Happy Plastic Free July!

This is one of our favorite months because it raises incredible amounts of awareness about how to stop marine debris from the source: going plastic-free!

We are so excited to celebrate Plastic Free July with a #PlasticFreeMB Challenge! The goal of this initiative is to encourage the community to support local  establishments that are paving the way for a plastic-free future through sustainable business practices!

You won’t want to miss out on a chance to win some incredible prizes donated by a few premiere #PlasticFreeMB businesses:

Grand Prize:

An overnight stay at the 1 Hotel South Beach and complimentary breakfast for 2 at Habitat (@habitatat1hotel)

 

2nd Prize:

A 60-minute massage at the Standard Spa and access to amenities for the day (@thestandard Miami)

 

3rd Prize:

A zero-waste goodie bag from the City of Miami Beach (@miamibeachnews) & 1 Hotel

 

How to Participate

Throughout the month of July, visit as many #PlasticFreeMB businesses as possible. You can identify member businesses on the #PlasticFreeMB map embedded below, available at this LINK or at PlasticFreeMB.com. Each time you visit a business you will receive 1 entry. To officially submit your visit you must either:

1. If you have an Instagram account: (i) post a photo of your visit to your Instagram story, (ii) tag the business’s IG account (or Geo-tag the location if the business is not on Instagram), (iii) tag @debrisfreeoceans, (iv) tag @miamibeachnews, and (v) hashtag #PlasticFreeMB
2. If you do not have an Instagram account: (i) email the picture to Maddie@Debrisfreeoceans.org and (ii) indicate what business you visited. We will then post this to our story on your behalf.

The more businesses you visit, the more entries you will receive for the prize pool!

Winners will be randomly selected and announced via @DebrisFreeOceans Instagram Live on Sunday, August 1st, at 7pm!

Please note that there are different levels of the #PlasticFreeMB program. Although some businesses may still have some single-use plastic products at their location, all businesses that are a part of the program have at a minimum eliminated single-use plastic straws and bags from their operations (Level 1), and many more have eliminated all eligible single-use plastics items (Level 3). Learn more about #PlasticFreeMB at PlasticFreeMB.com.

Find #PlasticFreeMB Businesses

It’s time to organize and advocate! The Florida State Legislature is in session, and there are several important bills on the table that could redirect power to our local governments. This is particularly beneficial for plastic waste mitigation and management because local officials can fashion policies that are more relevant to our unique local contexts.

The 2021 Florida Legislative Session began on March 2nd, and it is scheduled to end on April 30th. During this time, state-level House and Senate members meet with their issue-specific committees to discuss bills. Legislators decide which bills will be put on their committee meeting agendas based on how important they determine the different issue areas to be for their constituencies. When residents don’t express their interest in a bill, it’s unlikely to make it very far in the legislative process. There’s a chance that any bill won’t be heard, so potentially beneficial proposals may miss their chance to become state law.

This month, some members of the Debris Free Oceans team logged onto Zoom with hundreds of fellow Floridians to express our support for two plastic-related bills:

One of the biggest obstacles that plastic-free advocates face are preemptions. These laws essentially block local governments from prohibiting the use of certain single-use plastic products. HB 6027/SB 594 Preemption of Recyclable and Polystyrene Materials would repeal the existing preemptions on plastic bags, plastic containers, and polystyrene foam.

→ In 2008, lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting local governments from regulating plastic bags until the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued recommendations. In 2010, the FDEP completed a detailed report on strategies to discourage the use of single-use plastic bags, but the Legislature still hasn’t acted on those findings.

→ In 2016, lawmakers passed a bill to preempt local regulation of polystyrene foam in food-service-ware. Polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, is a petroleum-based plastic material commonly used in single-use take-out containers. It is rarely recycled properly, often shows up as litter in our communities, and never biodegrades.

If you’ve been wondering why plastic straws are such a common target for local bans, meanwhile there isn’t as much regulation addressing bags, bottles, or take-out-ware … It’s largely because of these preemptions! If HB 6027/SB 594 were passed, you could expect to see more city and county-level actions taken to manage plastic pollution and reduce non-essential plastic consumption.

