Plastic Problems

Plastic pollution has become a hot topic over the past several years and with good reason. Not only is the quantity of plastic we produce and throw away staggering, but plastic never fully goes “away”, it will just keep breaking down into smaller and smaller particles. Plastic is showing up everywhere, from animals to water supplies – microplastics have even been found in arctic snow, indicating the scale of the global pollution problem. Only about 18% of plastics are recycled globally with the rest being discarded or incinerated, and we are talking on the scale of millions of tons, most of it from the packaging industry. To bring this issue closer to home, microplastics have recently been found in Lake Tahoe. The microplastics found locally are likely the result of litter, meaning that they are easily avoidable. 

While large-scale solutions are needed, there are also easy steps we can all take to reduce the negative impact of plastics on both people and the environment: 

  • Reduce your plastic footprint! Simple swaps can be a great way to reduce how much plastic you use. By bringing your own reusable options for cups, straws or silverware you can refuse the use of plastic and cut down on your waste.

  • Opt for tap water! This one may seem obvious, but bottled water generates a lot of plastic waste. It is also a lot more expensive than tap water ($1.21/ gallon compared to less than $0.01/ gallon) and the quality of our local tap water is very high. Stay hydrated, cut plastic, and save money – sounds like a win-win-win to us!

  • Stop litter in its tracks! We know you would never litter, but waste does end up in our environment. And as you can see, plastic waste will stick around for a long time as microplastics. You can get involved in cleanups with KTMB to reduce the litter around our community that can end up in our waterways and local ecosystems. 

  • Join Plastic Free July! Reducing your plastic consumption is a year-round activity, but Plastic Free July can serve as a great motivator and resource tool to help get you started, or keep you going. So grab your reusable straws and get to reducing, reusing, and recycling.

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