A View From The ‘Ville
Ending Our Plastic Addiction I was scrolling through my Facebook feed the other day, which is always a dicey affair. While a lot of social media has become a cesspool of political griping, misinformation, and vulgarity, there are occasional posts that remind me why I check in. One of my friends posted something interesting. Instead of giving up sweets for Lent, she decided to give up plastic. It seemed particularly relevant since I had just read a story about how GFL Environmental is starting to inform local communities, including Plymouth Township and Westland, the cost of recycling is increasing, largely due to the fact that China is starting to refuse to take our recyclables. “What you’re seeing is twofold here. There’s a glut in the market because there’s no place to take it,” GFL‘s Joe Munem is quoted in a letter the City of Westland sent out to residents, explaining how the city’s price to recycle has risen from $18 per ton to $80 per ton. The other problem, he said, is how too many people are recycling. In
other words, adding contaminated items like greasy pizza boxes, bowling balls, and plastic bags with normal recyclables. When this happens, it can result in an entire haul of mostly recyclable items getting sent to the landfill. Those of you who live in Northville Township, like me, are probably familiar with GFL because it is the contractor the township uses for its solid waste program, including recycling pick up. The City of Northville uses Waste Management. Those of us who do recycle (and I hope that includes everyone reading this) need to be vigilant in what we put into our recycling bins. That’s the least we can do. I think it’s time to admit we have a plastic problem. Most of us have seen the images of massive floating garbage patches in the ocean, which is making its way into the marine food web, killing whales, fish and birds. Don’t think for a moment that we aren’t seeing the same issues here locally. The Rochester Institute of Technology released a sobering
report a couple years ago claiming nearly 22 million pounds of plastic flow into the Great Lakes annually. Environmental Defence, one of Canada’s leading environmental organizations, issued its own report that indicates plastic comprises roughly 80 percent of litter found in the Great Lakes, posing a major threat to the drinking water supply for 40 million people. I’ve been participating in the annual Rouge Rescue event for nearly 20 years, so I’m accustomed to seeing plenty of plastic – mostly water and non-returnable bottles, fast food cups and other liquid containers–in our rivers. I had a real eye-opener, however, when we were doing a clean-up on a nearby hillside located next to a large parking lot. As I picked up plastic wrappers,
bags and cups along the hill, I realized there was layer upon layer of plastic debris mixed in with the leaves and soil. The more I dug, the more plastic I found. And the deeper it went, the more it had broken down into micro plastics, making me wonder how much it is impacting the food chain in that area. We have to start thinking about the impact our reliance on plastic is having on the world around us. Much of the plastic is single-use, disposable and unnecessary. Think straws, plastic cups and especially those dreaded water bottles. It is estimated Americans go through 50 million water bottles every day. Most end up in landfills or, even worse, discarded as litter. That’s why my friend’s Facebook post struck a chord with me. The best place to start tackling this problem is in our own homes and by changing our own habits. Kurt Kuban is the editor and publisher of The ‘Ville. He welcomes your comments at kurtkuban@gmail. com.
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ON THE COVER: Living and Learning founder Rachelle Vartanian (seated) with Silvia Robazza-program mentor, Delaney Sheridan, behavioral tech Alessandra McBroom, Jared Lonnerstater, and Garnett Tomasi.
‘Extremely challenging’ winter strains services 6 Recreation offices relocate to Township Hall 12 Past Tense: Remembering Main Street School 14 Village Workshop pulls plug on maker space 24 Out and About 26 It’s Your Business: Terri O’Brien – Realtor 30 Dishin’ With Denise 36 The ‘Ville 3