It’s important to know that banning non-essential single-use plastics isn’t something we’d be doing on our own. To-date, 127 countries, 400 U.S. cities, and eight states have banned single-use plastic bags (which each affect more producers and consumers at a time than individual city or county-level actions). In the U.S. there’s been some variability in the efficacy of bag bans based on how they are implemented, what alternatives are offered, and what other legislation accompanies the bans. Removing Florida’s preemptions on local regulation is an important first step for local leadership to start addressing the ways that plastic consumption and pollution affect their residents. Our municipalities will likely take action based on local interests, but they can also learn lots from successful policy bundles and programs in other jurisdictions.

The second bill we are supporting is HB 1563/SB 1348 Auxiliary Containers, Wrappings, and Disposable Plastic Bags Used by Retail Establishments. This directs the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to update its plastic bag report and requires the Legislature to act upon the findings of this new study.

As we’ve seen in the recent past, public participation and pressure will be critical to ensure that plastic pollution prevention is prioritized by our state lawmakers.

Ready to take action? Plastic Free Florida has loads of action items, resources, and information about these bills! I encourage you to browse their site and use the tools to build a relationship with your legislators.

Find your FL state representative here.             Find your FL state senator here.

You can start with a simple email, phone call, or Zoom meeting. Plastic Free Florida has some sample scripts and prompts to streamline the process, but we encourage you to put your own personal spin on the contents.

Phone calls have been proven extremely effective, and video calls are a great way to forge a more personal, face-to-face connection with your representative(s). Access to digital communication is a major advantage for advocates; neither type of call takes up too much time from your schedule or theirs. Make the most of that privilege, and be sure to encourage your colleagues and neighbors to do the same! Legislators are elected to represent our communities, and they’ll certainly benefit from hearing about what we’ve all experienced and hope for the future of our Sunshine State.

Every week or so, it seems as though there are new studies and striking headlines drawing our attention to yet another terrible consequence of plastic production, consumption, and waste. Researchers are finding tiny microplastics in the deep ocean sediments, diverse marine species, presumably clean drinking water, and human organ tissues. These advancements are helpful for scientists to better understand the scope and scale of the plastic pollution crisis, but their progress remains very disconnected from the day-to-day interactions we have with plastics products and packaging.

Scientists have been sounding the alarm about our reliance on plastics for decades, and the conclusions of their studies aren’t much different now than they were as far back as the 70s. See, for example: Edward J. Carpenter’s 1972 research articles on “plastic particles” found in the Sargasso Sea and plastic nurdles found along the southern coast of New England.

Although plastic pollution wasn’t making news headlines decades ago, the research did continue, and leading scholars published several important early findings. Early research suggests that scientists were particularly concerned about the persistent and resilient chemical structure of plastics. Because they do not readily break down, plastics pose a unique threat to coastal communities, humans, and marine life that persists and accumulates over generations. Material consequences of marine debris were unclear, but scientists did recognize that plastics could absorb and leach out toxic chemicals – amplifying possible damages far beyond the already complicated mix of different plastic polymers.

Meanwhile, top manufacturers within the petrochemical industry heavily marketed the utility of single-use items without assuming responsibility for the proven and possible harms that their production, use, and disposal would cause. See, for example, Rebecca Altman’s story on “how plastic bags came to rule our lives.”

Low-income and racial and ethnic minority communities in the Global North and historically oppressed populations throughout the Global South were among the first forced to deal with the real consequences of the single-use plastics boom. Plastics are noxious at every stage of their life cycle: from the air, water, and land pollution created throughout production to the economic, public health, and safety consequences of mismanaged plastic waste.

As plastics became more convenient and single-use consumerism was assimilated into mainstream culture, demand for new plastics wasn’t the only factor on the rise. Plastic waste has consistently been accumulating at a rate that exceeds the capacity of global waste management infrastructure. Industrialized countries producing the greatest share of plastic and single-use waste funnel their garbage into developing countries that lack the necessary capacity to process and manage all the waste that comes from more developed countries.

It’s clear that the consistent flurry of daunting plastic-related headlines about scientific studies isn’t compelling a strong enough response from the system churning out single-use products. As the problem increases in scope and severity, there is no better time for us to tap into the local knowledge of communities that are actively adapting to the harms caused by plastic production, consumption, and wastage.

