Plastics

The success and dominance of plastics starting in the early 20th century has caused widespread environmental problems, due to their slow decomposition rate in natural ecosystems. Most plastic produced has not been reused, or is incapable of reuse, either being captured in landfills or persisting in the environment as plastic pollution and microplastics. Plastic pollution can be found in all the world’s major water bodies, even creating garbage patches in all of the world’s oceans and contaminating terrestrial ecosystems. Of all the plastic discarded so far, less than 10% has been recycled. (Plastic, Wikipedia).
Basics
- Locals in Pennsylvania feel ‘sacrificed’ for Shell plastics plant — The Guardian — 12/11/2024
- All About Plastics — Indiana County PA LWV
- There’s Good Reason to Worry About Plastics — Washington Post — 04/02/2022
- Chemicals Found in Plastics: Bisphenol A (BPA) — National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 2020
- Plastics Families Should Avoid (BPA and Phthalates) — New York Times — 07-22-2022
- Microplastics: An Overview — Bucks County PA LWV
Current Status
- Plastics Industry Pushed “Advanced Recycling” Despite Knowing Problems — The Guardian — 05-06-25
- Why Black Plastic Is Bad News — Beyond Plastics
- Please don’t use black plastic utensiles — Transition Town Media
- Pro Publica Reporter Overwhelmed by Pro-Plastic Ads at UN Plastics-Free Conference
- The Plastics Threat to Our Health — Transition Town Media
- Pennsylvania LWV Information and Position on Reducing Plastic Waste
- The Truth About the Plastics Recycling Rate — Beyond Plastics — May 2022
- Chemical Recycling: A Dangerous Deception – October 2023 report on plastics recycling by Beyond Plastics
- Co. scraps $1.1 Billion Plastics Plant in Central PA — PennLive 04-18-24
- How Central PA Plastics Chemical Recycling Plant Was Defeated — PA Capital-Star– 05-03-24
Paths Forward
- Video: What Can We Do about Plastic Pollution in Our Waterways?
- World Won’t Be Able to Cope with Plastic Volume in 10 Years — The Guardian 11-24-24
- Tell Our Governor to Urge Truth in Plastic Recycling Bill — Penn Environment 11-17-24
- Living without Plastic for a Week — NPR — 07-26-24
- TerraCycle Offers Zero Waste Bags Nationwide to Collect hard-to-Recycle Waste
- Chemical Recycling via Pyrolysis Not Happening at Any scale — Pro Publica — 06-20-24
- Break Free from Plastic Act
- Swarthmore Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance — March 11, 2024
- Delaware Plastic Carryout Bag Ban
- Lower Merion Plastic Bag Ordinance
- Haverford Plastic Bag Ordinance — News — 01-03-22
- Media Bans Plastic Bags — News — 07-27-22
Latest Plastics Posts
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PennEnvironment study finds Delaware River permeated by microplastics
The latest report by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, Microplastics in the Delaware River Watershed, reveals widespread plastic pollution in one of the most beloved rivers in Pennsylvania. Read more…
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Master Gardeners clean up plastic in Smedley Park to turn into benches
For those who take a seat on one of four benches that the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Delaware County have installed at Smedley Park, they’d likely never suspect that they’re sitting on thousands of pounds of recycled plastic bags, bubble wrap and stretchy plastic film. Read more…
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New documentary traces plastic pollution back to Pennsylvania and Louisiana
The documentary tells the stories of two states with a major stake in the plastics economy: Louisiana and Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania segment focuses on Beaver County’s Shell ethane cracker plant, a massive facility for manufacturing plastics that began operations in the fall of 2022. Read more…
