love, hate and plastics; slide notes

7/31/2019 Love, Hate and Plastics; Slide Notes

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June 27th, 2012

Love, Hate and PlasticsWhat you need to know before you commit

Me - international teacher - my travelsI have spent the past four years teaching high school environmental science and biology in locations around the globe from Wisconsin to Korea to Venezuela. My experiences traveling and teaching, continuously bring to light for methe issues facing our planet and human survival.

I have seen the bad:Overpopulation and pollution in Bangalore.

Plastic waste rolling in with every wave on the shores of Kauai.Smog hanging perpetually over Seoul and Los Angeles.Incredible consumerism dominating our culture in places such as Hong Kong, London, New York and Kuala Lumpur.

Pesticides dumped by the plane-full over the fields of eastern Wisconsin.

Desertification across the landscape of China and Venezuela.Declining Andean Bear populations in Quito.I was there when Sri Lanka experienced unprecedented flooding and when Seoul was hit by a hurricane.

From across the Sea of Japan, I witnessed the incredible results of the earthquake that rocked Japan and the subsequent nuclear emergency.I have come of age in a time of incredible environmental, economic, and technological challenges.But I have also come of age in a time of hope. The people I have met and the students I have taught show me that we have the potential for change. We learn, understand, grow, and care. We take action. And thats exactly what

Im trying to do today

My goal -what spoke to me, what changed my life, and maybe it will afect you tooawareness, think about plastic and what we do with it, hope

Please, ask questions along the way! Dont worry about writing anything down if you dont want to. -Email list, send everything out


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For me, change really started with this group you see here. I always think Im strivingto change my students, but they always end up changing me instead.

Here we are on the pacific coast in Lima, Peru. These 7 students, a co-worker and I

attended the first ever Global Issues Network of the Americas conference.

As the name implies, the conference addressed a multitude of Global Issues (mainlyenvironmental) and brought in experts from around the globe.


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Here is one of those experts, that I can say in no uncertain terms,changed my life.Manuel Maqueda. Presenter from the Plastic Pollution Coalition.

- I thought I saw, but I didnt- What comsumerism is doing- How plastics are changing our planet.


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The plastic problem is big and I only have an hour or so with you. Letme begin by showing you a bit of what he showed me.Vice Media - Toxic: Garbage Island Documentary

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

My experience in Hawaii


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5 of these gyres or vortexesTangible way to see the build up of plastics and associated chemicals

Where does it come from?

everywhere.Only about 20 percent comes from ships at sea, and an even smaller fraction comes from beachusers.The majority comes from urban centers into their storm drainage systems and "runs off" during rainevents.The major contributors are Pacific Rim countries like the US, China, Japan, Mexico and on and on.

The truth is, we are all responsible, as plastic packaging and waste have become so ubiquitous thatnone of us are able to properly dispose of it all, much less recycle it.


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Midway Island atollNorth west of hawaii. Farthest island from a continent. Very near the n. pac garbage patch.

Nearly three million birds,

each with specific site on the atoll in which to nest.Seventeen different species of seabird can be found,

the rarest of which is the Short-tailed Albatross, otherwise known as the Golden Gooney. Fewer than 2,200are believed to exist due to excessive feather hunting in the late nineteenth century.

Its also home to 70% of the world's Laysan Albatross population, and 34% of the global Black-footedAlbatross (as seen in pic)

The critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals raise their pups on the beaches.

Green sea turtles, another threatened species, occasionally nest on the island.

A resident pod of 300 spinner dolphins live in the lagoons and nearshore waters.


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documentary being filmed by photographer, Chris JordanJourney to Midway.

Of the 1.5 million Laysan Albatrosses that inhabit Midway, nearly all are found to have plastic in

theirdigestive system. Approximately one-third of the chicks die.

So this is the kind of rude awakening I got to the realities of consumerism and plastics. And it lefta mark.


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Efect this weekend had on myself and my studentsone student shown here at the beach in lima picking up garbage on herfree time while surfers walk around her


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The Beginning

Origins of plastic as a consumer commodity


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Life Magazine - August 1, 1955Coined the term throwaway livingconsumerism and convenience


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It was even heralded as environmentally friendly.

1867 - NY times dispatch; warned elephants were in grave danger of being numberedwith extinct species because of demand for ivory


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Ivory used for many thingsbutton hookcombpiano keys

boxesand especially billiard balls

In some cases, plastic decreased our dependence on scarce resources. We had cheaperalternatives that everyone had access to.


