Plastic Fantastic!

Call the plastic police! They gave me a plastic straw and I didn’t even ask for one!

Published to public media December 12, 2020

When I went through the drive through at Burger King the other day, and ordered a burger and a drink, my order came with a plastic straw which I did not request. Obviously, that was a clear violation of the government ban against plastic straws.

And what is this government ban against plastic straws all about, anyway? Why is this government pushing to ban plastic? Is it really because of sustainability and helping to save the planet?

"In the case of plastic, you could get rid of all plastic straws, but it would only have a tiny effect on the environment because there are relatively not that many straws used in the world compared to bin bags, plastic bags, plastic packaging etc…"

The plastic ban started with a ban on “single use” plastic grocery bags. We were all told that soon there would be no more plastic bags and this news spread like a mudslide enveloping and shaming all plastics in existence.

The term “single use” was I think a misnomer as I always used my Fred Meyer plastic bags a second time, for my garbage bags and to contain the fallen leaves from my yard, knowing that they would again be recycled in the waste plants that separate and recycle all forms of refuse.

What is plastic anyway? It is hydrocarbons made from petroleum and can technically be converted back into oil. But recycling plastic back into oil is still in the experimental stage and years away from being a reality. And as a non-techie person, I am not even sure what a hydrocarbon might be, except that I think it’s a particle that ends up in the atmosphere.

I do know plastic is here to stay and it will never be legislated out of existence. On the bottom of each plastic container are those little chasing arrows with a number and a letter code on what the plastic is and the way to properly recycle it. Do most people even know how to do this?

A #2ps is on the bottom of the ‘clam shell’ container my fried rice came in. #5pp is on the bottom of the container my mashed potatoes and gravy came in. #2hppe is on the bottom of my plastic milk jug.

Do you as a conscientious recycler examine the bottom of every single container and recycle it accordingly? Well, neither do I, mainly because it is all too complicated in terms of understanding what the codes mean and then how to dispose of each plastic item.

"That the law is so mild and inconsequential is a testament to how much the posturing around plastic straws is a symbolic gesture rather than anything that actually helps the environment."

Most of us drink the contents of a plastic jug and toss it in the garbage, because we understand that the plastic will be separated at the waste plant where most “garbage” now goes. Everyone must do the same because 242 million pounds of plastic end up floating in the ocean every year.

Remember folks it is not the plastic’s fault it doesn’t get recycled. It is my fault, your fault and everyone’s fault.

Just as I got used to bringing my own cloth bags to the grocery store, (took me about 18 months to transition into that habit) I see “single use” plastic bags are back in stores. Either retailer’s are breaking the law of merely ignoring a stupid mandate in the first place.

I tell folks, it is just plastic. Melt it into a puddle and when it hardens, break it into chips. If the chips can be recycled, then that’s good. If not the original volume of the container has been reduced by 1000% and will take up much less space in a land fill, but if it is recycled than that is a good thing, but who monitors how this happens? Are there plastic police anywhere?

If anyone wants to know more about the coded symbols on the bottom of the containers, I have provided a link which should satisfy your curiosity or confuse you completely. The information on the bottoms of these containers is an example of “technical writing” and as such, it’s pretty bad technical writing.

Do these business people really think people are going to feel more inclined to properly recycle if they can’t even understand how to do it?

Technical writing may seem simple but it’s not. And the world is full of terrible technical writers. You’ve seen this when you can’t figure out how to assemble a kitchen item you’ve purchased, or a Childs’ tricycle, or other such object. Technical writing makes a difference and in this respect, with plastics, it is not done well. Not at all.

A few of the conscientious burger joints in town and in the nation have begun using paper straws. The issue with these paper straws is that they are awkward to move; they get mushy with saliva or water, or soda, and they begin to unravel about halfway through the drink...which came in a plastic container.

So a hearty #2hppe to your sir! And good luck figuring out how to recycle it, if you don’t have a recycle option for plastic waste where you live.

Written by Don DuPay 

Edited by Theresa Griffin Kennedy