Say ‘No Thanks’ to Plastics

The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally foundedenvironmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers. This week’s tip was written by Sheda Morshed and Ryan Craig.

Plastic Free July is an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2011 to address our addiction to plastic. It’s designed to bring attention to this silent but serious problem, and help create change.

While the oil industry and manufacturers deserve the blame, consumers also share the burden and therefore hold the key to creating a shift away from our dependency on plastics:

Visit plasticfreejuly.org and take the pledge to Skip the Plastic in July … and beyond. Take a few minutes to read more about plastic pollution, and all the ways you and your family can become part of the solution.

Carry your own reusable cutlery and refillable water bottles.

Visit fauna-flora.org/nurdles to learn about nurdles––lentil-sized plastic pellets used to make all plastic products and which now cover practically every area of our planet. These pellets are leaching into all our environments, including seafood.

Plastic recycling is not working. In 2021, the U.S. recycling rate of plastic was only 5%. There are myriad factors that are not fixable, including most plastics cannot be recycled, according to a report in The Atlantic.

Every American should strive to consume less and create less waste. But we can’t avoid all waste. So be sure to recycle all other highly valuable materials, from clean paper to aluminum, and when shopping, look for products that have upcycled these resources by shopping for the highest level of post-consumer waste (PCW) number.

Support local and state bans on single-use plastic, and support politicians who believe in clean air and water for all.

With increased awareness and smarter consumer choices, you and your family can help shape a better future. The next time you’re offered plastic where an alternative exists, just say “no thanks.” Imagine how big of an impact 10,000 Palisadian households can have in a single day.

Learn about local plastic-free actions by visiting our Zero Waste Campaign page on resilientpalisades.org