The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
1.
Decrease Plastic Packaging
In 1988, it was discovered that in the Pacific Ocean, between the islands
of Hawaii and the state of California (The North Pacific Subtropical Convergence
Zone) floats a large patch of discarded, floating plastic- an estimated 3.5
million tons of plastic waste. This is known as the Great Pacific Garbage
Patch, or the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. The majority of plastic pieces in
the floating patch are too small to see with the naked eye. Because of this
fact, it is impossible to know the exact size of the garbage patch. Plastic
poses such a problem because, unlike debris, it does not biodegrade completely;
it photo-degrades, a process which slowly breaks plastic down over time but
keeps it as a polymer, this process takes anywhere from 450 to 1000 years
(Plastic 2012). The non-biodegradable plastic is negatively affecting marine
wildlife, and is disrupting the flow of the Pacific Ocean ecosystem.
The most efficient method for ridding the ocean of plastic is to decrease
the amount of plastic being used by people across the world (Great Wikipedia
2012).
a.
Details
-
A grassroots effort will be
lead by Durango City Council in order to promote small businesses in the city of
Durango to boycott businesses such as Johnson n’ Johnson, GOJO, and the American
Hardware Manufacturers Association (AHMA), that use excessive plastic packaging.
-
Reducing non-biodegradable
plastic packaging from small businesses in Durango will lessen the amount of
plastic entering landfills around Durango, and will ultimately lower the amount
of plastic gathered in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
-
If Durango is able to significantly
lower the amounts of plastic packaging being bought and sold by local Durango
businesses by January 1st of 2014, this may serve as an example to neighboring
cities such as Bayfield, Cortez, and Pagosa Springs. It may then be adopted by
surrounding states, and ultimately may spread to the whole of the U.S.A.
-
The act taken on banning
plastic packaging bought by small businesses from larger, production factories
will take place in the city of Durango. All local companies will be banned from
the use of excessive plastic packaging.
-
Residents in the City of
Durango will specifically stop buying and selling plastic disposable water
bottles, and will replace these for refillable water bottles (Solutions
2012).
-
If solely buying goods not
packaged in plastic is not relevant to small businesses in Durango, these
businesses specifically will buy in bulk reducing the amount of plastic
packaging, and use as many alternatives to plastic as
possible.
-
Plastic packaging banned will
be specifically plastic bags of any kind, bubble wrap, plastic tape (duct tape,
packaging tape), and plastic bottles.
-
As an alternative to plastic,
local companies will begin using paper, glass, or biodegradable plastic to
package goods (Technology 2012).
-
This method for reducing
amounts of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will be considered a
success when all small businesses in Durango Colorado reduce the amount of
plastic being used in shops, or begin using an environmentally healthy
alternative to plastic.
b.
Benefits:
-Through following these
guidelines, the amount of plastic entering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and
the growth rate in plastic of this area, will decrease
(Great 2012).
-The marine environment of the Pacific
Ocean will become healthier.
-Marine life near the North Pacific Gyre
will thrive, as plastic entering sea animals’ systems will decrease (Press
2012).
c.
Cons:
-This will only be effective if all
local businesses in Durango participate in the ban of plastic packaging.
- If only a small number of businesses
agree to ban plastic completely, it will have a minimal effect of leading other
cities in this awareness.
-Local companies will be asked to use
alternatives to plastic that may cost more, and may perhaps not be as efficient
(Biodegradable 2012).
- It will take a long time for
businesses in Durango to completely switch plastic out for a reduced amount, or
for an alternative to package the store’s goods with.
2.
Create a more efficient recycling program in
Durango
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is said to consist of close to 80%
plastic from inland cities, and 20% litter from large cruise ships based on the
fact that a typical 3,000-passenger cruise ship produces over eight tons of
solid waste weekly (Marine 2012). The plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
comes mostly from people living in North America and Japan as these are the two
countries surrounding the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. When people living in
these countries liter, or trash is dumped in the ocean or near the coast, it
floats out and joins the vortex of trash in the Pacific Ocean. Improving the
waste management and recycling programs in Durango and around the US will
decrease the amount of plastic gathering in the North Subtropical
Gyre.
a.
