Say ‘No’ To The Straw
Help Make Plastic Go Away
By Tracey MacDermott
Board Chair, GPHC, Inc.
You may not think that the trash and chemicals that collect on our Denver streets contributes to pollution in our oceans, but it does.
The nasty junk travels through our local sewer pipes into our waterways and eventually reaches the ocean. In 2010 alone, globally, eight million metric tons of plastic ended up in the ocean. That is just plastic. That does not account for other items that add trash to our oceans, or the chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers that flow downstream.
Even if our Denver trash did not make it all the way to the ocean it does make it to the Platte River, where it pollutes the water and harms wildlife and also looks awful gathering on our streets and alleys.
Most of us have seen the horrific pictures of animals caught in our plastic debris, such as the widely circulated picture of a turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nostril. We humans caused the needless pain and suffering of that turtle. Next time you think you need that one-time use of a plastic straw think about the damage downstream from us. Just say “no straw, please,” and encourage businesses to ditch plastic straws and disposables.
All the plastic we have ever created is still here. Plastic does not easily go away. The clothes we own that are made from synthetic fabric contain plastic. When we wash them, tiny fibers are shred that wash down our drains and into our water system, adding more plastic to our waterways.
When plastic is exposed to sunlight it will break apart and form tiny fragments called microplastics, which then can be ingested by marine life and later by humans as they eat fish and seafood.
We need to end our addiction to plastic. It is challenging, as clearly the stuff is everywhere. Please consider what you can do to reduce plastic use. Here are a few ideas: Use re-useable grocery bags. In addition to the “no thanks, straw,” say “no” to plastic cutlery, plastic wrap and coffee lids. Stop buying water in plastic bottles. Boycott products with microbeads, such as facial scrubs, body washes and toothpaste.
Cook at home more, and when you do go out bring your own to-go container. Purchase items second-hand, avoiding the additional packaging of a new product. Recycle what you can’t use. Support a bag tax or ban. Buy in bulk. Bring your own garment bag to the dry cleaner. Put pressure on manufactures to change their packaging and processing.
I hope that you will join me in making a commitment to reduce your plastic usage and clean up our streets to avoid damage downstream from us. I would love to hear from you and the efforts you are making to reduce your use. I can be contacted at chair@greaterparkhill.org
Tracey MacDermott is chair of the board of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Active in the Registered Neighborhood Organization for many years, MacDermott was the 2012 recipient of the Dr. J. Carlton Babbs Award for Community Service.