Why Your Metal Straws Aren't Enough

Plastic is a synthetic material made from a variety of organic polymers, which can be molded into any desired shape. They are durable, waterproof and convenient, making them the most common material used for distribution and storage of everyday products. They provide an easy solution to meeting high demands and can be easily discarded when no longer serving their purpose. Using plastics with this mindset is exactly why they have become an issue for our environment today.

Replacing plastic products with less harmful alternatives, such as metal and glass, is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment. Unfortunately, there are bigger issues to tackle than replacing your plastic straws with metal ones.

Sure, plastic pollution as a result of consumer waste is a major issue, but there are "lesser known" sources of plastic that affect our oceans today. Keep in mind that just because you're reducing the impact on an individual scale doesn't mean there still isn't mass distribution and use of these products.

Fishing Gear

According to a study conducted by Slat's scientific team, approximately 46% of the plastic found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is fishing nets, which is just one kind of abandoned fishing equipment found in the ocean. Other kinds of lost and abandoned debris include fishing line, ropes and even vessels (especially what they're transporting).

Fishing nets, lines and ropes have been responsible for the entanglement of 344 reported marine species, including ALL marine turtle species and one third of whale species. Interaction with debris like these greatly affects an organism's ability to survive as they can become physically injured, prevented from being able to feed or escape predators.

Ingestion of fishing gear can occur intentionally or unintentionally, especially if a marine animal is feeding on prey that is already trapped within. Plastics within the diet can greatly affect an animal's health, causing complications or death due to perforation of the digestive organs or creating a false sense of satiation due to high volume of plastic in the stomach.

In addition, fishing gear can create damage to key ecosystem structures like those found in coral reefs. Any debris caught during collision can cause irreversible damage to ecosystems, causing further stress on regeneration and other natural processes.

Plastic Trade

By-products of the global plastic trade are a lesser-known, yet major source of plastic in our oceans. When plastic products are lost during transport or mishandled in the industry there are serious consequences for our oceans.

Nurdles are plastic pellets used as base materials for the synthesis of plastic products and packaging. When released into the ocean they go largely undetected because of their small size (1-5 mm), meaning they can create damage unnoticed.

Since they are so small, Nurdles can easily be broken down into Microplastics and further into particles allowing them to remain in the environment to cause harmful physical and chemical changes. During breakdown they can release harmful chemical by-products or attract pollutants such as DDT and PCB in toxic levels.Therefore; when they are ingested by marine species or incorporated into ecosystems, they can alter the chemical components of important biological processes.

Textiles

Any material used for textile purposes that isn't naturally derived like cotton or hemp, is most likely made from plastic. The most common plastic based fabrics include polyester, acrylic and nylon, which makes up approximately 60% of our clothes today due to their durability and versatility.

These materials are most commonly used in the fast fashion industry, which is known for the overproduction and promotion of mass consumption of current styles. These fashionable items are either never bought or never worn once bought, which creates potential for improper disposal.

Washing clothes at home is also known to release plastic microfibres into the water system, which are often so small that they can't be removed at a water treatment facility allowing them to enter the ocean. Plastic microfibres have the same affect that Microplastics do, affecting both ecosystems and the organisms within.

Fortunately, the recognition of ecological impact has encouraged some companies to use recycled materials to produce new lines of clothing. However, demand for sustainable clothing isn't high enough to convince fashion giants, like H&M or Forever21, to produce goods with minimal impact. What customers choose to buy supports fashion giants, giving them the ability to produce more.

Overall, resolving impacts caused by sources like these all depend on consumer attitudes and public policy. Sustainable and safe practices for mass production and transport of these materials can't be controlled unless regulated. In addition, production and distribution of these products are supported by those that choose to buy it.

So what can YOU do about it?

Doing your part on an individual scale is important, but putting your voice out there as part of a global community in support of climate action can have more impact.

With that in mind, here are 3 ways that you can make a positive impact:

1. Speak to your government about creating new regulations to ensure sustainable practices and to hold those that violate it accountable

2. Join a movement and sign a petition to show your support for a cause, working together is what creates change

3. Go above and beyond to reduce your impact, think about the companies that you support and speak out about the changes that you want

To learn more, here are additional sources used for this article:

Ritchie, H., and Roser, M. (2019) Plastic Pollution. Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution

Eriksen, M., Lebreton, L.C.M., Carson, H.S., Thiel, M., Moore, C.J., et al. (2014) Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea. PLOS ONE 9(12): e111913. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111913

Lebreton L, Slat B, Ferrari, F., Sainte-Rose, B., Aitken, J., Marthouse, R., Hajbane, S., Cunsolo, S., Schwarz, A., Levivier, A., Noble, K., Debeljak, P., Maral, H., Schoeneich-Argent, R., Brambini, R. and Reisser, J. (2018). Evidence that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly accumulating plastic. Scientific Reports, 8:4666. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-22939-w

"Nurdles the Problem". Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://www.nurdlehunt.org.uk/whats-the-problem.html

Resnick, B. (2019, January 11). More than ever, our clothes are made of plastic. Just washing them can pollute the oceans. Retrieved June 13, 2019, from https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/19/17800654/clothes-plastic-pollution-polyester-washing-machine