Read more: Local, Consumer, Environment, Plastic, Grocery Store, Tons, Judith Perlinger, Stocked Shelves, Recycle, Chemicals, Polyethylene, Durable, Biodegrade, Degradable, Organisms, Bottles, Waste Management, Reduce, Reuse, Consume, Harm Humans, Landfills, Trash, Lakes, Ocean, Polymers, Plastic Bags
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HOUGHTON -- Plastic can come in many different shapes and forms, and if you take a closer look, there are not many places where it does not exist, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2010, Americans threw away 28 million tons of plastic.
Just a simple trip to the grocery store might leave you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of plastic that stocks the shelves and how much you use on a daily basis.
“Plastics are made of large organic polymers, so things like plastic bags are made of polyethylene, and they’re difficult to degrade just because of their chemical structure. They’re made to be durable,” said Judith Perlinger, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering.
And that durability can have some harmful effects on the environment. Plastic does not biodegrade, it just gets smaller, and when it makes its way to our oceans and lakes, the results can be toxic.
“Studies have shown that organisms do eat them, and so the plastics can degrade the digestive system of organisms or they can remain in digestive systems,” Perlinger said.
If these organisms, like fish, are consumed by humans, the chemicals from the plastic may cause harm.
Many stores now offer machines where customers can recycle plastic bottles and cans. This is one of the main ways we can all reduce what ends up in landfills.
Recycling helps reduce pollution, and companies, like Waste Management, collect recycled materials. They say the supplies are rich with energy and valuable resources so it makes sense to recover those assets instead of dispose of them.
Biodegradable plastics are becoming more readily available, but until then, experts say recycling is the key to help maintain a better future.
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