The Dangers of Plastic Pollution and

Community Involvement in the Issue

By: Anis Toubaline, Chirag Agrawal, Lynn Pickering

 Plastic Pollution
- Simply put, the accumulation of plastic in the
environment where it cannot be chemically
broken down
- Where does it come from?
- 10-20 million tons of plastic pollution ends up in
the oceans
- The largest contributor being the “Packaging”
sector
- Includes single-use plastics and packaging
- Single-use plastics includes plastic bags

Our World in Data Graphic of Plastic Production Sectors

Scope: Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Great Pacific Garbage Patch ocean view and relative size compared to the US view
 Other Environmental Dangers
- Wildlife and ecosystem ramifications
- Sea Turtles
- Coral Reefs

Plastic Bag on Coral Reef

Sea turtle Eating Plastic Bag

Startling Statistics
● According to a study conducted by Duke University,
84% of all sea turtle species have been affected by
ocean plastic
● According to Biological Diversity, half of turtles
worldwide have ingested plastic
○ Once plastic has been consumed, it cannot be
broken down in the stomach and gives the animal
the feeling of being full and they die of starvation
● PEW reports that coral reefs that come into
contact with plastic bags have an 89% increased
chance of contracting disease Plastic Bag Floating Above Dying Coral Reef
○ If the coral reef dies, all of the species that depend
on it for sources of food and shelter die as well
Algerian Perspective
● Abdulhakim Batash, mayor of Alger Centre, a municipality in Algiers Province, said in an
October 2018 interview with al-Nahar TV that plastic waste has become a phenomenon
common to all Algerian cities. He affirmed that citizens should assume responsibility
for this problem since they are the primary cause of it as a result of random dumping
and disregard for waste collection times.
● Alger Centre had set up a hotline for citizens and allocated trucks and workers to
remove private waste (from home renovations, defective electrical appliances etc.).
However, these services have not elicited the expected response, so dumping
continued.
State of Pollution:

State of Pollution in Algeria in the City and the Beaches

Current Activities:
● Algeria celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June 2018 under the slogan
‘overcoming plastic pollution’.
● Ms. Fatma Zohra Zerouati, minister of environment and renewable energy, said that
Algeria is preparing to enact additional legal and regulatory legislation related to waste
recycling and environmental protection to encourage entrepreneurs, particularly small-
and medium-sized enterprises, to invest in the recovery and recycling of plastic waste.
Current Activities Continued:

● Algeria aims to establish partnerships with foreign companies to encourage Algerians

to recycle by providing them with the necessary training and facilities. For example, in
July 2017, the National Agency for Waste, as part of an Algerian-Dutch partnership in
waste recycling and in cooperation with the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, provided training to government departments and investors interested in
recycling as a business.
The Sad Reality:
● Algeria still uses about 5.5 billion plastic bags annually
● The government warned that this volume of plastic waste could cause an
environmental disaster in many major cities.
● One of the suggested solutions for the plastic problem is to increase recycling of all
kinds of waste, an activity that has not been widely practiced despite its significance at
the economic, social and environmental levels.
States Action Map
● Dark Blue = Statewide
plastic bag bans
● Light Blue = Local plastic
bag bans
● Shades of Orange = in
the process of
implementing local
legislature
● White = no action

Surf Rider Breakdown of States and their Plastic Bag Ban Position
Frontrunner States: The Usual Suspects
New York:
● New York - Since 2018 = 5-cent Plastic Bag Fee
● Connecticut - March 2020 = Bag Waste Reduction Law outright bans
● California plastic bags
● Vermont
● Oregon Connecticut:
● Delaware - 10-cent fee on Plastic Bags
● Maine - Local chains like Stop-N-Shop only have recycled paper bag
options for 5-cents
Ohio’s Actions: A Step Backwards
● In the earlier figure, Ohio was stated as having local plastic bags laws in place
● Ohio House has passed a bill in December of 2019 to inhibit local governments from enacting laws
restricting the use of plastic bags
● Their claim is to provide uniformity to retailers
● Mike DeWine is opposed to the bill due to the “millions of plastic[s] floating in Lake Erie”
● Local Chains CAN choose alternatives
○ Costco = Doesn’t have any bagging system at all
○ Whole Foods = Uses only paper bags

https://radio.wosu.org/post/ohio-house-passes-ban-local-plastic-bag-bans#stream/0
Before COVID - 19

Target : Kroger

- Headquartered in Cincinnati
- 121 Billion dollars in revenue in 2019

Kroger’s Current Plan:

- Transition fully to renewable bags by 2025

- Bins for plastic recycling at its stores (plastic bags, outer plastic wrapping, cereal box liners)

Our Goal:

- Discuss with Kroger to see why the ban could not be implemented before 2025
- Discuss to see if Kroger has other plans to reduce plastic in food packaging
COVID-19 Times

Grocery stores deemed essential

- Grocery workers putting their health and safety at risk so that people can get the food they need

Some states such as Massachusetts:

- Banned reusable shopping bags because of concerns that these bags may allow the spread of the virus

Updating Contacts for COVID-19

- Kroger recently (saw the change on Monday, 27th) updated their contacts due to COVID-19. They now
include a Cincinnati divisional contact which would’ve been helpful at the beginning of the project
 References
● https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-laws/
● https://blogs.nicholas.duke.edu/env212/single-use-plastic-and-its-effects-on-our-oceans/
● http://www.plastic-resource-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Global-Plastic-Production-RisesRecycling-Lags.pdf
● https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/
● https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/10/greenpeace-beach-cleanup-report-highlights-ocean-plastic-proble
● https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2018/09/24/plastic-pollution-affects-sea-life-throughout-the-ocean
● https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution
● https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/partner-voices/the-san-diego-tourism-authority-boosts-local-economy-attracts-worldwide-visitors/
● https://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/the-latest-plastic-bag-laws-and-maps?gclid=CjwKCAjwpqv0BRABEiwA-TySwQCzw9m
_FQkiiypyNL1vSW1-WytR_OvzmYRA67p66NKyt6mmdMeLPRoCMSYQAvD_BwE
● https://www.afrik21.africa/en/algeria-black-plastic-bags-will-be-banned-from-2020/
● https://www.theswitchers.eu/en/switchers/algerian-initiative-aims-banning-single-use-plastic-bags/
● https://eponline.com/articles/2020/03/05/new-york-enacts-a-statewide-ban-on-singleuse-plastic-bags.aspx
● https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
● https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-grocery-shopping-guide.html
● https://progressivegrocer.com/kroger-phase-out-single-use-plastic-bags-2025
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroger
● https://www.kroger.com/home-tips/cleaning/be-a-zero-hero
● https://radio.wosu.org/post/ohio-house-passes-ban-local-plastic-bag-bans#stream/0