_{The photo above was taken in Miami, Florida at a VolunteerCleanup.org waterway cleanup.}

Single-Use Plastics:

The Problem: An estimated 33 billion pounds of plastic enter the ocean every year — that’s roughly the equivalent of dumping two garbage trucks full of plastic into the oceans every minute.

“Plastics never was and never will be disposable“.

_{Jackie Nuñez, the Last Plastic Straw}

• Plastic harms marine species and shore birds. Plastic hurts and kills endangered and threatened species.
• Plastics break up into tiny pieces called microplastics, which are eaten by fish.
• Plastics threaten human health.
• Plastic is a climate issue. They generate heat-trapping gases at every stage of their life cycle.
• Plastic is an environmental justice issue.
• Plastic litter travels through storm drains and also clogs storm drains. Cleaning up litter can be costly.
• Plastic pollution is bad for tourism and has other negative economic impacts.
• A meager 9 percent of all plastic waste generated has been recycled. Six times more plastic waste is burned in the U.S. than is recycled. Recycling alone is not enough to solve the plastics crisis. To have an impact, we must reduce the amount of single-use plastic being produced at the source.
• Major oil companies, facing the prospect of reduced demand for their fuels, are ramping up their plastics output, which will increase pollution.
• The plastic pollution crisis is too large to be solved solely through individual, voluntary actions.

The Solution:

• Pass local ordinances to reduce single-use plastics, including expanded polystyrene foam food containers and cups
• Pass local resolutions supporting removal of state preemptions (support home rule for plastics legislation)
• Pass a state bill repealing the preemptions that prevent local municipalities from regulating single-use plastics.
• Pass federal policy to reduce single-use plastic production and make producers responsible for their product waste (Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act)
• Ask corporations for plastic free choices
• Create plastic free zones (plastic free workplaces, plastic free schools/universities)
• Reduce all waste by reducing disposables, increasing reuse/refill.

Plásticos de un solo uso 101

Aquí está todo lo que necesita saber sobre el omnipresente (y evitable) desperdicios plásticos: el tipo hecho para ser arrojado en cuestión de minutos. (NRDC)