Wasteful Waste Management

You would have to be living under a rock to have not seen the images of seagulls with plastic rings around their necks or that video of the straw being pulled from the turtle’s nose. The environment and the animals that live in them have been suffering from man made pollution since the industrial revolution. What is currently on everyone’s minds is that global warming is the biggest issue of the 21st century, and they have forgotten about plastic pollution which some professor’s say that the two issues, plastic pollution and global warming, are intertwined and worsen each other. Companies that manufacture the most plastic like Dow Chemical and ExxonMobil, actively contribute to this problem, while also advertising to the public about how they are actively looking into stopping/reducing plastic pollution. Organizations like America’s Plastic Makers say they are finding other ways to reduce and reuse plastic in America, it’s an organization backed mostly by American companies, like Shell and DuPont. They pioneer for understanding the value that plastic has in the world while also saying they want to find ways to help fight pollution. Most if not all experts in the field would want to find alternatives to using plastic, such as paper products, as they are biodegradable, unlike plastic. We have an infographic with more facts about plastic waste here.

Plastic waste is a threat to all of the world and those that inhabit it, and one problem of plastic waste, is how its thrown away. Developed countries that produce most of the worlds plastic, also have well developed sanitation systems and trash removal services. Developed countries will actually pay developing countries money to take waste, which includes more than just plastic. Developing countries do not have the resources and money available in order to properly dispose or recycle it themselves, and they lack the money to pay another country to do it for them. This can lead to a harmful idea that these poorer countries are the problem, when in fact it is the opposite.

For right now it is up the general populace to stay informed on such topics of plastic waste management. According to studies the more uninformed you are the more unlikely you are to engage in behaviors that will help prevent such waste. You can find various articles to learn more about reducing your plastic waste, and we encourage you to do your own research. Here is some of our tips to reducing plastic waste.

Brandon Cottrell, Mary Levush, Parker White 

Brandon- I have been a beach goer for many years and have experienced first hand how plastic pollution has rapidly evolved. I have participated in a beach cleanup through a school in the Outer Banks. I as well as my other team members have been extensively researching this semester in hopes to help our peers further understand our issue and to help make a change. 

Mary- As a political science major, I have closely studied the issue of plastic waste and how it is detrimental to our world environment. In the past, I have taken environmental science courses throughout both my high school and college experience. Considering this, I myself have taken the appropriate steps to combat the issue by engaging in recycling programs, using less plastic, and relying more on reusable materials. 

Parker- I have cared about the environment all my life, visiting my grandparents farm a lot in my childhood, and appreciating the beauty of the Appalachian mountains. Litter and pollution harm the environment that means much to me and many others. With a variety of environmental science classes and personal study into this topic, I have chosen to campaign for a greener Earth. 

CTZN 410 Statement: 

This project is a main product of our CTZN 410 Symposium on the Common Good class. Considering the nature of the course, it allows students to apply their knowledge, skills and perspectives that they have learned throughout their time as Longwood University students. Students utilize these characteristics that have been acquired from their core curriculum, major classes and extracurricular activities and apply this to real world issues.

Issue: 

The issue our team is focusing on is the Plastic Waste crisis. Since the 1960’s, the plastic waste issue has been an occurring problem in our world environment that has continued to worsen over time. Considering this, our team is taking on the issue and offering everyday college students at Longwood University factual background on the topic and ways they can make a change. 

Why reliable information about plastic pollution is important to the Common good:

We as a society must be able to understand how substantial the ongoing issue of plastic pollution is before we can make a change. We must be educated on how we can make small changes in our lives that will in fact make a huge impact on the environment. Utilizing news literacy strategies such as lateral reading and reviewing multiple sources are just two of the multiple great ways to gain proper knowledge on our issue as well as others alike.