This post is written by Kelie Lam from our PbP-LA Outreach team.

Why plastics are harmful to the environment, climate change, and health

Plastics have been around since the 1950s, introduced as a miraculous convenient material that was cheap, lightweight, and could be thrown away. Little did we know back then the implications of this convenience to our environment, climate change, and the effects it has on our health.

• Plastic is not a biodegradable resource and cannot be decomposed back into the natural environment.

• The production of plastic produces an estimated 1.7 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions globally.

• Communities near plastic production sites and landfills are the most vulnerable as they are often found near low-income families and people of color.

• Communities affected by emissions from fossil fuel extraction, refinement, and toxic wastes near rivers, groundwaters, and soils suffer from health risks, such as respiratory distress, asthma, cancer, endocrine disruption, and impaired immunity.

• Up to 13 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year endangering more than 1,400 marine species through ingestion and entanglement.

Tips to Reduce Plastic Consumption

With the rise of the COVID 19 pandemic, plastic consumption has skyrocketed 300%. Restaurants were also forced to rely on take-out and delivery, thus increased use of single use utensils. While trying to reduce the spread of the virus, this pandemic has exponentially increased our plastic use consumption and reversed habits that were created to slow down plastic pollution.

So what can you do to help reduce plastic pollution?

• Participate in LA’s #SkipTheStuff campaign: takeout and delivery “extras” provided only upon requests-like single-use utensils, straws, napkins, and condiments

• Use a reusable grocery bag

• Stop using plastic straws-opt for a reusable stainless steel or glass straw

• Use a reusable mug or bottle for your beverages even when ordering from a to-go shop

• Bring your own container for take-out

• Reuse containers for storing leftovers or shopping in bulk 

Support local businesses in Los Angeles that help reduce plastic consumption: 

• Refill Evolution is a woman-owned company that refills your everyday home essentials. 

• re_grocery is a package-free grocery store located in Los Angeles.

• Sustain LA is the first zero waste refill station in Los Angeles. Visit the refill station in Highland Park.

• Zero Grocery is a plastic-free grocery-delivery startup that recently launched in Los Angeles.

Stay tuned for our next post of our Planting a Greener Future Blog Series that will focus on the impacts of food production and food waste on the environment!