Details:
-
The Bondad landfill in
Durango will improve the way they destroy waste to a safe, non-hazardous method
by November of 2014 (Hazardous 2012). Recycling centers such as The Durango
Recycling Center will not scrap plastic recycled by citizens of Durango.
-
All plastic materials,
including plastic not labeled with the numbers 1, 2, and 5 will be recycled by
the city of Durango, right now only these numbers are being recycled at plants,
and the rest of the plastic recycled by citizens of Durango is going to
landfills around La Plata County (Smithsonian 2012).
-
Recycling centers will
recycle all plastic materials no matter the cost (Biodegradable 2012).
-
All plastic produced by
large companies that businesses in Durango are purchasing and stocking their
stores from will be made of recyclable plastics or alternatives such as paper or
glass, this will be put completely into action by May of 2014 (Facing 2012).
-
This goal will have
been accomplished when landfills have started scrapping waste using a safe,
non-hazardous method, and when all plastic, not only plastic labeled with the
numbers 1, 2, and 5 is being recycled by plants in La Plata County.
b.
Benefits:
-
Employees in plants, as
well as children in and around Durango and potentially the U.S.A. will not
become sick from plastic, Bisphenol A (BPA) poisoning (Bisphenol
2012).
-
All plastic and
recyclable materials will be recycled rather than thrown out into landfills,
which will add to creating a healthier environment.
-
Adding a larger variety
of plastics that may be recycled to recycling plants will require more workers,
and will then create more jobs for residents of La Plata
County.
c.
Cons:
-
Creating and using
methods to recycle all plastic materials will cost more for the City of Durango
(Jtrend 2012).
-
Companies who use
plastic sparingly may start to use it more as the recycling program improves, as
they may not understand that reducing amounts of plastic is the end goal, rather
than finding ways to use more.
3.
Raising Awareness/Educating
Citizens
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch continues to be an issue for marine life,
and BPA leeching from plastic gathered in the gyre is said to contribute to
health issues in humans during the early stages of life. Part of the reason this
problem exists is due to the fact that people are not educated about the
disasters associated with plastic disposal, therefore they do not recycle, they
may litter, and the management plans set in for disposing of plastic material is
not efficient.
a.
Details:
-
Scientists who
specifically study plastic recycling and The Great pacific Garbage Patch will
lecture the city council of Durango on what careless plastic disposal does to
the environment, and will encourage small businesses of Durango to use none, a
considerably less amount of, or biodegradable plastic by the month of December,
2012.
-
Lectures will be held
in Durango, specifically as AHS and DHS power lunches, and a lecture series at
Fort Lewis College to inform Durango citizens about how to dispose of plastic
properly, and the consequences associated with carelessness of plastic
materials.
-
An article explaining
the affects of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will be put in the Durango Herald
to reach those who may not attend these lectures.
-
A map of Durango and
its nearest recycling plants will be put on posters made from recycled paper
around town to show citizens where the nearest recycling plants are located, and
will be paid for by the city of Durango.
-
When these lectures are
held in Durango, an article is put in the paper, and posters are put around the
town of Durango, this will be considered a success in educating the people of
Durango about how to manage plastic disposal.
b.
Pros:
-
Through these actions,
the people of Durango as well as local companies will learn about the effects of
careless plastic use and
disposal.
-
Rather than only
learning about the negative effects of plastic on the environment, citizens will
also learn where to put recyclables using the map of Durango and its recycling
plants.
-
Through being educated
on recycling plastic, the environment (specifically the Great Pacific Garbage
Patch) will benefit through less plastic being used, and more plastic being
recycled.
c.
