COVID 19's plastic impact

According to John Hocevar, the director of Greenpeace’s oceans campaign, “The plastic industry has really treated the Covid-19 emergency as an opportunity and is preying on people’s fear to scare them into believing that single-use plastic is the best way to stay safe. And so far, there isn’t any independent scientific research that supports that.” ‍

‍

Here are two articles that dig deeper into COVID 19's plastic impact: 

1. Vox | Plastic bags were finally being banned. Then came the pandemic.
2. HEATED Newsletter | Using COVID-19 to wage war on reusable grocery bags

‍

We highly recommend reading both (it won't take you too long) and subscribing to HEATED, a daily newsletter for people who are pissed off about the climate crisis. It's written by Emily Atkin, who's been a climate reporter for years. She often features high profile guests like Al Gore.

‍

‍Let's talk about these implications:

• 🚮 Because we’re staying at home more, we’re generating up to 30% more trash. Amazon saw its revenue spike by 26% in the first quarter of this year. Most of their deliveries are plastic-free! Oh wait, we mean... the plastic that comes with your package is free.
  
• 🛍️ We should worry about long-term behavior change. We got our bag bans. Our consumer preferences actually created change. But what happens now? As restaurants reopen, for example, they're going all-disposable. We don't know how long it'll take to cut down the waste we're creating during COVID.
  
• 😳 The plastic industry is allegedly exploiting our fears. Oil prices are crashing, which makes plastic cheaper. Even though there is scientific evidence that coronavirus can survive for days on plastic surfaces, people still see plastic as a solution. We wonder who started that rumor!

So, why are we rabbiting down this plastic hole if scientific research doesn't back it up? Well, for one, because of all the "studies" that have "proven" that reusable bags will spread coronavirus everywhere and worsen the pandemic. In her HEATED newsletter, Emily Atkin provides an absurd summary of three of these studies:
‍

1. "The first piece of research that the plastic industry says strongly suggests a correlation between reusable grocery bags and coronavirus spread was this 2010 study funded by the American Chemistry Council, an industry group which represents plastics interests." This study was conducted ten years ago and it didn't even find disease-causing bacteria.
   
2. The second study "looked at 30 reusable bags and said essentially the same thing". It does NOT indicate that reusable bags made of plastic have a greater risk of holding the virus than single-use plastic bags.
   
3. The third study features a reusable bag that someone had vomited next to. This bag was then passed around a youth soccer team. Yeah, sure the problem is reusable bags. We wish we were joking about the study. Oh, and it's also about a completely different type of virus.

In conclusion, it's not that our switch to single-use plastic is scientifically unfounded. It just hasn't been found yet.

‍

As we figure out the "right" thing to do, let's just start by reminding ourselves to check where our information comes from and question who makes and influences powerful decisions.

‍

How is plastic made? Thanks to this 6-minute National Geographic video, we now know what a huge role Big Oil plays.

‍
Most synthetic plastic is made from crude oil and natural gas. AKA fossil fuels! Here are the first four steps on how plastic is made, so you can see for yourself who's implicated in our plastic pandemic and who stands to win the most. This is important information, especially if we want to get involved in local policy and environmental advocacy and make real, lasting change.
‍

1. ⛏️ Extraction. Crude oil and natural gas are extracted. (Pretty self-explanatory)
2. 🛢️ Refinement. These fossil fuels are converted into building blocks of plastic: ethane from crude oil and propane from natural gas.
3. 🧑‍🔬 Cracking. The blocks are broken down into smaller molecules: ethylene and propylene.
4. 🔥 Polymerization. This step links the molecules to form resins, which is what makes plastic so easy to shape, especially under heat and pressure.

‍

The National Geographic video also comes with solutions, briefly introducing natural plastics (did you know that's a thing?) and bioplastics. There is hope!

P.S. - You can actually find out what goes into your plastics from their product info. Check out the video to learn more.

‍

You already know this - sometimes it feels like our individual actions don't matter because large institutions like government and corporations make the most sweeping decisions. It's partially true, BUT we need to focus our actions on 1) everyday things we can do AND 2) ways to be accountable.

