution. Dive in and get involved in politics through manageable recourse such as: 

1) Write your local representative. Tell those who represent you how you would like them to vote when it comes to bans, taxes, and plastics management. 

2) Looking to make even more noise? Support lobbyists who share your goals. Successful lobbyists don’t always have to be part of big business. Check out the organizations listed below and see how they’re making a difference legislatively. 

Environmental Defense Fund

The Sierra Club

The Ocean Conservancy

Earth Justice

Oceana

3) Sign petitions. Many cities, states, and countries are working right now to get plastic legislation on the ballot. Signing petitions is the first step to gain legislative footing on plastic pollution. 

4) Educate others. Start the conversation and help others become more aware of the environmental pressures of plastic and what other countries are doing to change it.

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It seems we are hearing about plastic a lot these days. The environmental impact of disposable bags, the nearly 20 billion pounds of plastic entering our oceans each year, the rising amount of sea life whose lives are endangered from plastic – The list goes on and on.

But just how pervasive is this plastic problem? New research has found evidence of plastic pollution ranging from the deepest depths of the ocean all the way up to the remote Swiss mountains. Our plastic problem is, in all actuality, all around us.

Scientists have begun extensive research into plastics and their effect on the environment, and their research is becoming truly alarming. The most recent findings take us all the way down to the Mariana Trench, up through Point Nemo, the most remote point in the ocean, to the nature reserves of the Swiss mountains.

Over 10,000 m below sea level lies the Mariana Trench. Located just east of the Philippines, the Mariana Trench is the deepest section of the world’s oceans. A study published by the Global Oceanographic Data Center (GODAC) in Japan in April 2018 documented single-use plastic debris found in the trench as early as 1998.

The study also found that 92% of the plastic analyzed at depths greater than 6,000 m were made up of single-use plastics. Scientists claim to have found more chemical pollutants in parts of the Mariana Trench than some of China’s most polluted waterways, and as much as 17% of the debris was found with at least one organism – entangled, covered, or “attached”.

Another remote ocean area, Point Nemo, was discovered to have up to 27 microplastic particles per cubic meter. Point Nemo is nearly 1,700 miles from an inhabited island and deemed the “oceanic pole of inaccessibility”, yet plastics have seemed to find their way there.

And lastly, a study conducted by the Geographic Society of the University of Bern found that even in the most remote, unsettled mountain areas of Switzerland, whose recycling rate is nearly 100%, microplastics still pervade. Of the 29 floodplains studied, 90% of the soils contained microplastics, evidence of wind transport of plastic particles.

Evidence from this study has spurred even further research into microplastics, with increased concern with traces of plastic in soil, domestic livestock, and even agriculture.

It is becoming more and more apparent through studies such as these that action against plastic needs to happen immediately.

The extent of our plastic problem continues to expand and public concern is continuing to rise. There are many plastic alternatives out there to substitute for single-use plastics and regulation is continuing to expand, including the EU and the U.K.’s strategies to cut plastic pollution.

However, much and more needs to be done if we are to truly remedy the permeating and ubiquitous presence of plastic around the world.

In the late 1980’s, large islands of floating trash seen by satellites were reported in the global news. Swirls of trash concentrated by the movement of the oceans’ gyres gave another hint to the then naïve public that our planet is finite after all. The world population—as of early 2018—is estimated at 7.6 billion; all contributing waste and debris to some extent.

Only one hundred years ago—when the world population had not yet reached 2 billion—trash was at worst unsightly or smelly but it was relatively harmless. Back then it eventually degraded and was not ultimately toxic to life.

In the early 1900’s, the first synthetic plastics were invented, giving way to the “plastic revolution”. As we found more uses for these new lightweight, cheap, and strong wonder materials, plastics rapidly found their way into most industries.

Today, plastics are a part of our daily lives and their prevalence can be a little overwhelming, especially when we are not welcoming them.

Our natural areas, waterways, and oceans have been polluted by plastic waste at an alarming level. It is at such an extent that gyres of plastic can be seen from space! It’s estimated that every square mile of ocean contains around 46,000 pieces of floating plastic.

While plastic debris is an eyesore and a threat to wildlife, the majority of the trash in the ocean is not even visible and poses its own threats.

A large portion of the plastic in the oceans is microplastics, composed of synthetic plastic particles so small they can barely be seen with the naked eye. The minute debris is so small and often suspended under the surface, making it invisible to satellites or even from the deck of a passing ship.

Microplastic pollution comes from countless sources, most prominently from cosmetic and household products, synthetic clothing fibers and industrial abrasives. Microplastics also result when larger pieces of plastic eventually break apart—not degrade, but break into smaller and smaller pieces.

Thin, single use plastics like disposable bags are one of the biggest offenders finding their way into our oceans.

Most plastics, when hit with UV radiation from the sun, begin to break down and gradually become microplastics over time.

