The truth about plastic

When plastic was first created in the 19th century, it was heralded as a material that could save the Earth from the overbearing demands of its human inhabitants. If we could manufacture a material by ourselves, then we wouldn’t have to cut down forests and drain the planet of its visible resources.

But since plastic’s invention, we’ve produced 9.2 billion tonnes of it and over two-third of that has become waste. It’s either tossed in the garbage, on the side of the road or in our oceans. Most times, it remains there for approximately 500 years, slowly disintegrating.

Nearly, 99 per cent of plastic is made from fossil fuels. Crude oil or natural gas is pumped from the bottom of the ocean and sent to a refinery. After a chemical transformation, the substance is transformed into small pellets. The pellets are later transported to another plant where they can be modified into their final product. Between the transport, heat, refining, and extraction used to make plastic, is it really worth it?

Recycling is a repeat of that process. It means means shipping the plastic to a factory, breaking it down and shipping it to another factory to be shaped again, all while using fossil fuels to facilitate this process.

We can’t get rid of them. Even if plastics break down, microplastics make their way into our waterways and even our bodies. They cover our Earth and still, the effects have been barely studied.

Burning plastic also releases chemicals into the air which could cause the earth to warm faster.

Recycled or not, every stage of plastic’s creation contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and destroying our planet.

A decade ago, St. Thomas University students voted in support of a Students’ Union referendum to “phase out” bottled water sales on campus, yet nothing has been done to move forward on this decision.

By banning all plastic, STU can establish itself as a leader in climate action and attract a new generation of students who want to study in a place that contributes to their future.

Just as we would clean our dishes after a meal, we should take the steps toward cleaning our planet.