Seeking solutions beyond recycling
To the Editor:
Re: “What can we do about the plastic problem?” by Jessica Driver (column, Nov. 13):
I agree with attacking the plastic problem by recycling, of course. In addition to notices for people to recycle, education about how to recycle must be taught in classes. This can easily be done in the early elementary years and touched upon again later in high school. It’s so surprising how many of my friends don’t know how to recycle. They do know how to recycle bottles and cans, of course, but when they get a tray made of plastic or some cardboard, they abandon their knowledge and throw it in the landfill. My previous school actually educated us somewhat on recycling, and it has stuck with me until now. On top of that, some initiative must be taken to bring notifications to people’s phones about recycling. After all, people are stuck to these devices for most of their days.
The real solution would be a plastic alternative, as Driver mentioned in her article. That would be tough, however, because plastic is so cheap for huge corporations to produce. Another cheap plastic needs to be made soon.
RANDY BELLORIN, DAVIS
Randy Bellorin is a first-year biological sciences major at UC Davis.
To the Editor:
Re: “What can we do about the plastic problem?” by Jessica Driver (column, Nov. 13):
The plastic problem has come up repeatedly over the years, but nothing seems to change. This issue seems to be increasing over time, and it’s very horrifying to think that by the year 2050 there will be “more plastic than fish in the ocean.” As humans on this planet, we should make every capable choice to recycle in order to help protect our planet. No action is too small. For example, if everyone took the time to recycle one bottle, the numbers would definitely add up and make a difference. There are ignorant people who believe that pollution doesn’t exist. Hopefully they will finally open their eyes and begin to start a change within their community.
DAISY RUIZ, DAVIS
Daisy Ruiz is a first-year biological sciences major at UC Davis.
To the Editor:
Re: “What can we do about the plastic problem?” by Jessica Driver (column, Nov. 13):
Plastic products are present everywhere in our lives, and many of these end up in the ocean and cause trash vortexes that obstruct the marine life. We’re facing a serious plastic problem, and we should therefore make safer plastics. Instead of using finite fossil fuels, we should use renewable sources to forge plastics.
We should also avoid using too many single-use products, such as plastic water bottles, plastic forks and plastic bowls. If it’s necessary to use plastic products like alarm clocks and toothbrushes, we should put them in the recycling bin after they can no longer be used. We can therefore reduce the plastics in the ocean by increasing plastic recycling.
QIQING LIANG, DAVIS
Qiqing Liang is a second-year statistics major at UC Davis.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.
