Letter: Solutions to the plastic crisis rest with individuals

I read an article in the Oct. 22 Sauk Valley Weekend about solutions to the plastic crisis. The headline for this Associated Press article was “Industry: Advanced recycling is a solution to the plastic crisis.”

We’re always ready for good news, and reading the title made me think I was about to read something great about reducing plastic pollution.

Further reading and investigation of the process used by the seven small recycling centers in the United States mentioned in the article indicate those companies aren’t currently recycling much plastic. The companies have received billions of taxpayer dollars to build their companies. Unfortunately, very few companies are interested in purchasing the plastic pellets because virgin plastic is much less expensive.

Due to a low demand for plastic pellets in the United States, less than 8.7% of the plastics we use are recycled, according to 2018 Environmental Protection Agency data.

Putting items in recycling containers makes us feel like we are decreasing plastic pollution, but in reality, reducing the amount of plastic we use and using plastics designed for multiple uses can make a bigger difference in decreasing plastic pollution and should make you feel good about reducing plastic pollution.

Consider using reusable cloth grocery bags and reusable beverage containers. Such a change doesn’t require any tax dollars and can leave a few more dollars in your pocket.

Teresa Smith

Dixon