A significant enough amount of microplastics now exist in marine environments to be detected in the bodies of fish sampled from different parts of the ocean. Fish and other marine creatures consume the microplastics, concentrating them in their bodies up the food chain. Humans included! People have tested positive as well for microplastics in their bodies.

Why does this matter?

Plastics are created from petroleum—hydrocarbons that when concentrated in the body are toxic. The liver and digestive system struggle and depending on the type and concentration of the synthetic particles many are known carcinogens. Synthetic substances, when regularly consumed, potentially contribute to disease due to a toxic cellular environment. The introduction of synthetic molecules into the Earth’s environment has created a toxic soup in the air, water and soil of the planet. The microplastic issue is just one aspect of the global pollution problem caused by humans! Life in many ways is now marinating in toxins.

What can I do about microplastics?

Avoid products that include plastics, especially microplastic particles. Most common brands of face scrubs, such as Neutregena and other Johnson & Johnson products, contain tiny plastic beads acting as abrasives. Skip those types of products, read the ingredients and avoid chemicals like Polyethylene (PE). This will help to reduce the amount of plastics being flushed through water treatment facilities which eventually end up in our water systems and potentially in wildlife.

Purchase natural fibers derived from plants when possible (e.g. cotton, bamboo or hemp).

Remember to bring—and use—reusable grocery bags. If you don’t have a good alternative to plastic bags, you can reduce your impact by reusing your “single use” plastic as many times as possible. Even using plastic bags as trash can liners is a valid way to reuse them and slightly reduce your environmental impact.

When purchasing anything, choose merchandise with minimal packaging and with the least amount of plastics as possible. Remember that you’re not only reducing your use of plastic by being selective but you’re also voting with your wallet – telling brands that excessively use plastic that you’re going to find an alternative.

All of our individual actions add up over time. Don’t forget that your daily actions DO make a difference!

It has become common practice around the world to use disposable plastic bags to assist us in our every day lives. Out of mere convenience and utility, the plastic bag has become a go-to resource for in-store purchases, big or small.

However, in light of current of research pointing to the environmental impacts of plastic bags, many cities, states, and countries have sought to change this through regulation and legislation.

Impact of Plastic Bags on The Environment

According to the Earth Policy Institute, 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year. For every 100 billion plastic bags being made, 12 million barrels of crude oil are being allocated to their production. Equivocally, a car could drive for one mile on the energy required to produce 12 plastic bags.

And most of these are not being recycled. Instead, they are ending up in lakes and oceans, on beaches, in landfills, and even in our own food chain. This is because rather than breaking down over time, they are simply breaking into smaller and smaller pieces.

Legislation on Plastic Bags Around the World

Due to the mounting environmental concerns, legislation is being passed across the globe to mitigate the manufacture and use of disposable plastic bags. The first plastic bag law went into effect in Denmark in 1993, which implemented a tax on the use of plastic bags. Ireland introduced the Bag Tax in 2002, reducing plastic bag use by 90 percent.

Bangladesh became the first country to outright ban thin plastic bags in 2002 after two major floods in 1989 and 1998, which were magnified due to plastic bag waste blocking drains and sewers.

China began enforcing plastic bag bans and regulations in 2008, just before hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics. This eventually caused their largest plastic bag factory to shut down.

Other countries that have enacted regulations on plastic bags include Kenya, the Phillippines, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and more.

Legislation on Plastic Bags in the U.S.

As of 2016, legislation regarding plastic bag bans spanned 23 states and included 77 bills. Notable city-wide bans are now enforced in Austin, Chicago, Seattle, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 2014, California became the first U.S. state to ban disposable plastic bags statewide. Since then, a de facto statewide ban on plastic bags has been enforced in Hawaii, and the District of Columbia has passed a law banning the distribution of disposable, non-recyclable plastic bags.

However, many states in the U.S. have passed legislation prohibiting regulations on disposable plastic bags. Preemptive legislation that prevents cities, towns, or counties from regulating the sale and distribution of plastic bags is enforced in nine different U.S. states, including Arizona, Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin.

What you can do about plastic bags…

The ban on disposable plastic bag use is gaining momentum and there are many ways you can contribute to this movement.

The most effective way to impose change is by writing your state representative. It is the job of your legislators to pass laws based on the values of their constituents. Voice your opposition to disposable plastic bags directly to those who can enact change.

In addition to directly contacting your representative, you can also make your voice heard through one of the many campaigns started to ban plastic bags, such as Greenpeace or Clean Up (The Project).

Sometimes the politics behind such a significant change can seem daunting. If you’re looking to promote change on a more local level, contact your local grocer to express your concern.

And finally, bring your own bag! By bringing your own bag to the store with you, you are easily able to say “No, thank you,” to plastic disposable bags when offered. Just because they are not legally banned in your city or state, doesn’t mean you have to use them.