Plastic Pollution Clean-Up: Are we failing?

Plastic pollution has become a major environmental crisis in recent years, with plastic waste choking our oceans and harming marine life. While there have been some efforts to address this problem, plastic pollution is still accelerating.

Here are some of the reasons why:

Lack of Political Will

One major obstacle to solving the plastic crisis is the lack of political will to take bold action. Governments and corporations have been slow to implement policies that would significantly reduce plastic production and consumption. For example, many countries have not implemented effective bans on single-use plastics, and even where such bans exist, enforcement is often weak. Additionally, the plastic industry has a powerful lobby and has been successful in pushing back against plastic reduction efforts.

Insufficient Recycling Infrastructure

Another reason we are failing to solve the plastic crisis is the insufficient recycling infrastructure in place to properly manage plastic waste. In the USA for example, the Recycling rate is 9% of the total plastic waste. It is this low, not because we can’t recycle more but because shady businesses lobby the government and actively work against a recycling system because it forces the Mass Polluting companies to internalize the expense which reduces their profits.

Despite the fact that plastic is meant to be recyclable, the vast majority of it is not actually recycled. This is due in part to the fact that it is often more expensive to recycle plastic than it is to produce new plastic, which means that it is not financially viable for recycling companies to process it. Additionally, many plastic products are not designed to be easily recyclable, making it difficult or impossible to recycle them.

Lack of Consumer Education

One of the major factors contributing to the plastic crisis is the lack of consumer education about the impacts of plastic use and the importance of reducing plastic waste. Many people are not aware of the environmental impacts of plastic or do not understand how to properly recycle it. Without a greater understanding of these issues, it is difficult to expect consumers to make more sustainable choices when it comes to plastic use.

Conclusion

Overall, it seems that we are failing to effectively solve the plastic crisis due to a lack of political will, insufficient recycling infrastructure, and a lack of consumer education. While there have been some efforts to address this problem, they have not been sufficient to truly make a dent in the amount of plastic pollution we are facing. Until we are able to address these issues, it is likely that the plastic crisis will continue to grow and have serious impacts on our environment and wildlife.