High level government and corporate actors have historically overlooked and devalued the rich intergenerational, collaborative, and experiential knowledge that community members hold. Those living on the frontlines of petrochemical plants have unique insights on the consequences of industrial activity that are most harmful to their community. Families up-cycling and repurposing all they already own and value out of necessity have unique insights on how we can foster a culture of regeneration and transition away from a throw-away economy. Those living overseas with limited resources to pursue the same educational and workforce opportunities as those of us in industrialized countries have unique insights on pathways to innovation that do not require invasive or extractive forms of technology.

I believe that we have all the tools we need to transition away from single-use plastics. When we tap into the unique value of the knowledge and skills that different groups possess, we have all we need to construct a system that meets our needs while valuing the health of our populations, land, and waters. See Intersectional Environmentalist’s Waste page for resources on waste, regenerative economics and circularity.

One of the most powerful ways we can contribute to solving the global plastic pollution problem is by amplifying the voices of those whose knowledge has historically been excluded from critical conversations about development and social well-being. We can construct economic and sociopolitical institutions that uplift present and future generations by taking this charge in our work, in our schooling, in our civic engagement, and even in conversations across the dinner table!

As we all strive to lead more environmentally and socially conscious lives, recycling has become an increasingly contentious topic. This blog post will address some of the key questions and associated opportunities!

What is recycling?

The term recycling is often used inaccurately to refer to other forms of reusing or re-purposing items. It’s important that anyone participating in municipal recycling understands that this specifically refers to breaking down and reprocessing waste materials to convert them into new materials for manufacturing.

What is recyclable?

For recycling to work, your local waste management service needs to accomplish 3 key steps: (1) accumulate a large supply of homogeneous materials, (2) establish a method for collecting and processing those materials, and (3) identify a market demand for the recycled material.

Specifics for recycling procedures vary between states and even most local municipalities. This means that even traveling a short distance to visit a friend may change what items are considered acceptable for recycling (which plastics, glass, paper, etc.), how to separate these materials (single stream or categorized bins), and where you leave your recycling (curbside bins, drop-off centers, etc.).

For more information about what is recyclable where you live, visit your municipality’s website or contact your waste hauler directly.

Your waste hauler could tell you exactly what they are accepting and recycling based on current market trends. For example, in Miami-Dade County, most recycling is collected by Waste Management, and anyone can reach out to them for current information on the fate of their community’s recyclables.

For more information about what is recyclable Miami-Dade County, how those items are determined and managed locally— check out our previous post, 50 Shades of Green: Recycling in Miami.

It seems as though nearly all consumer products have some sort of labeling that resembles the iconic recycling emblem nowadays. Use of these symbols often indicates the subcategory, as for plastics shown below, but labeling of recyclables is not consistent or regulated overall. Unfortunately, this means that labeling is often misleading and should not be used as a guide. Your most accurate guide will be the recycling rules established by your municipality and waste hauler.

Your city or county may offer additional waste management solutions such as specific collections for e-waste or textile waste, or even composting for food scraps and yard waste!

How is recycling problematic?

All used plastic can theoretically be reprocessed into new things, but picking it up, sorting it out, and melting it down is expensive and complicated by contamination. Plastic also degrades each time it is recycled, so it can only be reprocessed a limited number of times. Meanwhile, making new plastic from fossil fuels is very cheap and already streamlined by existing industry technology.

NPR and PBS Frontline conducted a thorough investigation of documentation and messaging coming from the fossil fuel industry, and the results shed light on the problematic history of recycling. They surveyed internal industry documents and interviewed former top officials to reveal that the industry invested massive sums of money to promote recycling as a solution that would qualm the general public’s concerns about plastic waste. Meanwhile, they knew the majority of plastic would not be effectively recycled, and they continued accumulating billions of dollars in profit by selling the world new plastic.

This investigation found that “the industry’s awareness that recycling wouldn’t keep plastic out of landfills and the environment dates to the program’s earliest days.”

“There is serious doubt that [recycling plastic] can ever be made viable on an economic basis,” one industry insider wrote in a 1974 speech.

