What about all this plastic pollution?

I use the book The Economics of Public Issues as a supplemental book in my principles classes. It often chapters on trash, recycling and plastic bags.

The San Antonio Express-News ran an article by Chris Tomlinson called Solving plastics pollution takes more than just banning bags. Excerpts:

"More than half of all plastic by weight is used only once before going to a landfill or the ocean"

"Only 7 percent is recycled, but only once, before it goes to a landfill."

"Most marine plastic waste comes from Asia, and overwhelmingly from China, India and Thailand. More than 86 percent of the plastic found in the ocean was dumped first in either an Asian or African river and flowed to the sea."

"Plastics play an essential role in solving our other global problem: climate change. Plastics make things lighter, which means they require less energy. Plastics can seal buildings and coat windows to provide insulation and save on climate control.

Some plastic items should be banned, but most improve our lives. They need to be recycled."

"The root cause of plastic pollution is not what most people imagine. The solution is more complicated than they would prefer, and simple slogans will take us down the wrong path. Cleaning up the plastic pollution smothering the planet requires industry, consumers and government to compromise - not vilify one another."