Cons:
-
Residents living in
Durango may not choose to attend lectures, read the newspaper, or to look at
maps posted around the town of Durango. Therefore, they may not learn about the
Great Pacific Garbage Patch and how to create a better, healthier environment.
Bibliography:
1.
"Solutions." - Gyre Clean Up
Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.gyrecleanup.org/solutions/>.
2.
"Great Pacific Garbage
Patch." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch>.
3.
"Technology | Natur-Tec."
Technology | Natur-Tec. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.natur-tec.com/technology>.
4.
Press, The Associated. "Great
Pacific Garbage Patch Affecting Sea Life - Technology & Science - CBC News."
CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 09 May 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/05/09/garbage-patch-pacific-marine-insect.html>.
5.
"Biodegradable Plastics."
Plastics Are Biodegradable. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.connecticutplastics.com/resources/connecticut-plastics-learning-center/biodegradable-plastics/>.
6.
"Hazardous Waste Recycling." EPA.
Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/recycling/index.htm>.
7.
"Facing the Dirty Truth About Recyclable Plastics." By Daniel Goleman: Yale
Environment 360. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012.
8.
"Great Pacific Garbage Patch." Greeniacs.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Environmental-News/Great-Pacific-Garbage-Patch.html
9.
"Marine Debris." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_debris>.
10.
"Smithsonian.com."
Smithsonian Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/ecocenter/How_to_Tuesday_Cut_Your_Use_of_Plastic_Plastic_Plastic.html>.
11.
"Plastic Bags: What About
Recycling Them?" - Sustainable Consumption. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.sierraclub.org/sustainable_consumption/articles/bags2.asp>.
12.
"Jtrend-systemsâ¢
Blog : Your Everyday Bio Degradable Plastic and Packaging Industry Update."
Www.degradableplasticbag.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov.
2012.
< http://www.degradableplasticbag.com/blog/bid/46162/are-biodegradable-plastic-bags-more-expensive-any-way-to-cost-down.html>.
13.
"Bisphenol A." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Aug. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A>.
Decrease Plastic Packaging
In 1988, it was discovered that in the Pacific Ocean, between the islands
of Hawaii and the state of California (The North Pacific Subtropical Convergence
Zone) floats a large patch of discarded, floating plastic- an estimated 3.5
million tons of plastic waste. This is known as the Great Pacific Garbage
Patch, or the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. The majority of plastic pieces in
the floating patch are too small to see with the naked eye. Because of this
fact, it is impossible to know the exact size of the garbage patch. Plastic
poses such a problem because, unlike debris, it does not biodegrade completely;
it photo-degrades, a process which slowly breaks plastic down over time but
keeps it as a polymer, this process takes anywhere from 450 to 1000 years
(Plastic 2012). The non-biodegradable plastic is negatively affecting marine
wildlife, and is disrupting the flow of the Pacific Ocean ecosystem.
The most efficient method for ridding the ocean of plastic is to decrease
the amount of plastic being used by people across the world (Great Wikipedia
2012).
a.
Details
-
A grassroots effort will be
lead by Durango City Council in order to promote small businesses in the city of
Durango to boycott businesses such as Johnson n’ Johnson, GOJO, and the American
Hardware Manufacturers Association (AHMA), that use excessive plastic packaging.
-
Reducing non-biodegradable
plastic packaging from small businesses in Durango will lessen the amount of
plastic entering landfills around Durango, and will ultimately lower the amount
of plastic gathered in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
-
If Durango is able to significantly
lower the amounts of plastic packaging being bought and sold by local Durango
businesses by January 1st of 2014, this may serve as an example to neighboring
cities such as Bayfield, Cortez, and Pagosa Springs. It may then be adopted by
surrounding states, and ultimately may spread to the whole of the U.S.A.
-
The act taken on banning
plastic packaging bought by small businesses from larger, production factories
will take place in the city of Durango. All local companies will be banned from
the use of excessive plastic packaging.
