As Plastic Free July wraps up, local solid waste experts said reducing plastic usage does make a difference.
Cumberland County Sanitation Litter Prevention and Education Coordinator Carrie Smith said plastic is not good for landfills or the environment, as it takes many years to biodegrade. Smith said one person creates about 2,000 pounds of trash per year. Smith said that one person recycling and reducing plastic usage can make a big difference.
“You can cut that number in half, so therefore you are only creating a thousand pounds of trash per year,” Smith said. “Then again, if you go a step further and you are composting, you can cut that number in half again, so therefore you are only creating up to 500 lbs. per year, which really lightens your carbon footprint.”
Clay County Sanitation Director Meghan Deckard said it seems like almost everything has plastic packaging, and that reducing plastic usage can be overwhelming. Deckard said using reusable shopping bags and using paper products are two ways the average person can reduce plastic usage.
“There are quite a few different ways to either cut out plastic or find a better alternative to alleviate the use,” Deckard said. “Of course, not everything can be cut out, but there’s always a good alternative to lessen the impact of that.”
Deckard said one thing people may not know about plastic is that some plastic containers should not be used in microwaves to reheat food.
“Whenever you reheat the food in some plastics, it can actually allow the chemical makeup of the plastic to leach into the food, so therefore kind of contributes back into your body,” Deckard said.
Smith and Deckard both said that as years go by, plastic usage is getting worse. Deckard said Clay County has done a good job of recycling. Deckard said in 2023, Clay County Sanitation recycled around 21 tons of types one and two plastics.
“Clay County is quite small, so it’s actually quite astonishing how much people actually contribute to wanting to recycle and help the environment,” Deckard said. “It is very nice to see that.”
Smith said the goal of Plastic Free July is for people to continue reducing plastic usage once July is over.
“It’s just kind of like trying to get your mind set to where just changing your habits, and then reforming your habits into just better habits,” Smith said.
