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Let's Talk Trash: Inconvenient truths about convenient packaging

On occasion, after enduring a long day, you reward yourself with some takeout. After indulging in your favourite meal, you may be faced with a buffet of plastic leftovers.
Let’s Talk Trash
PLASTIC POLLUTION: Powell River Regional District's Let’s Talk Trash team offers up some sobering statistics regarding the use of single-use plastics, how long it lasts and where it all ends up. Contributed photo

On occasion, after enduring a long day, you reward yourself with some takeout. After indulging in your favourite meal, you may be faced with a buffet of plastic leftovers. Styrofoam to-go containers, plastic utensils, ketchup packages, straws and lids and even the plastic bag that wrapped them all up in a neat bundle, are now yours (and Mother Nature’s) to deal with.

You certainly did not set out to accumulate this plastic karma, but there it is staring you in the conscience. Wanting to do the right thing, you attempt to sort it all into recyclables, compostables and garbage, when along comes the inevitable barrage of questions. Can this compostable plastic lid go in the recycling? How clean does this to-go container need to be? Are straws recyclable? Can recycling justify my single-use habits?

The temptation to toss it all into the trash in an act of frustration is a reality for many. After all, what does it really matter?

Consider the following inconvenient truths. According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition:

• Plastic is a material the earth cannot digest. Every piece of plastic ever created still exists.

• Plastic accounts for 90 per cent of all trash floating in the oceans.

• Disposable plastics are the main source of plastic pollution.

• Every year, 17 million barrels of oil are used to make plastic water bottles.

• Canadians use between nine and 15 billion plastic bags per year.

• More than 200 cities worldwide have plastic bag bans.

If your eyes glaze over at the sight of these statistics, you are not alone. But what will it take for us to curb our addiction to the apparent convenience of single-use plastics? Will a crisis of conscience affect our habits, or do we need bans and bylaws? Or will it take a systemic collapse for us to take off our rose-coloured plastic lenses?

What remains clear at the end of the day, surrounded by an ocean of plastic at our feet, is that we can all do better.

Where will you start?

Let’s Talk Trash is Powell River Regional District’s waste-management education program.