-
Residents in the City of
Durango will specifically stop buying and selling plastic disposable water
bottles, and will replace these for refillable water bottles (Solutions
2012).
-
If solely buying goods not
packaged in plastic is not relevant to small businesses in Durango, these
businesses specifically will buy in bulk reducing the amount of plastic
packaging, and use as many alternatives to plastic as
possible.
-
Plastic packaging banned will
be specifically plastic bags of any kind, bubble wrap, plastic tape (duct tape,
packaging tape), and plastic bottles.
-
As an alternative to plastic,
local companies will begin using paper, glass, or biodegradable plastic to
package goods (Technology 2012).
-
This method for reducing
amounts of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will be considered a
success when all small businesses in Durango Colorado reduce the amount of
plastic being used in shops, or begin using an environmentally healthy
alternative to plastic.
b.
Benefits:
-Through following these
guidelines, the amount of plastic entering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and
the growth rate in plastic of this area, will decrease
(Great 2012).
-The marine environment of the Pacific
Ocean will become healthier.
-Marine life near the North Pacific Gyre
will thrive, as plastic entering sea animals’ systems will decrease (Press
2012).
c.
Cons:
-This will only be effective if all
local businesses in Durango participate in the ban of plastic packaging.
- If only a small number of businesses
agree to ban plastic completely, it will have a minimal effect of leading other
cities in this awareness.
-Local companies will be asked to use
alternatives to plastic that may cost more, and may perhaps not be as efficient
(Biodegradable 2012).
- It will take a long time for
businesses in Durango to completely switch plastic out for a reduced amount, or
for an alternative to package the store’s goods with.
2.
Create a more efficient recycling program in
Durango
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is said to consist of close to 80%
plastic from inland cities, and 20% litter from large cruise ships based on the
fact that a typical 3,000-passenger cruise ship produces over eight tons of
solid waste weekly (Marine 2012). The plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
comes mostly from people living in North America and Japan as these are the two
countries surrounding the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. When people living in
these countries liter, or trash is dumped in the ocean or near the coast, it
floats out and joins the vortex of trash in the Pacific Ocean. Improving the
waste management and recycling programs in Durango and around the US will
decrease the amount of plastic gathering in the North Subtropical
Gyre.
a.
Details:
-
The Bondad landfill in
Durango will improve the way they destroy waste to a safe, non-hazardous method
by November of 2014 (Hazardous 2012). Recycling centers such as The Durango
Recycling Center will not scrap plastic recycled by citizens of Durango.
-
All plastic materials,
including plastic not labeled with the numbers 1, 2, and 5 will be recycled by
the city of Durango, right now only these numbers are being recycled at plants,
and the rest of the plastic recycled by citizens of Durango is going to
landfills around La Plata County (Smithsonian 2012).
-
Recycling centers will
recycle all plastic materials no matter the cost (Biodegradable 2012).
-
All plastic produced by
large companies that businesses in Durango are purchasing and stocking their
stores from will be made of recyclable plastics or alternatives such as paper or
glass, this will be put completely into action by May of 2014 (Facing 2012).
-
This goal will have
been accomplished when landfills have started scrapping waste using a safe,
non-hazardous method, and when all plastic, not only plastic labeled with the
numbers 1, 2, and 5 is being recycled by plants in La Plata County.
b.
Benefits:
-
Employees in plants, as
well as children in and around Durango and potentially the U.S.A. will not
become sick from plastic, Bisphenol A (BPA) poisoning (Bisphenol
2012).
-
All plastic and
recyclable materials will be recycled rather than thrown out into landfills,
which will add to creating a healthier environment.
-
Adding a larger variety
of plastics that may be recycled to recycling plants will require more workers,
and will then create more jobs for residents of La Plata
County.
c.
Cons:
-
Creating and using
methods to recycle all plastic materials will cost more for the City of Durango
(Jtrend 2012).
-
Companies who use
plastic sparingly may start to use it more as the recycling program improves, as
they may not understand that reducing amounts of plastic is the end goal, rather
than finding ways to use more.