All the seemingly pro-environmental ads promoting circularity and consumer consciousness were funded by companies like Exxon, Chevron, Dow, DuPont and their lobbying and trade organizations attempting to conceal the reality that most plastic is burned or littered into the ocean.

Realistically, the entire concept of plastic waste recycling has only become less feasible: there are more types of plastic, it’s more cost effective to make new than recycled plastics, and there is exponentially more plastic waste than we had to deal with 30 years ago.

The oil industry profits more than $400 billion each year from plastic production, and as demand for oil for transportation declines, the industry projects that future profits will increasingly come from the plastic sales. In fact, analysts project that plastic production and consumption will triple by 2050.

What can we do?

Sorting plastic waste perfectly into the blue bins we’ve been accustomed to for the last several decades will not be the solution to the plastic waste crisis, but individuals like you and I certainly have a role to play in this imperfect system.

Public officials are noting that plastic recycling is more expensive than profitable for many municipalities. Rescinded recycling programs throughout the United States have been met with public outcry and disappointment with local officials for eliminating a service to their local environment. Although the notion of recycling is great in theory, it’s largely broken at this point. We can contribute to making recycling more feasible by learning the rules of what is acceptable recycling in our municipalities and cleaning those items before placing them in a recycling bin.

Nonetheless, it will be drastically more effective for individuals to advocate for other mechanisms to reduce our collective reliance on plastic. We can advocate for extended producer responsibility mandated through public policy or institutional bans on non-essential plastic products at our universities, places of work, or residences.

It’s unlikely that you will be able to completely break-up with plastic products. Their versatility and durability has made them a component of nearly every consumer product sold in the United States, but there are some notable exceptions. You can opt for products made by companies striving to build a more sustainable supply chain by using recycled inputs or avoiding plastic altogether by using alternative materials. Some of our favorites are Love Beauty and Planet’s cruelty free hair and skin products packaged in 100% recycled bottles and For Days’ 100% cotton face masks produced in a closed-loop, zero waste system. This post is not sponsored by either company, we sincerely find their products to be accessible and effective solutions.

The best thing to do with any plastic product you already own, is to give it a long life of re-use! Brainstorm ways to re-purpose packaging materials and consider sharing plastic products that you no longer need with a family member or friend before discarding them. For more ideas on how to make the most of things you already own— check out our previous post, 3 Key Strategies for Low Waste Living on a Budget.

Microplastics, as indicated by their name, are tiny bits of plastic that measure less than five millimeters in diameter. That’s about the size of a small green pea! According to The Ocean Cleanup, approximately 1.2 million tons of microplastic waste are generated each year, and 1/5th of that global statistic comes from North America alone.

Primary microplastics are often manufactured for consumer products such as cosmetics, specialty soaps, clothing, and other textiles. Because plastics are prone to physically breakdown, microplastics may also form as larger debris breakdown. The road markings indicating lane separations, glossy coating all over the hull of a boat, and abandoned rubber tires are all possible sources of these secondary microplastics. 

Just last month, one study documented the highest concentrations of microplastics ever recorded within deep-sea ocean sediments: 1.9 million microplastic pieces per square meter!

The scientists were examining sediment samples from the depths of the Tyrrhenian Sea to investigate the role of deep ocean currents in microplastic transport and deposition, and all 16 of their sediment core samples were found to contain microplastic particles.

According to the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, littering and landfill discharge are the main pathways whereby plastics enter our rivers and oceans. The density of plastic marine debris accumulated determines if plastic waste remains on the surface, becomes beached in coastal areas and estuaries, or sinks to deep-sea sediments.

As we strive to reduce plastic consumption and adopt more responsible waste management practices, it is important to address the potential impacts of microplastic movement in our oceans. Ocean circulation patterns are formed by global trade winds and forces created by the Earth’s rotation. Wind and wave patterns are essential for the temperature regulation and maintenance of healthy nutrient flow for marine organisms.

Weather conditions and ocean circulation play a significant role in the geographic distribution of microplastics. Circular ocean currents can relocate plastic marine debris from remote sources to more stationary and centralized accumulation sites called “gyres.”

Disproportionately large amounts of marine debris have been found in these areas, including the North Atlantic and Great Pacific garbage patches.

