How did plastic become so pervasive in our lives? On the next Your Call, we'll have a conversation with Suzan Beraza, director of Bag It, a documentary that explores the world of plastics and their effects on our waterways, oceans, and even our bodies. Plastic bags have become a pervasive symbol of a throw-away society and a serious environmental problem. 60,000 plastic bags are used in the U.S. every 6 seconds. Join us live at 10 or send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What can we do to use less plastic? It's Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.
Guests:
Suzan Beraza, director of the documentary film, Bag It
Click to Listen: How did plastic become so pervasive in our lives?
when I purchase a cup of coffee I ask for no lid. I don't want to drink through hot plastic. I also got rid of all my plastic reusable food containers and replaced them with glass ones.
ReplyDeleteA couple of small ways I reduce my plastic use: I buy Terradent toothbrushes - they're designed so that the heads snap out and can be replaced without repeatedly buying new plastic handles; and I buy pens that either have replaceable ink cartridges or are made from recycled plastic. I have to get the recycled pens online from Office Depot - last time I went to the store I found they had very little recycled anything, but the catalog is much better. This has been a frustration for me in the supposedly eco-conscious Bay Area - I found it incredibly hard to find 100% recycled paper & notebooks here and have to get them online. It's really hard here in the East Bay to find a copy shop that uses even 35% recycled paper.I talked with the owner of one place that does provide 100% recycled paper, and he said hardly anyone ever asks for it. I know this is about paper, not plastic, but I must say I get terribly discouraged when I think this is meant to be a place with some "green" consciousness. We criticise BP executives for their priorities, but many of us don't really do much better than them, it's just that our actions have a smaller and to us less visible impact. Lots of people are diligent about recycling but make no effort to create demand for recycled products. I also see people putting loads of non-reyclable plastics into the recycling - one of the problems with recycling (which of course I support) is that it gives people the illusion that they're being ecological when actually alot of the stuff they put in can't or isn't being recycled at all. Sorry about the rant but we all really need to do better.
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