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hawksbill turtle also benefited.supplier of shell used to fashion combs was now replaced by celluloid.After the creation of celluloid the NY Times;As petroleum came to the relief of the whale, so has celluloid given the elephant, the

tortoise, and the coral insect a respite in the native haunt; and it will no longer benecessary to ransack the earth in pursuit of substances which are constantly growingscarcer.


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Film - another celluloid product

amazing transformation of reality into illusion - 3d into 2d

Also a powerful social leveling efect. A new kind of entertainment, available to andshared by the masses. a dime brought anyone an afternoon of drama, romance, actionand escape.

Plastic has dramatically altered our culture.


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Its also created incredible things like this Teflon pan. Imaging surfacesto which nothing would stick was unheard of


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Or fabrics that could stop a bullet. like this kevlar vest.


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It even changed the way we play.plastic is the medium of play today.making creativity, learning stimulating and safe at young ages


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But nothing is more amazing than the ways plastic has revolutionized medical care. Neonatology, like much ofmodern medicine, owes a huge debt to the advent of plastics. This baby...

plastic pacemakers (my grandmother)kidney-dialysis machinereplacement hips and knees

synthetic veins and arteriesplastic scafolding used to grow new skin and tissuesplastic implants change our shapeshousing components of sophisticated imaging devicessupply bedpans, bandages, gloves, syringesshift to disposables significantly lowered costs and made it possible for more patients to be cared for at home.

Medicine is plastics good news story.although it only consumes less than 10% of all the polymers produced in the US.

compared to packaging 33%, consumer products 20%, building and construction 17%.


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But, what is plastic?

Essentially hydrocarbon molecules, derived from the refining of oil and natural gas.(some natural sources)

have the capacity to be shaped thanks to their structure; long flexing chains of atoms or

small molecules bonded in a repeating pattern in one large molecule.

Small changes or additions to this structure create the diferent types of hard orflexible, clear or colored plastics we see.For Example;Add in Chlorine - get Polyvinyl chloride, PVCAdd in Fluorine - get Teflon (nonstick)


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What else is in plastic products?

Stabilizing

additives

Fillers

Plasticizers

Coloring

Stabilizing additives - including fire retardants that lower flammability of the material

Fillers - inert and inexpensive and make the plastic cheaper by weight

Plasticizers - organic polymers are too rigid - plasticizers are added to increase flexibility

Some of these additives are not chemically bonded to the structure of the plastic polymer and

thus can readily leech out. This is the main cause for concern.


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Additives of the most concern

BPA

Phthalates

BPA:

Used to make Polycarbonate plastic, which is clear and nearly shatter-proof, is used to make a variety of common products including

baby and water bottles,

sports equipment,

medical and dental devices, fillings, and sealants,

CDs and DVDs,

household electronics,

and eyeglass lenses.Epoxy resins that are used as coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans.

PHTHALATES:

Soften PVC, the 3rd most widely used plastic - Phthalates are found in many types of plastic and other materials too,

in food packaging and food-processing equipment,

in construction materials,

clothing, household furnishings, wallpaper,

toys, personal-care products, shampoos,

perfumes, adhesives, insecticides,

waxes, inks, varnishes, lacquers, coatings, paints.

They are even used in the time-release coating for medications and nutritional supplements.


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Human health concerns

We all thought plastics were inert, safe. We didnt have to worry about it.

endocrine-disruptors in our bodies. (hormones that dictate how an individual develops, reproduces, ages, fights disease, and even behaves.)

- phthalates can block production of testosterone and other hormones

- BPA can mimic estrogen

- leading to birth defects, neurological disorders, and other effects we dont yet understand

Found workers in PVC plants were developing skin lesions, circulatory problems, deformation of finger bones.

Studies showed carcinogentic in rats.

Hard to study - act differently - Instead they produce subtle, long-term effects that dont show up for years or appear only in our offspring.

And the worst - we found that the chemicals added to PVC were leeching out of widely used products. Why? Lipid solubility...

Harmful chemicals leached by plastics are present in the bloodstream and tissues of almost every one of us, including newborns.


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More from documentary Toxic; Garbage IslandTalking about our exposure and efects


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PVC still used for blood bags today!Evidence seen in studies of neonatology


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Conflicting evidence?diculty in studyingproponents of plastics


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In research, Phthalates are linkedto...

