You Can’t Recycle Your Way Out of This: Why we need to stop single-use plastic

By Jesi Malowitz, Senior Development Associate, Houston Audubon

July is here, and with it comes scorching Houston summers and a global movement to protect our environment: Plastic-Free July! 

Plastic pollution is a well-documented environmental crisis, especially here in Houston where, after a heavy rain, our bayous get inundated with plastic litter, bound for the ocean if it doesn’t get cleaned up.  We have all seen the heartbreaking photos of “trash islands” in our oceans, plastic shopping bags wrapped around the necks of sea turtles, and beaches littered with broken and whole plastic items. Much of it is unintentional: bits of broken sand shovels and buckets, the plastic wrapping of a straw from a juice box, or a Buccee’s bag that has blown away in the gulf wind. As innocent as our plastic use may be, we can no longer afford to ignore its increasingly hazardous effects on our world.

A growing concern lies within the realm of the unseen: microplastics and nanoplastics. Unlike many other types of waste, plastic does not break down easily. Instead, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, creating microplastics and nanoplastics that can persist in the environment for centuries. These tiny plastic fragments, less than 5 millimeters and 100 nanometers in size respectively, are wreaking havoc on ecosystems and potentially to our health. Once in the environment, these tiny particles become ubiquitous and the consequences for wildlife are alarming. Marine animals often mistake microplastics for food, leading to blockages in digestive systems, malnutrition, and even death. Sea and shore birds often mistake bits of plastic for food (or ingest marine life that has consumed it) and have been shown to have bellies full of these plastic bits, sometimes even feeding the plastic to their young and causing them to choke. Microplastics can also bioaccumulate in the food chain, meaning they become concentrated as they move up the food web, potentially reaching humans. Furthermore, these tiny particles can act like sponges, attracting and concentrating harmful pollutants like pesticides and industrial chemicals. This magnifies the toxic effects on organisms that ingest or even breathe them in.

The use of plastic has woven itself into the fabric of our daily lives and, as a society, is not going to be an easy habit to break. After all, plastic has provided us with safe food, medical equipment, and convenient packaging, and this is not going to change overnight.  We now know that recycling has had minimal effect on plastic pollution and a piece of plastic’s mere existence is more or less a guarantee that it will be on this earth forever.

Therefore, a good place to start is in your own life. There are times when using plastic is unavoidable, so start with the things you have immediate control over. Here are some things that you, as an individual, can do to make a difference:

1. Ditch the Stuff, Embrace Enough. It has become increasingly easy to buy things, from books and knick-knacks on Amazon to groceries delivered to your doorstep. Gone are the days when we just made-do with whatever we had in the house. Almost everything we purchase has some sort of plastic in the packaging, so decreasing the amount of purchases will at least limit unnecessary plastic use. Not to mention it will save you some money!
2. Just say no to plastic grocery bags. My dear husband came home from the hardware store a few weeks ago with one little box of light bulbs-in a plastic grocery bag. Why would one even need a bag? If you are purchasing just one or a few items from a store, you can probably handle just carrying it in your hands, yes? We have become so used to throwing everything into that thin plastic bag that it has become second-nature. It’s time to stop! Bring your own bag, use no bag, or at the very least, choose a paper bag. Sometimes you will need to be politely proactive at checkout with a quick, “I don’t need a bag!” before they begin putting your single pack of gum in there.
3. Store your food without bags. Another nasty habit to get out of is “Ziplock” plastic baggies and gallon bags. Use reusable containers to store food and pack your lunches. Cover that dinner plate or salad with another larger dinner plate instead of plastic cling-wrap. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on all the new, fancy, sustainable food storage items, just use what you already have. Try to remember to bring your own storage container if you are going out to a restaurant that you know will turn into a doggy-bag situation.
4. No more produce bags. Additionally, you don’t have to use those thin produce bags at the grocery store anymore. It really is unnecessary! I have been putting produce directly in my shopping cart and on the checkout belt for years and have never had any kind of health problems from it. If you want to get fancy, there are reusable produce bags out there.  Let the cashier know to keep produce separate from meat and wash it upon reaching home.
5. Raise Awareness. You can’t control what everyone else does, but you can show them how you do it. By showcasing the ease and financial benefits alongside the environmental ones, you can inspire people to make a real difference in their daily lives. For example, imagine what would happen if every time someone visited a beach, everywhere in the world, they took the time to pick up and dispose of the litter they found? Instead of just collecting seashells, take a moment to pick up litter, including microplastics – those tiny plastic bits are as harmful to wildlife as large plastic debris. This beach cleanup will not only beautify your surroundings, but also spark a conversation with your loved ones about the choices we make that contribute to plastic pollution. By connecting the dots between our daily habits and the health of our oceans and wildlife, you can inspire positive change that extends far beyond the shoreline.

Real change is going to depend on policy changes at the local, state, federal and even global level. Join the Plastic Free July initiative and challenge yourself to eliminate single-use plastic consumption for the entire month of July and stay connected to the global movement to going plastic-free.