By Amanda Mourelatos Plastic is a common, synthetic material used for almost everything, but some places in Tucson are starting to change that for the better of our environment. Plastic may seem ideal because it’s cheap and convenient, but it is a substance that never breaks down, harming wildlife and contaminating the air we breathe. “Plastic is a very useful material,” said Emily Rockey, director of sales and marketing for Tank’s Green Stuff, a company that deals in recycled materials for garden and lawn. “It can be pretty destructive, as well, if we don’t handle it properly and value it.” Awareness is growing about the buildup of plastics in the environment, and some individuals, businesses and governments are working to limit the use of single-use plastic products, such as straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles, food packaging and shopping bags. Businesses such as Woops!, a shop that sells macarons and pastries on East University Boulevard, have switched to paper straws and are packaging to-go items in paper products. “We try hard to make everything as sustainable as possible,” said Ashley Raujol, Woops! manager. Woops! made the change to paper straws in April. For customers dining in, they also provide washable dishes instead of single-use products. | Amanda Mourelatos |
Other businesses also are aiming at creating less waste for the landfills.
At Tank’s, the staff takes landscape trimmings that would consume space in landfills and makes them into an organic compost product, which customers can purchase and use as a potting mix, Rockey said.
Tank’s keeps 100,000 cubic yards of green leaves out of the landfill every year, and they expect production rates to triple when their fourth site is opened, Rockey said. “We don’t have an endless amount of space (for landfills),” Rockey said. “We should use our space wisely.”
Another local business that’s helping to preserve the environment by reducing waste is the Food Conspiracy Co-op, on North Fourth Avenue. Nick Super, the team lead for the front end at the Co-op, said reducing or recycling has a “ripple effect.”
“Every little bit that everybody does kind of spreads and expands,” Super said.
The Co-op sells various types of reusable products instead of plastic, including cloth bulk or produce bags, glass jars, take-out containers, Hydro Flasks and metal straws. They also sell bamboo products, such as forks, knives, toothbrushes and straws, which will decompose when thrown away.
One of Super’s major concerns is using glass over plastic. He suggested people try to buy products in glass instead of plastic and to use reusable mugs, cups and straws.
At Tank’s, the staff takes landscape trimmings that would consume space in landfills and makes them into an organic compost product, which customers can purchase and use as a potting mix, Rockey said.
Tank’s keeps 100,000 cubic yards of green leaves out of the landfill every year, and they expect production rates to triple when their fourth site is opened, Rockey said. “We don’t have an endless amount of space (for landfills),” Rockey said. “We should use our space wisely.”
Another local business that’s helping to preserve the environment by reducing waste is the Food Conspiracy Co-op, on North Fourth Avenue. Nick Super, the team lead for the front end at the Co-op, said reducing or recycling has a “ripple effect.”
“Every little bit that everybody does kind of spreads and expands,” Super said.
The Co-op sells various types of reusable products instead of plastic, including cloth bulk or produce bags, glass jars, take-out containers, Hydro Flasks and metal straws. They also sell bamboo products, such as forks, knives, toothbrushes and straws, which will decompose when thrown away.
One of Super’s major concerns is using glass over plastic. He suggested people try to buy products in glass instead of plastic and to use reusable mugs, cups and straws.
While it’s wonderful to recycle, the first step is to reduce, said Gina Murphy-Darling, founder and CEO of Mrs. Green’s World, a platform designed to educate and inspire readers about a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
Murphy-Darling said people should pick one thing to reduce. It’s easy to reuse plastic bags around the house, for example, she said.
Ditch the straw like Murphy-Darling did or buy glass products like Super. Buying reusable products and avoiding singleuse plastic are simple first steps to help preserve the environment.
Recycling is not the answer; we must reduce our waste, beginning with plastic, sources said.
“Look at the problems we’re having in Tucson with recycling. People can’t even get it straight,” Murphy-Darling said.
The city of Tucson has been considering cutting back on curbside recycling service as well as ceasing to recycle glass and plastic.
“It’s a political hot potato with recycling right now,” Murphy-Darling said.
Even though plastic is such a cheap and easy substance to use, that doesn’t change how it affects our environment and ourselves.
Murphy-Darling said plastic is in the blood cord of infants and in bioidentical pieces of breast cancer tissue. Microscopic plastic fragments have been found in the digestive systems of people all over the world. It’s in the air we breathe, the meat we eat, the blood streams of our bodies, and filling the oceans, she said.
“People don’t know we’re absorbing it through our water supply, through our storage of it in plastic containers, through buying things that are stored in plastic,” Murphy-Darling said.
Murphy-Darling said people should pick one thing to reduce. It’s easy to reuse plastic bags around the house, for example, she said.
Ditch the straw like Murphy-Darling did or buy glass products like Super. Buying reusable products and avoiding singleuse plastic are simple first steps to help preserve the environment.
Recycling is not the answer; we must reduce our waste, beginning with plastic, sources said.
“Look at the problems we’re having in Tucson with recycling. People can’t even get it straight,” Murphy-Darling said.
The city of Tucson has been considering cutting back on curbside recycling service as well as ceasing to recycle glass and plastic.
“It’s a political hot potato with recycling right now,” Murphy-Darling said.
Even though plastic is such a cheap and easy substance to use, that doesn’t change how it affects our environment and ourselves.
Murphy-Darling said plastic is in the blood cord of infants and in bioidentical pieces of breast cancer tissue. Microscopic plastic fragments have been found in the digestive systems of people all over the world. It’s in the air we breathe, the meat we eat, the blood streams of our bodies, and filling the oceans, she said.
“People don’t know we’re absorbing it through our water supply, through our storage of it in plastic containers, through buying things that are stored in plastic,” Murphy-Darling said.