rap presentation 2010
TRANSCRIPT
Photo from AMRF
When did plastics become so popular? Throwaway
Living
Post-war boom in plastics production
What’s Made of Plastic?
What is Plastic Made of?
SY
NTH
ETIC
BIODEGRADEABLE
How many plastic beverage bottles get used every year in the US?
Q:
Chris Jordan
Chris Jordan
We use 50 billion plastic beverage bottles
every year in the US
DETAIL
50,000,000,000
“But I Recycle…”.
What percentage of plastic gets recycled in the US?
Less than 5% of plastics are recycled…
CIWMB White Paper
Plastic recycling in China
(California Integrated Waste Management Board, “Plastics White Paper” 2003)
Municipal Waste 50%
Recycled 5%
Made into Goods 20%
Unaccounted for 25%
Where our plastic waste goes
The “missing” 25%
LA Beaches After The Rain
Ballona Creek Algalita
Santa Monica Beach Ben Kay
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
• A giant, eternal swirling spiral of floating trash• Twice the size of the US and growing• Home to an estimated 100 million tons of plastic
There is 42 times more plastic than plankton at some spots in the North Pacific gyre.
Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundation
Chris Jordan
Chr
is J
orda
n 100 billion plastic bags get
used each year in the US.
100,000,000,000
ACUTAL SIZE
This is an artist’s visualization of what gets used in just five seconds
Surfrider Foundation
All of this (more than a half-pound of plastic) was removed from the stomach of
an albatross, a large sea bird
How many marine animals die every year due to
Plastic?
A. 100
B. 100,000
C. 1,000,000,000
Q:
B100,000 marine mammals die each year because of plastic litter in the Pacific ocean alone.
How do plastics affect our
health?
Toxic Plastics
Plastics Leech the Chemicals They Are Made Of
Bisphenol A (BPA)• Plastic hardener• Used in DVDs, canned food
lining, baby bottles, water bottles
• Chemical found in 93% of Americans over the age of 6
Phthalates• Plastic softener • Found in toys, food
packaging, shower curtains, nail polish, hair spray and shampoo, baby teething rings
These Chemicals are ‘hormone mimickers’ that affect the
Endocrine System.
Plastic Bath
A study of 20 teens across America detected they had phthalates (plastic) in their
blood and urine.
Look up your products at SKIN DEEPwww.cosmeticsdatabase.com
Bring Your Own…
• REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
• CANVAS BAG• CUP OR JAR• TUPPERWARE• SILVERWEAR
Use Biodegradable (PLA)
Bioplastics are better, but not the answer• Require INDUSTRIAL COMPOSTING
(140° and fed microbes)• Cannot be recycled; can contaminate if mixed in• “Renewable;” but genetically-modified• Does not emit GHG’s
when incinerated• Don’t break
down inthe water
THINK TWICE• Do you really need a
bag for your bag of chips?
• Ask the waiter to wrap in foil instead of styrofoam
• Do you really need the straw?
• Don’t buy things with excess packaging
• Buy the can instead of the bottle
• Shop at the farmer’s markets
REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE… then RECYCLE
Encourage EPR
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)– Companies that produce and package products are responsible
for the costs of collecting and disposing of their packaging waste– Motivates producers to reduce the amount of waste they produce
• Adopted by Germany in 1991– Packaging waste reduced 14%
in first four years– Recycling rose to 75%
Plastic Laws• California: AB 1998:
Proposed a Ban on plastic bags in major retail stores in CA. This did not go through Legislation.
• Los Angeles: Supervisors ban Styrofoam in LA County offices & concessions. (Already banned in Berkeley, Calabasas, Laguna Beach, Malibu, Newport Beach, Oakland, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Santa Monica and West Hollywood)
Spread the Word…with a SMILE
Share what you’ve learned • Lead by example• Ask your friends and
family to join you• Speak to city council• Write letters to
government officials
What will you do to rise
above plastics?
Share your Pledges with our network!
Rise Above Plastics
@RiseAbovePlstcs
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
For more information visit:
www.riseaboveplastics.org
www.greenambassadors.org
www.surfrider.org
www.algalita.org
www.seaofconsequences.blogspot.com
http://www.ewg.org/chemindex/term/468
PASS IT ON…