The damage to our ecosystem is clear: the deaths of wildlife we see from animals stuck in plastic or ingesting it instead of food and never being able to digest it. Besides the obvious damage plastic causes, it never goes away when it enters our waterways. It simply breaks down into microplastic that is consumed by nature and humanity alike. These tiny particles contain a negative ion, which, when consumed, will eventually penetrate our skin and organs, including the brain. This negative charge can carry pathogens and toxins into our system and cause serious harm to anyone.
The public health crisis caused by plastic underlines the urgency of ending single-use plastics, for which Andrew Forrest proposes a solution: the increased use of ‘rag pickers’. Ragpickers are individuals, often children, who live in extreme poverty and look for plastic waste to collect in exchange for money. This type of labor has declined dramatically after China refused to accept any more waste, causing the price of plastic to drop and making this type of work virtually unprofitable. However, Andrew Forrest does not blame China for the plastic problem, but rather petrochemical factories that profit from the use of single-use plastics. To underline this fact, Forrest states that making new plastic is less expensive than recycling old plastic – meaning it is cheaper for consumers to buy new plastic than recycled plastic.
To solve this, Forrest proposes to increase the price of virgin plastic by a small percentage, thereby increasing the price of plastic worldwide. This would make plastic a ‘value item’ and give rag workers a tangible incentive to find discarded plastic. Similarly, the money earned from the additional costs of new plastic could be channeled into an environmental and transition fund. This allows the entire petrochemical industry to switch from making plastic from virgin materials to making plastic from recycled materials without losing profits – ensuring economic returns while helping the environment. Individuals can help companies commit to this recycled plastic solution by visiting www.noplasticwaste.org.
