Plastics today are typically products that are derived from fossil fuels. Plastics undoubtedly have made many aspects of modern life more convenient but they are not without their challenges. Before we drive deeper, pause for a moment and take a look around. What plastics do you see? Maybe your TV or other appliances, your clothing could be spandex, nylon, polyester, even fake fur. Your shoes, car seats, airbags, carpeting, basketball, band aids, even life saving medical equipment, it’s hard to find a product today that isn’t a portion, plastic.

Background of plastics

The first fully synthetic plastic, bakelite, was created by Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907. Until bakelite, plastics were fully or partially sourced from products found in nature for most of the last few thousand years. For example the sap of a rubber tree was used to create rubber balls by people thousands of years ago. Beginning with natural rubber and “cellulose,” the cell wall of plants, hybrid plastics were developed and with continued experimentation, the first fully synthetic (or human made) plastics evolved starting with bakelite.

Today’s plastics are numbered 1-7 and labeled with their triangle arrow symbol accordingly, typically on the bottom of the product. These plastics include 1. polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) or your typical soft drink bottle, 2. high-density polyethylene (HDPE) which includes milk jugs, laundry soap containers, and shampoo bottles, 3. polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or water pipes, flooring, and IV bags, 4. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) which includes wrappings and shopping bags, 5. polypropylene (PP) or furniture and toys, 6. polystyrene (PS) which comes in hard or foamed forms like styrofoam and includes products such as hard packing material, refrigerator trays and packing peanuts, 7. this includes all other plastics that don’t otherwise fit into the previous 6 categories including new bioplastics. Although some of us may fall under the category of “wish- cyclists,” striving to recycle all the many plastic products that end up in our possession, the reality is that many plastics can not be easily recycled. Number 1 and 2 plastics are the most commonly recycled of the seven, but places like EcoCycle and CHaRM (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials) can recycle many other hard to recycle products. Check with your local recycling facility to learn about what’s possible to recycle in your area.

What’s the big deal with plastics?

As the world works hard to wean itself from fossil fuels for energy, it’s similarly important that we think about our relationship with plastic. Not only are plastics tied to climate change causing greenhouse gasses as most are sourced from petroleum products or crude oil but they take hundreds of years to break down and decompose. A typical plastic bottle will take 450 years to decompose and even then it breaks down into microplastics which are wreaking havoc on our ecosystems. With only 10% of all plastics ever created recycled, that’s a lot of plastic in our landfills, oceans, icecaps, and new research is discovering, in our bodies.

While people around the world are working to develop creative ways to break down plastics already created such as styrofoam-eating mealworms or new bacteria, the first key to solving the plastic crisis today is to reduce our consumption and reliance on this destructive and long lasting product. The more that we can reduce our own use of plastics, the closer we move towards zero waste and ultimately a fossil fuel free society and stable climate.

Ways to help reduce your use of plastics

There are a number of ways to change your relationship with plastics. Here are a few: Find a reusable water bottle and coffee mug. Bring them with you everywhere you go and take advantage of discounts at many coffee shops as you’re saving them the cost of a to-go cup.

Use reusable grocery bags when you’re shopping. Reusable produce bags are also a great option and provide a nice place to protect your delicate lettuce from the store to your home. Having a stash in the car helps.

Reduce the plastic associated with your food by shopping locally at a nearby Farmer’s Market or purchase a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription from a farm in your area.

Prioritize the purchase of reusable or compostable products. Glass and aluminum are easier to recycle versus the limited plastics that are recyclable today.

Seek out more resources and share with your friends and family what you learn. If you have time, check out EcoCycle (https:// www.ecocycle.org/) in Boulder or join their EcoLeader program to champion recycling in your school or neighborhood.

If you’re excited to engage in a larger plastic free initiative, check out Plastic Free July (www.plasticfreejuly.org), a global campaign that “ helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution”. If you have questions or ideas to share, email the Nederland Sustainability Board at SAB@nederlandco.org.