3.
Raising Awareness/Educating
Citizens
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch continues to be an issue for marine life,
and BPA leeching from plastic gathered in the gyre is said to contribute to
health issues in humans during the early stages of life. Part of the reason this
problem exists is due to the fact that people are not educated about the
disasters associated with plastic disposal, therefore they do not recycle, they
may litter, and the management plans set in for disposing of plastic material is
not efficient.
a.
Details:
-
Scientists who
specifically study plastic recycling and The Great pacific Garbage Patch will
lecture the city council of Durango on what careless plastic disposal does to
the environment, and will encourage small businesses of Durango to use none, a
considerably less amount of, or biodegradable plastic by the month of December,
2012.
-
Lectures will be held
in Durango, specifically as AHS and DHS power lunches, and a lecture series at
Fort Lewis College to inform Durango citizens about how to dispose of plastic
properly, and the consequences associated with carelessness of plastic
materials.
-
An article explaining
the affects of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will be put in the Durango Herald
to reach those who may not attend these lectures.
-
A map of Durango and
its nearest recycling plants will be put on posters made from recycled paper
around town to show citizens where the nearest recycling plants are located, and
will be paid for by the city of Durango.
-
When these lectures are
held in Durango, an article is put in the paper, and posters are put around the
town of Durango, this will be considered a success in educating the people of
Durango about how to manage plastic disposal.
b.
Pros:
-
Through these actions,
the people of Durango as well as local companies will learn about the effects of
careless plastic use and
disposal.
-
Rather than only
learning about the negative effects of plastic on the environment, citizens will
also learn where to put recyclables using the map of Durango and its recycling
plants.
-
Through being educated
on recycling plastic, the environment (specifically the Great Pacific Garbage
Patch) will benefit through less plastic being used, and more plastic being
recycled.
c.
Cons:
-
Residents living in
Durango may not choose to attend lectures, read the newspaper, or to look at
maps posted around the town of Durango. Therefore, they may not learn about the
Great Pacific Garbage Patch and how to create a better, healthier environment.
Bibliography:
1.
"Solutions." - Gyre Clean Up
Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.gyrecleanup.org/solutions/>.
2.
"Great Pacific Garbage
Patch." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch>.
3.
"Technology | Natur-Tec."
Technology | Natur-Tec. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.natur-tec.com/technology>.
4.
Press, The Associated. "Great
Pacific Garbage Patch Affecting Sea Life - Technology & Science - CBC News."
CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 09 May 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/05/09/garbage-patch-pacific-marine-insect.html>.
5.
"Biodegradable Plastics."
Plastics Are Biodegradable. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.connecticutplastics.com/resources/connecticut-plastics-learning-center/biodegradable-plastics/>.
6.
"Hazardous Waste Recycling." EPA.
Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/recycling/index.htm>.
7.
"Facing the Dirty Truth About Recyclable Plastics." By Daniel Goleman: Yale
Environment 360. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012.
8.
"Great Pacific Garbage Patch." Greeniacs.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Environmental-News/Great-Pacific-Garbage-Patch.html
9.
"Marine Debris." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_debris>.
10.
"Smithsonian.com."
Smithsonian Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/ecocenter/How_to_Tuesday_Cut_Your_Use_of_Plastic_Plastic_Plastic.html>.
11.
"Plastic Bags: What About
Recycling Them?" - Sustainable Consumption. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
< http://www.sierraclub.org/sustainable_consumption/articles/bags2.asp>.
12.
"Jtrend-systemsâ¢
Blog : Your Everyday Bio Degradable Plastic and Packaging Industry Update."
Www.degradableplasticbag.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov.
2012.
< http://www.degradableplasticbag.com/blog/bid/46162/are-biodegradable-plastic-bags-more-expensive-any-way-to-cost-down.html>.
13.
"Bisphenol A." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Aug. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A>.