3.01.2008
Where are all of those old plastic bottles for shampoo, water, peanut butter going? According to the Independent, a lot of it is going into the ocean. So much, in fact, that the plastic waste has grown into twice the size of the continental United States. It's estimated that 100 million tons of trash are circulating in this vortex. For the complete article click here.
I've been trying to rethink the way my consumer decisions are affecting the planet, and this article has inspired me work on reducing my plastic consumption. It's not too hard to do in Portland. We keep all of our old jars and the grocery co-op near our house let's you bring in your own containers to buy things in bulk. We also now carry fabric bags with us when we go shopping, which, in addition to saving waste, also means that you don't have to deal with the complicated questions of life--like paper or plastic. I'm actively looking for more solutions, so any suggestions would be welcome.
Basically, I'm trying to reduce my plastic foot print, which is kind of like Big Foot, but a lot scarier.
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3 comments:
I read a while ago somewhere (someone should look this up) a suggestion that after all the oil's gone, it might become profitable to go back and strip mine old landfills for the petroleum in plastic.
This doesn't really some all that helpful information now that I think about it, but I'm throwing it out there. Go plastic!
Interesting. I know that some landfills are harvesting the ethanol the trash produces, which seems like a good idea to me.
best job ever
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