Frequently Asked Questions

1. Plastics are low cost, highly manufactured items – in part, due to a government subsidized fossil fuel industry – that have replaced other materials and are commonly manufactured for single use.

2. Numerous products are made from plastic; many make life convenient and easy. Many plastic products are critical for modern living.

1. Society uses so many disposable plastics, even though the virgin materials – fossil fuels – took millions of years to form. This creates massive amounts of non-biodegradable waste [10] and devalues the earth’s resources.

2. Single use plastics are not sustainable; these materials promote wasteful lifestyles and create massive garbage that affects poorer communities around the world the most.

3. The plastic waste from the immense amounts of single use plastic affects all ecosystems around the world. Microplastics have been found in the deep sea and the top of mountains. [11]

4. Most single use plastics are not recyclable. Plastics, in general, are downcycled and eventually become plastic waste.

5. The cheap prices of single use plastics do not figure in the cost of the waste.

1. It is now well known that micro and nanoplastics are commonly released from plastic materials. Bodies of water across the globe contain nanoplastics and microplastics to varying extents. [12] Studies determined that bottled water contains hundreds of thousands of nanoplastics per liter. [13]

2. Plastics contain chemical additives. Currently, over 16,000 chemicals are used in different plastics, many of which are considered toxic or cancer-causing. [14] Many are known to leach from plastic materials, but companies are not required to disclose this information.

1. Reducing single use plastic provides a great opportunity for businesses and organization to benefit the community and provide leadership in the care for the environment and human health.

2. Businesses can save money when disposable items are replaced with reusable ones. Benefits also include reductions in garbage, positive attention and healthier conditions.

Most plastic waste ends up in landfills, since the majority of plastics are not recyclable. [15] Some is incinerated, but this process releases harmful air pollutants. Less than 9% of plastic materials are recycled. The recycling process for plastics is mostly a downcycling process. Eventually these materials become untenable garbage.

1. Plastic materials are turned into something with less capacity to be recycled again (downcycling). This is now known to be a less significant means to reduce plastic waste.

2. While less recyclable plastic is shipped abroad now, a small percentage is transported to poorer countries with substandard waste management. In 2025, Malaysia banned all shipments of plastic waste from the U.S. [16]

3. We currently do not have a viable plan to deal with plastic waste. Most cannot be recycled and is problematic waste. [17]

Plastics are cheap and convenient and have been adopted across the spectrum of everyday life. These materials are used in everything from clothes and carpet to medical supplies and car parts, in addition to the massive amounts used for drinks, food and packaging.

YES! Government bans on plastic are effective and people adapt to using different materials and reusing items. [18]

1. It is becoming clearer that human exposures to plastic particles and chemical additives can result in negative health effects. [19] A study was released in April 2024 by Project Tendr: “Protecting the Developing Brains of Children from the Harmful Effects of Plastics and Toxic Chemicals in Plastics”

2. There are a growing number of human health/systems studies linking plastic particles (micro and nanoplastics) to adverse health. [20] A publication on the threat to cardiovascular health was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2024. This field of study is expanding.

1. Plastics are not decomposable (not nature compatible). Therefore, the amount of plastic waste on earth will continue to increase and possibly triple by 2060. [1]

2. Plastics are NOT well recycled and most cannot be recycled. [2]

3. We currently have no comprehensive solutions for the immense amount of plastic waste worldwide.

4. All plastics release micro and nanoplastics; these are part of our living sphere. [3]

5. Plastics are polluting the earth, killing wildlife and affecting human health. [4, 5]

1. Plastics are made from fossil fuels; these took millions of years to form and should be valued! One analysis determined that global plastic production accounted for 5.3% of greenhouse gas emissions. [6]

2. The manufacturing of plastics also requires mining, transportation and industrial processing, which are highly polluting.

1. Even though evidence is compiling about the dangers of plastics, the predictions show that plastic production will continue to rapidly rise.

2. According to the World Economic Forum, “A treaty is vital when global plastic waste is expected to reach 1.7 billion metric tons by 2060, costing a cumulative $281 trillion by some estimates.” [7]

3. Approximately half of all manufactured plastics were made in the past 15-20 years. [8] Therefore, young people are exposed to these materials (micro and nanoplastics and chemical additives) far more than older generations.

4. The plastic industry is trying to portray an image of clean plastic collection and recycling, while it builds more manufacturing facilities going forward. [9]