Kian Miranda-Rodriguez
Have you ever wondered how much waste we produce on a daily basis? What about where that waste goes and what happens to it? We produce mountains of waste every year, all infused with different chemicals, toxins, and other harmful substances. We are currently living in an age of waste.Â
The concept of waste as a modern phenomenon has existed for over 250 years, tracing its roots to the Industrial Revolution. This would be due to the massive increase in production, extraction and manufacturing over the centuries. From 1950 to 2021, the amount of plastic worldwide has increased from 2 million to 390 million tons. This is a 19,200% increase. If these trends continue, plastic production is expected to reach 1,480 million tons by the year 2050. This is about four times the amount recorded in 2021, and triple the weight of the entire world population.Â
The rapid increase in plastic production over the past century has resulted in lots of environmental challenges. At current levels, greenhouse gas emissions from the production of plastic are threatening our ability to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C. By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions from plastic could reach over 56 gigatons (possibly accounting for 10-13% of the entire remaining carbon budget, which is the maximum CO2 we can emit while keeping global warming below 1.5°C or 2°C). Most plastic starts as a fossil fuel, and greenhouse gases are emitted at each stage of the plastic lifecycle. From extraction and transporting, to refining and manufacturing, then, managing plastic waste, plastic’s ongoing impact once it reaches our landscape, waterways, and oceans negatively influences the changing climate. Plastic production requires immediate and sustained efforts which will benefit our environment and address escalating global issues.Â
Knowing the causes of the Waste Age and how the world has been impacted, informs the actions we can take. In order to help reduce the amount of plastic and waste, we need to understand what we use our plastic for and how we can break the habit of using more than we should. It was estimated that 44% of plastic usage globally can be attributed to packaging, which can include bottles, cans, containers, and many more, with 40% of these being thrown away in less than a month. Reusable items, such as personal water bottles, can be very effective and beneficial, helping us stop buying plastic beverages. If you are at home, a water filter is another good option, and affords you access to cleaner water. You can also bring your own reusable shopping bags to markets and stores to avoid using plastic bags, and even choose clothing and other personal items made of eco-friendly materials instead of microfibers and microplastics.Â
We live in an age of waste right now, which is why it is important not to waste our time to seize the moment to create a new age of green and sustainability. This starts now with you. How would you like to contribute and help our world today?Â
Citations
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https://aeon.co/essays/ours-is-the-waste-age-thats-the-key-to-tranforming-the-future
‌Plastic Facts & Figures. (n.d.). Plastic Soup Foundation.
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/plastic-facts-and-figures/
‌Hamilton, L. A., & Feit, S. (2019). Plastic & Climate.
https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Plastic-and-Climate-FINAL-2019.pdf
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What You Can Do to End Plastic Pollution | Earth Day. (2018, June 8). Earth Day.
https://www.earthday.org/what-you-can-do-to-end-plastic-pollution/
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Karali, N., Khanna, N., & Shah, N. (2024). Climate Impact of Primary Plastic Production │ 1 Climate Impact of Primary Plastic Production.
https://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/climate_and_plastic_report_final.pdf