Abnormal sexual development Many types of Cancer

Obesity

Insulin resistance

Asthma

ADHD

Low birth weight

Allergies

Damage to liver and testes


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PLASTIC IS FOREVER

Plastic is a material that the Earth cannot digest.

Plastic in the environment doesn't go away.sun breaks it down into brittle little pieces, the pieces stay.

Garbage patch: 6 times the mass of plankton.animal that tries to eat the plankton, like a whale, is swallowing tons of plastic instead.

In addition, plastic fragments become weighted with algae, barnacles, etc, they sink.Here there is no chance of photodegradation.The impact of of all this plastic covering the ocean floor is still unknown.

Experts fear a seabed covered in plastic could reduce oxygen levels in the ocean depths, choke organismsthat live in sediment, and even upset the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases betweenwater levels that is fundamental to the ocean chemistry.


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Plastic Poisons our Food Chain

These particles are ingested by wildlife on land and in the ocean, contaminating the food chain.

In a 2008 return trip to the pacific gyre, Moore harvested hundreds of lantern fish. He found 37%of the fish sampled had plastic in their guts.

These ingested plastics contain BPA and Phthalates, but they also may contain much more.Japanese researchers have found pellets and fragments of plastics act as sponges, sopping uptoxic chemicals that are widely present in the oceans, including PCB, DDT (banned,carcinogens) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as BPA, fire retardants, and phthalates.When organisms consume these microplastics, they take in the absorbed chemicals as well.Researchers fear that these mocroplasticts represent tiny time bombs that could be getting into

the marine food chain and working their way back up the long ladder to us.


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And as we saw with the albatrosses, plastic physically afects animalsthat get caught in it or choke on it.This turtle has been like this since he was very small.


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Or this seal


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And especially birds


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Disposable Plastics are the mainsource of Plastic Pollution

Its not a mystery at all why this is happening!

Consumption of disposable plasticsbags, bottles, straws and so forthhas spiraled out ofcontrol. These items are used for seconds, hours or days, but their remains last forever.

We in the US go through 2 million plastic bottles every 5 minutes, only 1 in 4 of which getrecycled. And more incredibly, we go through 60,000 plastic bags every 5 seconds.


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SOLUTIONS?


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The Recycling Myth

Collecting plastics at curbside fosters the belief that, like aluminum and glass, these will be converted intonew similar objects. This is not the case with plastic.

The best we can hope for plastics is that these will be turned into other products such as doormats, textiles,plastic lumber, etc. These products will still end at some point in the landfill and do not stem the need formore virgin petroleum product. This is not recycling, but down-cycling.

But not even down-cyclingis happening.

In the US, 93% of plastics are NOT recovered (put in plastic recycling bins). These go straight to landfills.(EPA data 2008).

Even those recovered are not recycled. expense, separation, etc. china...

Plastic pollution will not be solved by encouraging recycling. Perpetuating the myth of plastic recycling

delays the adoption of effective and sustainable solutions, such as extended producer responsibilityandthe elimination out of single-use plastics.


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Ocean Cleanups never enough

Canals cleanup, my students. Hawaii Cleanup, talking to locals.

There are no visible islands of trash anywhere, but rather a ocean soup laced with plastic. Anycleanup has the potential to not only remove the plastics but also the plankton, which is the baseof the food chain, and is responsible for capturing half of the CO2 of our atmosphere and

generating half of the oxygen we need to breathe.We should applaud the efforts of any group inspired by a vision of clean oceans and healthy sea-life, and working to put an end to plastic pollution.

But we also caution that these efforts would only succeed if we work together to stop the millionsof metric tons of plastic that is dumped into the ocean each year.


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Turn off the faucet

If the tub is overflowing, you wouldnt trip to bail it out with a spoon.Youd turn of the faucet.

Stopping our use of disposable plastic is the real, viable solution.

bl l


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But Disposable Plastic isEverywhere!

Disposable plastic items are so common that its easy to not notice them. But disposable plasticis everywhere

the plastic straws delivered in our drinks;

the plastic bags offered to us at stores;the plastic cups, bottles and utensils at nearly every social event;

the plastic packaging of nearly everything in the supermarket.

Me at the farmers market.


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Here is an example.

I went to a wedding just last weekend of a very dear family friend. They is young and broke andof course tried to save as much money on this wedding as they could.