Lucky for us, Big Oil (who, as we learned, has the most to gain from the overuse of plastic) loves publicity and cares a lot about its image.

The following includes individual, systemic, short-term, and foundational actions you can take to go plastic-free (or at least "plastic responsible").

‍

‍1. Sign up for Plastic Free July.‍

In their opt-in form, they give you so many options from the scale of change you're committing to to the duration of your pledge. Regardless of what month you're reading this, the content is super relevant and fun to follow. Pledge here!

‍

‍2. Reuse your bags when you can.

This might be a controversial one, but we learned previously that the studies that associate coronavirus with reusable bags are not relevant, highly skewed, or both. These circumstances are ever-changing, so make sure you have reliable sources!

‍

‍3. Read the 5 key points about fossil fuel corporate deception.

According to the HEATED newsletter (which we highly recommend), '59% of likely voters support holding fossil fuel corporations accountable for “misleading the public about the science and impacts of climate change.”' This is fantastic news! Get the overview of this deception here.

‍

‍4. Join MeterLeader's Fossil Fuel Independence Challenge.

In last week's video, we learned that one source of plastic is natural gas, a fossil fuel. Take control over your own natural gas usage by joining this challenge. You can win prizes, and you'll be supported the whole way with email nudges and worksheets on how you can monitor/reduce your consumption. It's a great way to share your participation with the world. Remember, these companies care about your consumer habits.

‍

‍5. Talk about it. Keep talking.

We firmly believe we need more serious, intergenerational discourse on plastic and fossil fuels. Figure out what motivates them—whether it's money, convenience, or something else - there's always a clean energy solution. Here's a starter of how you can have that conversation. Figure out a way to include plastic and climate issues in your social media. You can create change while still being on brand for the gram.

It's scary to think that the coronavirus pandemic might undo all the anti-plastic wins we've been celebrating, but it's truly a group effort. Let's rally together, raise awareness about corporate deception, and start thinking about how to change policy and action, not just hearts and minds.

‍

Before we go any further, it's time for you to pledge your commitment. It takes less than 30 seconds to pledge and we can bother you about it in a friendly way, so we can hold each other accountable. Pledge here!

‍

🎯 Action step 4 of 4: REFLECT — what can you commit to? What fresh perspectives can we look at?

As we think about long term alternatives to plastics, bioplastics are one of the most popular substitutes. But, are bioplastics the right alternative to our plastic problem?

‍

The article, "What you need to know about plant-based plastics," a short 5-minute read answers the following:

What are bioplastics?

• Bioplastic (aka bio-based plastic) is plastic made from plant or other biological material instead of petroleum.
• Most cheap bioplastics are also factory-made in the same places that make products like ethanol.
  

‍

What's the argument for bioplastic?

• 18 BILLION pounds of plastic flow into the ocean each year (which is just a % of plastic waste of all time). Bioplastics would actually biodegrade, reducing harm to ocean life and humans.
• ~8% of the world's oil is used to make plastic. But not our hero, bioplastic!
• Bioplastics would release less carbon to the atmosphere as they degrade, because the carbon used to make them comes from plants anyway.

‍

‍That sounds great... so what's the problem?

• If it comes from "bio" anything, the plants used to make them will require fertilizer. Fertilizer produces pollution.
• Why should we use a substance like corn to make plastic instead of food when so many people are going hungry?
• It can't be composted in our backyards. It needs to be industrially composted or else there's not that different from regular plastic.
• We need to teach everyone about proper composting! If we don't actually put our compost where it belongs, we're not actually keeping waste out of landfills.
  

‍

Bioplastics seem like they could be a great step forward as long as it's done carefully and with humans in mind, not corporations. What do you think about the future of plastic?

‍‍

‍🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 4 of 4: REFLECT.

‍

Check out our membership community for more resources like free weekly events with social justice experts, sustainable product discounts, pre-written email templates, a social impact job board, and in-person hangouts with new friends. Thanks for taking action with Soapbox Project!