OUR PLASTIC PROBLEM

It’s essential, it’s ubiquitous, and it doesn’t go away when it’s discarded—so what can we do about the growing problem of plastics pollution?

Dubbing waste plastics the second-greatest threat to our environment (after climate change), Durnford effectively communicates a sense of urgency. Rather than laying out doomsday scenarios, however, she focuses on potential ways to reduce the use of plastic, and to reuse it. She readily admits that “we are all completely dependent on plastic” and points to large- and small-scale efforts to reduce the amount of plastic in our food chains, from experimental filters for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and four other floating oceanic “soups” to chai vendors along Indian railways who are switching from plastic cups to disposable clay ones. Keenly aware that the crisis has social as well as environmental effects, the author notes that U.S. communities of color are disproportionately affected by hazardous emissions caused by the production of plastic. And her observation that waste plastics are often sent by wealthier countries to developing nations underscores the need for regulatory initiatives on an international level. Young eco-activists will also find general guidelines for localized projects, as well as specific instructions for laundering clothing to reduce microfiber shedding, among other immediately applicable advice. Stock photos of racially and culturally diverse groups of smiling young people join revealing views of factories, brightly colored plastic items, and cluttered beaches and landfills.

Accentuates the positive without minimizing the issue’s scope.