Plastic Waste

One of the most pressing issues that I believe needs to be tackled in the consumerist society of America is the issue of plastic. In a culture that has been coined the throw away age, we as a community are now feeling the repercussions of this behavior.  By focusing on the consumption of plastic water bottles, one small remedy can be resolved to the increasing amount of plastic waste that is occupying our land and now a major portion of the Pacific Ocean. It is argued that trash has now accumulated in the center of the Pacific Ocean, which is now occupied by plastic trash estimated to be the size of Texas. While the solution of recycling is very appealing to most people, it is not enough to eliminate the excessive waste of plastic that travels through our gutters into the ocean. Instead I believe the correct remedy would be to eliminate plastic at its source, and shut down the production factories. The most common plastic used for water bottles is polycarbonate, which has a tendency to leak a chemical called, bisphenol-A (BPA) into the water and create health risks for you, the consumer. It has been reported that the people who live and work in the vicinity of these factories suffer from health issues that are directly linked to the pollution created through this production process. For this reason I believe the only solution to this escalating issue, is for people as a community to no longer support the plastic bottle industry and make a change. In order for there to be change, the individual consumer must recognize that they vote with every dollar they spend. Therefore it is possible to end this epidemic, which will one day directly affect your life. This change will come only if you vote as a consumer by not purchasing plastic bottles, and begin to reuse alternative bottle sources.