The main culprit:
Polypropylene, recycling code No. 5, a kind of plastic commonly used in
disposable packaging.
Dr. Julie Peller
and her research team collected samples alongside roads throughout the Salt
Creek Watershed as well as at the Valparaiso compost site, operated by the
Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County (RWRD). “The large
plastic (macro) was counted and identified by recycling codes or chemical
analysis,” according to a statement released by the RWRD. “The microplastics
(smaller than 5mm) required further processing, as they were
small particulates.” Their finding: although a variety of plastics with
recycling codes 1-7 was discovered along the roadways and
in the compost, the most common was Polypropylene.
"Plastics are
renowned for their versatility and durability owing to their unique
synthetic chemical makeup, but the same durable chemical makeup means they
do not biodegrade like paper or cloth,” the statement said. “Instead,
plastics physically break down into tinier and tinier pieces that persist in
the environment for years. These invisible pieces then accumulate in the
air, water, and soil, often finding their way into the food chain after
being consumed or inhaled by organisms. The long-term health consequences of
ingesting microplastics are not well understood.”
For Peller the main
implication of her team’s study is that consumers should be mindful of their
purchasing choices and try, as much as possible, to avoid disposable plastic
packaging.” Disposable plastic packaging is used for drinks, chips, energy
bars, to-go foods, and so much more,” she said. “If we think that the
incomplete disposal of a few wrappers/cups/lids is not a big deal, multiply
those few packages by the thousands of others in a community who also
consume packaged foods. Once these plastic materials enter the environment,
they fragment into smaller pieces but do not decompose. The accumulated
plastic waste has unfortunately become normal for the younger generations,
and this pollution problem will only get worse unless our consumption of
plastic (especially single-use plastic) changes.”
Ron Taylor, public
education coordinator for the RWRD, emphasizes that folks should think
beyond just recycling if they hope to have an impact on the amount of
plastic pollution in their community. “While recycling is a vital piece of
the puzzle in combating plastic pollution, it has limitations. The American
recycling industry has been hit hard by recent shifts in the international
markets for materials, and recycling programs can only continue to function
so long as there are viable markets for the materials Americans put in their
bin. This is why we’ve made an effort to emphasize the importance of
re-thinking, reducing, and re-using. Re-thinking is about changing our
habits as consumers by purchasing less plastic, which reduces what gets
manufactured in the first place. Re-usinginvolves finding clever ways to
re-purpose plastic items instead of throwing them away after one use. All
approaches aim to sharply cut down on the amount of plastic.”
Taylor added that
Porter County residents can further help recycling programs by making a
concerted effort to recycle properly. “Many people have misconceptions about
what can be placed in their curbside bin. Improperly recycled items like
plastic bags can damage machinery at sorting facilities. Recyclables that
haven’t been properly cleaned can ruin an entire loadof adjacent materials,
which then have to be disposed of in a landfill. Both scenarios can cause a
serious drain of time and resources from municipal recycling programs.
RWRD maintains a
website that can answer many questions about proper recycling. It also hosts
an Adopt a County Road program, which allows individuals and groups to adopt
a road and assist in cleaning up the plastics and garage found along
roadways.