The following is a commentary on the dangers that plastics pose in our everyday life. It is being presented by The Kent Environmental Council in cooperation with The Portager, to help inform the community on current environmental topics.
By the Kent Environmental Council
In the 1967 movie, “The Graduate”, there’s a memorable scene. A youthful Dustin Hoffman gets career advice from his older neighbor. “Benjamin, I have just one word to say to you - plastics. There’s a great future in plastics.” That scene was a prescient warning for the future. Plastics, simply a chain of synthetic polymers, were invented in the mid-19th century. It wasn’t until the 1970s, however, that the use of single-use plastics skyrocketed. Today, industries remain heavily dependent on plastic because of its durability, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness. Plastic’s inability to decompose and the difficulty in recycling plastic have created an environmental and health crisis.
It is estimated that the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks of plastic are being dumped into the aquatic ecosystems every day. Plastic pollution is not only unsightly, but it also alters habitats that support life in and around bodies of water. Marine plastic has a direct and deadly effect on marine wildlife, including seabirds, sea turtles, and seals. Specifically, marine life can become entangled in nets and other plastic materials that are no longer used. Animals can eat plastic, mistaking it for food, leading to starvation as this debris becomes trapped in their intestinal tract.
Plastic contaminates the environment when it’s sent to countries with few environmental regulations and inefficient waste management systems. High-income countries like the U.S. have historically imported plastic waste to countries like Malaysia, where overflowing plastic landfills wash plastic debris into waterways, and open burning of plastics generates toxic air pollution.
The most famous collection of plastics and other debris in the world’s oceans is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and California. There are, however, five areas around the world where these gyres, areas where rotating ocean currents collect debris, exist. The term “garbage patch” is a misnomer because much of the plastic is broken down into microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters long. These microplastics can spread from the ocean surface down to the ocean floor.
Closer to home, Sherri “Sam” Mason, a freshwater scientist and director of Project NePTWNE at Gannon University, found staggering increases of surface microplastic pollution in Lake Erie over ten years. Her team sampled 5 sites in 2014 and then again in 2024. The alarming findings were that, on average, there were 21 times as many microplastics per square kilometer in 2024 as in 2014.
Public health research shows that microplastics are found in many foods, beverages, drinking water sources, cosmetics, and personal care products. They are found in many human tissues, and their concentration appears to be increasing over time. Microplastics can cause damage to cells, DNA, and the immune response. Standing by is not an option when recent scientific studies show an association of microplastics in our bodies with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia, or early death.
With all the frightening news and statistics about plastics, it’s clear that nothing short of a plastics revolution is needed to reduce these risks, not only to the environment but to human health. Much has been written about a plastics “circular economy” for a sustainable future. Environmental groups and the plastics industry don’t always agree on how to create that circular economy. Solutions generally fall into four categories: Policy, Producer Responsibility, Waste/Recycling Systems, and Materials Innovation.
Policy
In 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly, with representatives from 175 countries, met to develop a Global Plastics Treaty. Global Plastics Treaty meetings have continued each year, but a strong treaty has remained elusive, with the main disagreement being caps on new plastic production. The European Commission recently proposed a Circular Economy Act that focuses on improved markets and financing for recycling and the uptake of recycled materials, but imposes no limits on plastic production.
Producer Responsibility
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws hold producers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products. These laws shift the financial and operational burden of managing packaging waste from consumers and municipalities to companies producing plastic products. Seven US states have enacted these laws, and nine others have laws pending.
Waste/Recycling Systems
Improved technology that separates plastics more effectively can increase the value of recycled materials. Artificial intelligence is helping to develop systems that revolutionize traditional labor-intensive waste processing. AI-driven systems equipped with machine learning, computer vision, and sensor technology can sort waste much faster and more accurately.
Materials Innovation
Research and development of compostable plastics is underway; however, viable products that decompose in natural environments are harder to realize. Locally, the University of Akron School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering specializes in polymer sustainability research, specifically degradable polymers, polymer recycling, and biobased polymers.
Resources used for this article are available upon request. Send requests to: KEC, P.O. box 395, Kent, Ohio 44240
Dr. James Eagan, a polymer scientist at the University of Akron, is speaking on this topic at the Kent Environmental Council meeting on April 16th at the Kent Free Library at 6:30 pm. Dr. Eagan serves on the advisory board of the Akron Polymer Industry Cluster and is a member of the National Academy of Inventors.
A future KEC program will focus on: Using Less Plastic, Supporting Plastic Pollution Clean-Up Efforts, and Advocacy for a Plastics Revolution.
An excellent resource is the recent book, “The Problem with Plastics: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late” by Judith Enck, published in December, 2025
Judith Enck is the president of Beyond Plastics (beyondplastics.org)
Op-Ed Contributor