Studies have also consistently indicated that microplastics are unintentionally consumed by marine organisms. Scholars highlight the ingestion of microplastics by species marked for human consumption and the infiltration of micro- and (even smaller) nanoplastics in filtered drinking water. This is a widespread problem because most standard water treatment facilities do not effectively remove all microplastics.

Additional risks are posed by the chemical composition of microplastics. While plastics are produced, hundreds of chemical additives are used to enhance their unique characteristics. These chemicals may leach out from waste products into our waterways, disrupting the chemical composition of natural sea water while posing risks to plants and animals reliant on marine ecosystems. Studies on the biological and biochemical impacts of plastic pollution have only scratched the surface of potential effects that these materials could have over the long-term. This knowledge gap is particularly problematic for coastal and/or environmental justice communities that are more likely to be exposed to polluted waterways, contaminated drinking water, or affected marine life.

Even though microplastics have been a problematic by-product of solid waste for decades, they represent a relatively new area of multidisciplinary study. Scientists have investigated the fate of plastic marine debris in the context of the life cycle of plastics, finding that plastic cannot be chemically broken down on its own overtime. Plastic waste, instead, only physically decomposes from macro- to micro- to nano-plastics over hundreds of years.

Polymer scientists have sought to identify new possibilities for recycling plastics, including macroplastics, collected from the depths of our oceans. This has been a challenge because there are a number of unique plastic polymers used to produce the highly durable products that we use and discard. Two large areas of focus have been optimizing methodology to increase the amount of times that plastic materials can be recycled and finding new ways to transition existing materials for very different applications than their original form. One example of an area for growth is demand for composite materials made from fiberglass and carbon fibers. Engineers use these materials for building automobile and wind turbine frames. It would be ideal to satisfy their needs using reprocessed plastics, but that would require complex logistics and technology that is not yet efficiently coordinated.

“Plastics recycling with a difference” [Science Magazine]

For now, it’s best for us to stay committed to recycling efforts, strive for circularity by reusing and re-purposing materials we already own, advocate for responsible waste management within our communities, and direct advocacy efforts to hold businesses accountable for their actions. We can also seek out products that do not contain primary plastics, such as natural soaps and scrubs without microbeads, and brands that prioritize circularity by including recycled materials in their supply chain. If you crave that scrubby sensation from skincare products, try making your own with coconut oil and sugar or salt as the base ingredients. There are loads of ingenious fragrance combinations out there using essential oils that may be extracted from herbs or fruits you already have at home. In the end, it’ll have the same satisfying and nourishing effect, without negative environmental impacts!

On Tuesday, February 11^th, US Senator Tom Udall and US Representative Alan Lowenthal introduced unprecedented federal legislation to address the plastic pollution crisis.

“The plastic pollution crisis is past the tipping point: our communities, our waterways, and even our bodies are at risk. We are already bearing the cleanup costs of mountains of plastic waste, and it will only get worse for future generations. We have a responsibility to act now before the overwhelming public health, environmental, climate and economic effects of plastic pollution reach the point of no return. Our solutions are not only possible—they are practical and are already being implemented in cities and states across the country, including in my home state of New Mexico. But we need a comprehensive, national strategy to tackle this tidal wave of pollution before it is too late. We must drive the innovation necessary to break free from this unnecessary, toxic waste stream that is also accelerating the destruction of our planet via climate change. This bill calls on all of us, from companies to communities, to address this crisis head-on so that we can create a plastic pollution free world.” – US Senator Tom Udall

In short, the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 offers a common-sense, comprehensive systems-based approach to address the plastic pollution crisis. It has tremendous potential to launch our nation’s resources in the right direction— increasing accountability, responsibility, and management efficacy.

Here’s an overview of its key provisions:

Mandating Producer Responsibility

Each time we dispose of packaging materials—whether plastic, paper, glass, or metal—the waste management burden trickles down to local and state governments. In effect, there is a strong disconnect between the design, production, and waste management phases associated with any given product.

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act sets forth requirements for producer responsibility including the development, implementation, and administration of necessary collection and reprocessing programs. This includes co-ops between producers, cleanup efforts through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and investment in recycling and composting infrastructure.

