The following is a commentary on the dangers that plastics pose in our everyday life. It is being presented by The Kent Environmental Council in cooperation with The Portager, to help inform the community on current environmental topics.
By the Kent Environmental Council
In the 1967 movie, “The Graduate”, there’s a memorable scene. A youthful Dustin Hoffman gets career advice...
Read moreLots one might say in respect to plastics, but in respect to usage for food and beverage containers, I believe there are really only two things that could work: outright bans by city, county, state, etc., which would require great effort and likely money to fend off lawsuits from the Plastics Industry (and dark money); and second, a national action that puts the old idea of a refund value on all consumable beverage (at least) plastics, the industry being responsible, at least in major part, for funding that buy-back initiative.
It used to be this way, folks, with glass bottles, even down in my “backwards” home state of Mississippi. Most glass beverage bottles could be turned in for deposit refunds; college students hauled them in by the case; people would actually stop to pick them up from the road. (Why there was a movement away from glass is another issue.)
But a “plastics revolution” will only happen if it is mandated, demanded, and enforced. Too convenient for users to not do it, and obviously profitable for industry to not care. So legislation (ha - so easy, I know) is probably the only way.