Activity 3.3.3.1 Current Events in Plastic Pollution

Six-Point Critical Analysis of Current Event 

1. Exploratory 

Microplastics are present in your home in ways you wouldn’t always expect. You consume them in food, breathe them in, and pollute the world by using products that contain them. Simply by doing the laundry you produce millions of plastic microfibers. There is so much damage done to our planet by doing everyday tasks that most do not even realize. There are many simple, quick, and easy things you can do to reduce the amount of microplastic you produce. In activity 3.3.3, we looked at all the plastics one person uses in a day. Many of these plastics get discarded into the trash or washed down the drain. This highly contributes to the microplastic pollution influx we have today.  
2. Diagnostic 

Increasingly in our advancing world today, plastic is used in almost every product. From clothes, packaging, shoes, soaps, and cars. All plastic products have the potential to be turned into microplastics. When items are not disposed of properly, they are sent out into the world's oceans and rivers and are broken down into tiny particles smaller than 5 millimeters.  
3. Cause and Effect 

If the microplastics in the oceans and rivers are swallowed by animals like fish, their stomachs can become full of this plastic, and they will become malnourished and die. Bioaccumulation then occurs, where microplastics accumulate in the food chain, moving from smaller organisms to larger ones. This process means that humans who consume seafood may also be exposed to microplastics, raising concerns about potential health risks. 

4. Priority 

The most important issue at hand is the overwhelming amount of plastic use around the world. Humans produce 380 million tons of plastic each year, and only 9% of that gets recycled. Plastic seems like an indestructible material because it takes over 20 years for a small plastic bag to decompose. Plastic is piling up at a rate that the earth cannot keep up with.  
5. Application 

I use plastic every day in my life. I brush my teeth with a plastic toothbrush, brush my hair, wear clothes made of plastic, drink out of bottles, type on the computer I am using right now, etc. Plastic is all around us. There are so many small things you can do to reduce your use even a little bit that can make a difference. You can quit using plastic cutting boards and switch to wooden ones. You can stop using non-stick pans, use reusable bags, use refillable cosmetics to reduce plastic waste, use plastic-free natural products, and wash clothes in short cycles by sorting synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, and acrylic from natural textiles like cotton, flax, and hemp. (Zachos, 2023) 
6. Critical         

This really changed my thinking on how much I can cut down on my plastic use. There are so many small simple things that everyone can do to reduce the amount of plastic we produce. It made me really see how many items around us are made of plastic as well and I started to feel guilty about the amount of plastic I have unknowingly polluted into our world. I am going to try to be more conscious and careful with the amount of plastic I am using.  

 

Resources: 

 

(n.d.). Plastic Pollution Facts. Plasticoceans.org. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/#:~:text=Quite%20simply%2C%20humans%20are%20addicted,at%20least%20several%20hundred%20years. 

 

Zachos, E. (2023, August 17). Microplastics are hidden in your home. Here’s how to avoid them. National Geographic. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/how-to-avoid-microplastic-health-home