According to Stanford Researchers, Americans create a huge mountain of plastic waste during the holidays, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, about 25% more waste compared to the rest of the year.
At the recent UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, a man dressed in a red suit with white trim, a red hat and a long white beard greeted attendees. The surprising figure was not Santa Claus, but ‘SustainaClaus’. His real name is Philip McMaster and he is an environmentalist.
His message to those attending the climate change conference: the planet is getting hotter, and we need to act now.
“If we focus on childhood and we focus on the generations to come, we will make better decisions,” said Santa of Sustainability.
One big hurdle: plastic waste. At another UN meeting, held in Busan, South Korea, the goal was to develop a global treaty to end plastic pollution. It ended without an agreement.
Plastic pollution is a difficult and threatening problem.
“The plastic waste problem is enormous and has only grown exponentially,” says Professor Kate O’Neill of UC Berkeley.
O’Neill is an expert on plastic waste and conducts research in Cal’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management.
She explained how the United States generates a staggering amount of plastic waste. One report puts the figure at around £97 billion per year.
Most of the plastic waste is made from fossil fuels. Yet less than 9% of plastic is ever recycled.
“Even with the plastics that are recyclable, it is very rare that they can be recycled more than once without degrading them to something that is unusable,” O’Neill said.
Most single-use plastics cannot be recycled in the United States and will end up in landfills, incinerators, or in the environment.
A recent CBS News investigation found that even at a large company that promotes sustainability and recycling, there are problems.
CBS journalists across the country threw plastic cups with trackers into 36 recycling bins at Starbucks locations. Fourteen trackers last pinged at landfills, another thirteen went to waste transfer stations, five ended up at incinerators, and only four pinged at locations that accept recycling.
Another concern is what’s in recycled black plastic.
“Regulations are really lacking right now,” explains researcher Megan Liu. Liu is the science and policy manager of the nonprofit research and advocacy organization Toxic-Free Future.
Liu was the lead researcher in a new study on electronic waste and black plastic found in our homes. The study was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Chemosphere. Chemosphere publishes original research on chemicals in the environment.
In the study, researchers found that certain kitchen utensils and trays made from recycled black plastic contained toxic chemicals. These chemicals are known flame retardants used in electronic equipment.
You can’t see it if you just look at the black plastic object. Lui explained that you would have to test it. She warned against using black plastic utensils while cooking food. If they are made from recycled electronic waste, they may contain flame retardants that are linked to human health concerns.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Services has detailed how some adverse health effects may include endocrine and thyroid disruption, immunotoxicity, cancer, and adverse effects on fetal and child development, as well as on neurobehavioral function.
“There are studies showing how flame retardants can actually leach from contaminated utensils into the food we cook. Something people here can do is replace their black plastic utensils with safer options like wood or stainless steel,” Liu advised.
Another great holiday gift: a reusable cup. For other sustainable vacation ideas, the World Wildlife Fund is a great place to start. And for great ideas on plastic-free holiday gifts, check out Beyond Plastics.
