There is a clear need to ...
Published by Kevin Hitt, Assistant at USF Office of Corporate Training & Professional Education
There is a clear need to move towards a more circular economic model for the plastic production cycle, this can be simplified as the 6Rs concept:
- Reduce – Redesign – Refuse - Re-use – Recycle –Recover
I personally believe microplastics are an underestimated threat, as their effect on humans is not fully known. And in some cases now ocean fish have been found to prefer microplastics to plankton (source).
Ideally, public interest would phase out single-use plastics before any legislation had the chance to mandate it. There have already been many examples of proactive policy:
- Scotland bans single-use plastic straws by 2019 (source)
- Kenya outlaws plastic bags (source)
- Over 200 Seattle businesses voluntarily forgo plastic cutlery (source)
- Coca-cola to recycle all packaging by 2030 (source)
(source)
1 Comment
Microplastics are only a problem when not properly disposed of. Even in the oceans when the gyres of plastic islands are skimmed off the surface and composted with other organic matter the microplastics will soon become non existent. Takes years to be reduced to this size. Catch the large pieces before they become small will reduce overall volume and danger to the aquatic life. ( for those not familiar with microbiology the reason you have micro plastics is the ocean is breaking down the plastics with natural enzymes. The closer they get to an area with an active volcano the faster they breakdown.)
Published by Guy McGowen, President/CEO/Chief Science Officer