Plastic and other debris is seen on the beach on Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2019. (Caleb Jones/AP)
It is clear to me now, after two years of our two Authentica shops offering products made from recycled plastic (among other recycled materials), we will need to be at this for a long time to make a dent. Of all the amazing capabilities we humans have, our ability to generate plastic waste is among the most remarkable. Our thanks to Tik Root for reporting on this finding:
U.S. is top contributor to plastic waste, report shows
Scientists reveal the U.S. role in the ‘deluge’ of plastic littering the world’s oceans in a congressionally mandated report
The United States ranks as the world’s leading contributor of plastic waste and needs a national strategy to combat the issue, according to a congressionally mandated report released Tuesday.
“The developing plastic waste crisis has been building for decades,” the National Academy of Sciences study said, noting the world’s current predicament stems from years of technological advances. “The success of the 20th century miracle invention of plastics has also produced a global scale deluge of plastic waste seemingly everywhere we look.”
The United States contributes more to this deluge than any other nation, according to the analysis, generating about 287 pounds of plastics per person. Overall, the United States produced 42 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2016 — almost twice as much as China, and more than the entire European Union combined.
“The volume is astounding,” said Monterey Bay Aquarium’s chief conservation and science officer, Margaret Spring, who chaired the NAS committee, in an interview…
Read the whole story here.
Organikos 
It is an understatement that we need to live more mindfully and sustainably. Here are two shocking eye-openers about the need to end our use and dependence on plastic. In the heart of the great Pacific, a story is taking place that may change the way you see everything. Watch the heartbreaking film at albatrossthefilm.com Also see Balloons Blow, they provide information to educate people about the destructive effects released balloons have on animals, people, and the environment, and strive to inspire and promote an eco-conscious lifestyle. balloonsblow.org
Thank you very much for those two referrals