Humans have made 8.3bn tons of plastic since 1950
Missing from most environmental conversation is how much you can improve your life avoiding polluting things. What you replace packaged food, flying, and such with is fresh fruits and vegetables and local community. You learn that while one flight will bring you closer to a distant loved one, flying in general is what led to your &quot;community&quot; living where you can&#x27;t see each other.<p>When I point out that you, the reader, can make a difference, this community usually responds that you can&#x27;t, that only government action will make a difference or something like that. That&#x27;s where government action comes from. Besides, if it improves your life, you personally benefit from reducing your consumption anyway.<p>The article&#x27;s most important point I saw was that recycling hasn&#x27;t shown to reduce production of virgin material. Without reducing production, reusing and recycling only shuffle plastic around. Burning it creates dioxin and other pollution. My podcast episode 183 describes how reusing and recycling are only tactical. Reduction is strategic <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;joshuaspodek.com&#x2F;guests&#x2F;rants-raves-monologues-volume-6" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;joshuaspodek.com&#x2F;guests&#x2F;rants-raves-monologues-volume...</a>.<p>However snarky and cynical people here can be -- I&#x27;m sure they consider themselves practical and realist -- if avoiding buying plastic will improve your life and reduce demand, why not do it anyway. Besides it will lead others to change and can lead to politicians realizing voters want regulation. Legislators and heads of companies are people too and will change when people around them do, which is you and me.