Compostable plastic isn’t the green alternative you think it is
Contrary to popular belief, products made of “compostable” plastic won’t degrade in your home compost. Rather, they are products that can decompose in commercial composting facilities, which are rare in the U.S.
McKibben, Environmentalists Suggest How to Defeat Plastic Waste
According to a joint study done in May of 2022 by Beyond Plastics –a Bennington College environmental group, and The Last Beach Cleanup – a California-based nonprofit, 94-95 percent of plastics are not recycled. Environmental writer Bill McKibben, Beyond Plastics founder Judith Enck, and writer Eve O. Schaub delivered other unpleasant truths in a roundtable discussion at the Southern Vermont Arts Center on Sunday. Despite the dire prognosis for the environment, the discussion – moderated with aplomb by Joe Donahue of WAMC/Northeast Public Radio – delivered the news with energizing good humor.
Most Plastic in the U.S. Can’t Be Recycled
While Americans often diligently sort and recycle plastics at home, only 5% of plastics in the U.S. can actually be recycled. Judith Enck of the non-profit Beyond Plastics joins us to talk about plastic pollution and solutions to it.
Plastic's Health Impacts Are Becoming Impossible To Ignore
Plastic has been creeping into our food, our air, our water, and our bodies for decades now, with most people blissfully unaware of its presence and health risks. But two catastrophes in the past six months suddenly made it impossible to ignore how plastic affects Americans' lives, health, and future. The catastrophes I'm referring to are the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment and the smoke from Canadian wildfires that enveloped U.S. cities for days. If you're not already aware—and many aren't—these two moments have everything to do with plastic. Let me explain.