So it became a plastic wedding. And for me, I was disgusted, but couldnt do anything about it.Once you see it for what it isplastic pollutionits simple to just REFUSE. Here are some tipson how to avoid generating plastic waste.

Wh d ?


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What can you do?

End of Bag it Documentary


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Protect yourself, your

family, and our planet

Ch l ti ith th


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Choose plastics with therecycling code 1, 2 or 5.

Best solution is no plastic at all!!!

Number 1 Plastics

PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)

Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.

Recycling:Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.

Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low ri sk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers.

Number 2 Plastics

HDPE (high density polyethylene)

Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners

Recycling:Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.

Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, f encing

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

Number 5 Plastics

PP (polypropylene)

Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles

Recycling:Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.

Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays

Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.


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Recycling codes 3, 6, and 7 are more likely tocontain bisphenol A or phthalates.

Number 3 Plastics

V (Vinyl) or PVC

Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping

Recycling:Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.

Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

Number 4 Plastics

LDPE (low density polyethylene)

Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet

Recycling:LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.

Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.

Number 6 PlasticsPS (polystyrene)

Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases

Recycling:Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.

Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers

Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually

gaining traction.

Number 7 Plastics

Miscellaneous

Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon

Recycling:Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them.

Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products

A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors.

Minimizing your consumption of canned


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Minimizing your consumption of cannedfood and canned beverages, as BPA may beused to line the cans

choose fresh or frozen food and bottled juices instead.Better for your health as well!


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Buy only water bottles or baby bottles thatexplicitly say they are BPA-Free


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Use reusable bottles made from stainlesssteel, aluminum or glass.

Be wary of the term "fragrance," which is


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y gused to denote a combination ofcompounds, possibly including phthalates.

Read the ingredients. You can identify


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g yphthalates in some products by their names,or abbreviations:

DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate)DEP (diethyl phthalate)

DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate

BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate)

DMP (dimethyl phthalate)


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When Shopping...


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Bring Your Own Bags!

you dont need a fancy bag made in china!

Dont forget bags for produce. Reusing old plastic bags works too!

Have a method for remembering to put them back in your car.

Always bring your own bags whenever you shop, not just for the supermarket. By bringing your own bag, you alone can save between400 and 600 plastic bags per year.

Choose glass over plastic then


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Choose glass over plastic, thenReuse!

Buy Fresh! Avoid packaged


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Buy Fresh! Avoid packagedproducts

This is good for your health too!


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When going out...

To Go Food Containers Dont


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To Go Food Containers. Don ttake that take-out container!


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To-Go Cups.

Bring your own ceramic or stainless steel mug.

Keep one in your car.Some coffee shops will even reward your thoughtfulness with a small discount on coffee or tea.

G S


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To Go Utensils and Straws

Keep these at work, in your car, in your purse or bag

Invest in a refillable multi-use


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Invest in a refillable multi useLighter

so it doesnt end up here

Rather than buy plastic disposable lighters, consider investing in a refillable multi-use lighters. The oceans of the world and the albatross chicks who

are fed these from out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean will thank you.

Ch P Cl h W


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Choose Paper or Cloth to Wrap

Wax paper is an excellent substitute to the ubiquitous stretch plastic we have been told is essential forcooking and preserving foods.Choose wax paper to wrap sandwiches, place on top of foods warmed up in the microwave, or when storing food in the fridge. Yes, it

does not stick to foods like plastic thats exactly whats good about it!

R d d ?


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Ready to do more?

The Plastic Pollution Coalition and other organizations provide resources and support to organize and make a real change inour community.

how to start a movement to eliminate plastic bags.

This is already being done all over the world!

http://plasticbagbanreport.com/


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Products availableAlthough I caution you from buying products from around the world. Huge ecologicalfootprint.

My experience getting into consumerism of plastic-free stuf.

Be creative and make solutions with what you have. Its about living on less. Livingsimply. Consuming less, not more.

That said, I brought a few examples of plastic-free products I use.


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Beth Terry, Oakland, CAIncredible amount of resources and suggestions

Begin with a Personal Change


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Begin with a Personal Change

Beth Terry from My plastic free life blog, being interviewed in thedocumentary Bag It.

Life changes to almost completely avoid plastic.


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Questions?

Resources


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Resources

Plastic Pollution Coalition

Midway Film Project

Bag it

Plastic; a Toxic Love Story

vbs.tv

PLoS Biology

NCMI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321

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