Plastic and Its Role in an Environmentally Conscious World

Plastic has been the bane of environmentalists for as far back as we can remember, and truth to be told, no one at All Chipmunks is particularly fond of the choking device, also known as the plastic grocery bag. However, maybe plastic isn’t the villain it’s been portrayed to be.

Plastic is sometimes hated in the green community, and for good reason. There are a plethora of reasons why people avoid plastic: it kills animals, it pollutes the water and soil, it doesn’t biodegrade, it leaches into foods and drink rendering them toxic, and environmentalists could go on and on.

Plastic, however, can also be useful. It is extremely lightweight, and so less gas is used transporting plastic from place to place when compared to metals or glass. While plastic can leach, some plastics, such as PETE (#1) and HDPE (#2) have not been proved to leach.

To summarize, plastic, whether people like it or not, is here to stay. While it can be dangerous, it is also an important part of energy usage reduction. For now, the best compromise is to buy plant-based plastics such as corn- and soy-based plastics (although they are unfortunately GMO), avoid plastics that are difficult to recycle and proven to be dangerous, and recycle any plastics that are used.

Sincerely,

Jean