Stop Eating Plastic!

A perspective from Amy Xu

Amidst the COVID pandemic, we have been struggling with a quieter, more persisting pandemic: plastic.

Each year, 8 million tons of plastic escapes the grasp of coastal nations to float in the oceans. Much of it accumulates in areas such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – which is now twice the size of Texas. For each one sea animal out there, there are 6 pieces of plastic chasing after it.

But forget about saving the turtles for a moment. Let’s talk about humans.

Plastic sits in our environment for generations, as they do not rot like compostable items. Instead, they biodegrade over the years into “microplastics,” which are less than 5 mm in length and contain chemical toxins and trace metals. They can travel through ecosystems, eventually ending up in our food and water. They cannot be digested, meaning that they bioaccumulate in our systems over our lifetimes.

Here, at UNC NCPIRG, we are fighting to reduce plastic waste on campus. 50% of all plastics are single-use, and something that we derive seconds of utility from should not have the power to negatively affect our health for generations. Items such as plastic packaging, straws, and take-out containers can be easily replaced with paper wrapping, reusable straws, and washable containers – we simply need to take effort to make the switch.

We call on UNC to join the entire University of California system and many others by signing on to our Break Free From Plastic Pledge.

 

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