How does all that plastic get in the ocean?
By Sherry
@norcal (4889)
Franklinton, North Carolina
April 27, 2019 12:23pm CST
The standard answer is that it is plastic from littering, or that it blows away when being transported to landfills.The thing is, plastic is not easy to recycle. It's not a resource, it's garbage that nobody wants. Most of the plastic that we put in the recycle bin has been getting shipped to China.
Now China is putting restrictions on what kind of recyclables they will accept. How do we even know what happens to the plastic we think we are recycling? It seems to me that some of it is probably being dumped directly into the ocean. I really wonder if we would not be better off putting plastic in landfills, perhaps inside containers so they can't blow away or wash away. Perhaps it could be melted into big blocks.
What do you think?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/climate/recycling-landfills-plastic-papers.html
8 people like this
8 responses
@divalounger (6123)
• United States
27 Apr 19
We need to stop using it. And the plastic out there has to be reused --but generally, we just need to stop using it--there are other alternatives out there. I have started eliminating plastic from the things I buy--or I don't buy them--shampoo and conditioner were a big hurdle for me, until I started using shampoo bars--Now I am working on eliminating plastic from the kitchen--that is going to be a toughie I think
1 person likes this
@divalounger (6123)
• United States
28 Apr 19
@norcal Plastic is going to get more expensive eventually I suspect. China no longer wants ours, so we sent it to Malaysia-and they don't want it either. So recycling is getting to be a problem. We may have to go back to separating all of our recyclables and I suspect that sooner or later plastics will begin to be taxed in order to pay for the increased expense in recycling them
1 person likes this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
28 Apr 19
@divalounger That is probably the only thing that will change people's behavior. When it starts costing them money.
1 person likes this
@eLsMarie (4345)
• Philippines
30 Apr 19
Here in our country, we weren't allowed to use certain plastic bags instead we were required to use eco bags or just paper bags. For me, I would prefer eco bags because too much use of paper is also bad. It's not good for the environment. We need more trees to prevent certain calamities.
It's just so sad that people prioritised more their financial gains rather than preserving nature's beauty.We all need money but we also need to take good care of mother earth for the future generations.
1 person likes this
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
27 Apr 19
I'm pretty sure that the plastic I put in the recycling here doesn't end up in the ocean, 'cause it'll either be recycled or burned. We have a quite good recycling plant here, it has a incinirator and the newest technology so the only thing that are sent out from it is water vapour.
If anyone dumps recycled plastic straight into the ocean there should be some way of fining them out of buisness and them letting them help clean the oceans for some years.
1 person likes this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
27 Apr 19
It sounds like Norway is a good role model for the rest of us. I think the powers that be in the US often turn to the cheapest solution. If it's more expensive to deal with the plastic yourself than to send it away, then out of sight out of mind.
1 person likes this
@joelonyema (222)
• Abuja, Nigeria
27 Apr 19
plastics can be recycled, some of them you see in the ocean may be the one that is carried away by flood
1 person likes this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
27 Apr 19
@joelonyema I think you underestimate the laziness and greed of humanity. I would like to think this does not happen.
@joelonyema (222)
• Abuja, Nigeria
27 Apr 19
@norcal It might not be cost-effective, but no thinking will go and dump plastics in the ocean
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
6 May 19
i wish we'd get rid 'f plastic entirely myself, though i reckon that make puters weigh a ton, lol. lots 'f the plastics 're jest dumped 's folks're lazy'n don't pick'p 'fter 'emselves. whene'er a typhoon, hurricane 'n other disasters strike - all that which 'twas'n folks homes also get swept out to sea.
folks need to quit thinkin' 'f this (plastics) 's convenience items 's we've been brainwashed to believe. then 'gain, the government'd then blame all fer the loss 'f jobs if'n folks said - no more!