Requiring Nationwide Container Refunds

Incentives are a powerful force for motivating changes in individual and corporate practices. With that in mind, this bill proposes a requirement for customers to be eligible for a 10 cent refund in return for used beverage containers. If unclaimed, the refunds would go back to beverage producers to supplement their investments in collection and recycling infrastructure.

Source Reduction

The bill also sets important benchmarks for changes in production and consumption: “Beginning in January 2022, some of the most common single-use plastic products that pollute our environment, cannot be recycled, and have readily available alternatives will be source reduced and phased out from sale and distribution.”

This will include prohibitions on plastic carryout bags, some food and drink containers, and expanded polystyrene products (also known as Styrofoam).

Additionally, the bill calls for federally-funded studies and literature analysis on plastic tobacco filters, electronic cigarette parts, and derelict fishing gear to guide federal agencies in enacting pollution mitigation policies.

Carryout Bag Fee

What’s more effective than incentives? Disincentives— that’s right! This boils down to a principle of behavioral economics called loss aversion: people dislike losses more than they enjoy benefits.

As a disincentive for consumers to use fewer plastic bags, the bill proposes a fee on carryout bags. The money generated by this fee would be used to fund access to reusable bags, local cleanup efforts, and improved recycling infrastructure. Alternatively, a business could retain the fee if they implement an incentive program that credits customers who opt for bringing their own reusable bags.

Minimum Recycled Content Requirement

With a new wave of investment and research being devoted to recycling infrastructure across the nation, this bill intends to support a growth in the supply of recycled plastic. The minimum recycled content requirement would mandate for beverage containers, such as plastic bottles, to be produced with a certain percentage of recycled content. This threshold would be set to increase overtime so that producers are constantly being encouraged to use less virgin plastic.

The EPA would also be required to implement recycled content minimums for other products, but this is dependent on assessment of technological feasibility by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Recycling and Composting

Conflicting and out-right misleading labels on packaging have made responsible waste management frustratingly inconsistent and demoralizing for most well-meaning consumers. To address this issue, the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act calls for the EPA to develop standardized recycling and composting labels for both products and receptacles to encourage proper sorting and disposal.

Encouraging Domestic Responsibility

Every minute, it is estimated that the equivalent of 60 doubledecker busloads of plastic waste are burned or dumped in developing countries. Current rates of mismanagement due to exploitative trade policies pose serious health, safety, and environmental risks beyond our borders. Poorly managed waste serves as a breeding ground for vector-borne diseases, contributes to global climate change, and has even been found to increase rates of violence in urban areas. Conservative estimates attribute over one-million annual deaths to the adverse health effects of these practices.

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act addresses the export of plastic waste, scraps, and pairings to non-OECD countries.

Protecting Existing Action

One of the reasons that this bill is a significant achievement for plastic waste reduction advocates is its unmatched scope. We have never seen a body of federal legislation proposed to directly address the plastic pollution crisis; any existing progress has been the result of market-based changes or efforts from lower levels of government. This Act has the potential to elevate accountability and sustainability in product design, manufacturing, distribution, and waste management in much more comprehensive way.

“We are running out of time to deal with this crisis of our own creation, and this legislation is a bold first step on the path to implementing lasting solutions.”  – US Senator Tom Udall

Although we have not seen any federal action on these issues, state and local governments have already enacted legislation to address the plastic pollution crisis within the bounds of their reach. Many of these local officials have been motivated by a more intimate understanding of the threats posed by single-use plastics on local economies in coastal communities, poor health outcomes for vulnerable populations exposed to their eco-toxic effects, and the substantial contribution of the plastic life cycle to heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, this bill protects state and local governments’ previous actions. It also supports their enactment of more stringent standards, requirements, and product bans as deemed appropriate.

Pause New Plastic

Finally, the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act provides time for federal agencies to “investigate the cumulative impacts of new and expanded plastic-producing facilities on the air, water, climate, and communities before issuing new permits to increase plastic production.”

To address the impacts of existing producers, this legislation would call for the EPA to update regulations for the elimination of plastic pollution from industrial facilities. It would also encourage updates to the Clean Air and Clean Water Act emission and discharge standards to ensure that plastic-producing facilities integrate the latest technology for pollution prevention.