Lately I have given quite a bit of thought to the recycling problem. Like many of you, I become frustrated, knowing that no matter how conscientious I am and no matter how dutifully I try to do my part, to do what is right, and to lower my carbon footprint, it feels futile. It is estimated that only 5% to 6% of the plastic waste alone, that amounts to more than 46 million tons annually, in the United States alone, actually gets recycled. What can be done about the billions of plastic items and micro plastics that are everywhere – in our soil, in our oceans, in our food, in our bodies, and in nearly all living organisms? Can those few of us who do recycle make a difference? When our neighbors, our coworkers, and businesses continue to load millions of 45 gallon trash bags, filled with plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles, aluminum and steel cans, food scraps, pet poo, broken appliances, and numerous other items into dumpsters headed for the landfill, are we merely fooling ourselves?
It wasn’t so long ago that soap came in bars wrapped in biodegradable paper. Our produce was displayed openly in stores so that we could see its condition before purchasing it. Milk and most beverages were sold in waxed paper cartons. Much of it was delivered by the milkman in glass bottles that were returned each week. We got our water out of the tap. Today, most everything we buy is enveloped in elaborate packaging that is spill-proof, theft-proof, and transportable. For those with arthritic hands, opening those packages is a constant challenge. In most cases, the packaging is more expensive than the product inside of it.
When soda pop was first introduced in the late 1800s, it came in glass bottles; but it was not until 1971 that some companies began offering a nickel back if you returned the bottle. Coca-Cola soon adopted the “no deposit, no return” policy and turned to replacing glass bottles with plastic. Coca-Cola now produces more than 200 beverages in more than 200 countries. Pepsi produces more than 23 beverages and other products. They are not the only companies that have allowed greed to rule, caring more about their profits than about being responsible stewards of the Earth. Skin care and makeup products, drugs and pharmaceuticals, vitamins and supplements, and electronics are all placed in expensive packaging and only a miniscule amount of that gets recycled. Much of the furniture that we buy these days comes in pieces with packages of hardware, which must then be put together by the consumer. I am certain that an entire book could be written, listing the millions of products that are marketed to unsuspecting consumers, including the cheap, gaudy plastic Halloween and Christmas decorations that are sold in dollar stores.
Is it not time that we began to hold these manufacturing companies accountable? After all, consumers can only buy what is made available to them. If nothing was offered in non-biodegradable packaging and if all companies were REQUIRED to accept bottles for return, we could easily eliminate much of the problem. If corporations were made to comply with sustainable practices, or not be allowed to produce their product if it did not meet environmental approval – and if these conditions were immediately enforceable without having to go through years or decades of political nonsense – we could stop the horrific pollution of our planet. We still must find ways to correct the damage that has already been done; but unless we stop the blatant continuation of the greedy practices that got us into this mess in the first place, there is little hope for the future. Who is most responsible for the pollution of our planet? Without a doubt, it is the manufacturing companies and clearly, they are the ones who should bear the cost.
