As the holiday season is upon us, joy and cheer fill the air. This season, a time for gift-giving, festive gatherings, and joyous celebrations, often goes hand in hand with the less festive reality of increased consumerism and waste. Americans increase their solid waste by an estimated 25% or 5.8 million tons between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, that is the equivalent of the weight of 28,713 Boeing 747 airplanes. Trash, a seemingly mundane topic, is a critical issue with far-reaching environmental and health consequences.
According to the Environment Protection Agency, Americans generate approximately 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste. Nearly half of the waste is sent to landfills that release harmful greenhouse gasses like methane and carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of hydrogen and nitrogen. Landfills, despite being lined with plastic or clay, can still experience leaks. This can lead to the release of leachate, a toxic liquid containing ammonia and other harmful substances. When leachate seeps into nearby water bodies, it can trigger eutrophication, a process where excessive plant growth depletes oxygen levels, creating “dead zones” that harm aquatic life.
Plastic pollution, in particular, poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems. Microplastics, tiny plastic particles, have been found in everything from the deepest oceans to the highest mountain peaks. These particles can be ingested by marine animals, leading to health problems and even death. The United States is the highest contributor to global plastic waste. Although there is a strong public interest in recycling these materials, questions arise if recycling is the panacea to waste management. However, in reality, only a meager amount of plastic is recycled. Beyond marine ecosystems, land-based waste also has detrimental effects. The health effects of environmental pollution due to landfills are myriad. From causing respiratory illness to cancer, the effects of pollution are deleterious. Although landfills are an important method of solid waste management, they may not be the best possible solution.
To address this growing crisis, we must adopt a more sustainable approach to consumption and waste disposal. This involves reducing our reliance on single-use plastics, recycling, and composting, and supporting policies that promote waste reduction and recycling. An effective strategy is to embrace the principles of the circular economy or closed loop economy, which aims to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible, and zero waste is targeted. By repairing, reusing and recycling, the demand for new resources is reduced and waste is minimized. Additionally, supporting local businesses and buying products with minimal packaging can help reduce the amount of waste generated.
Individual actions, while important, are not enough. Governments and corporations must also play a significant role in addressing the waste crisis. Governments can implement stricter regulations on waste disposal and promote sustainable consumption practices. Corporations can reduce packaging, use eco-friendly materials, and adopt sustainable business practices.
The future of our entire existence depends on our ability to address the issue of waste. By embracing a more sustainable lifestyle, we can reduce our environmental impact. As the saying goes “We have not inherited the earth from our ancestors, we have borrowed it from our children.” Let’s make a conscious effort to reduce, reuse and recycle, in that order and work together to build a cleaner and greener future.
Sivashankari Pillai
Fremont
References
Impacts of Plastic Pollution | US EPA. (2023, July 15). US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/plastics/impacts-plastic-pollution
Law, K. L., Starr, N., Siegler, T. R., Jambeck, J. R., Mallos, N. J., & Leonard, G. H. (2020). The United States’ contribution of plastic waste to land and ocean. Science Advances, 44. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd0288
Main, D. (2023, October 12). Think that your plastic is being recycled? Think again. | MIT Technology Review. MIT Technology Review; MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/12/1081129/plastic-recycling-climate-change-microplastics/#:~:text=How%20much%20plastic%20is%20actually,each%20year%E2%80%94a%20paltry%20rate.
National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling | US EPA. (2017, October 2). US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials
Siddiqua, A., Hahladakis, J. N., & Al-Attiya, W. A. K. A. (2022). An overview of the environmental pollution and health effects associated with waste landfilling and open dumping. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 39, 58514–58536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21578-z
Trash in America. (2021, September 29). Environmentamerica.Org. https://environmentamerica.org/center/resources/trash-in-america-2/
Vasarhelyi, K. (4 C.E.). The Hidden Damage of Landfills | Environmental Center | University of Colorado Boulder. Environmental Center. https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2021/04/15/hidden-damage-landfills#:~:text=Along%20with%20ammonia%2C%20leachate%20contains,of%20hazardous%20materials%20in%20landfills
What is a Circular Economy? | US EPA. (2021, November 3). US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/what-circular-economy
