I have always known that plastic was bad for the environment and how it was important to recycle them. However, I did not know that plastics do not disintegrate but instead just become smaller pieces and continually pass through living organisms. In my lifetime, I do not think I went more than a day without interacting with some type of plastic. It makes me wonder, does anyone in this world go their entire lifetime without interacting with plastics? Aside from the few hidden tribes of people in rainforests, probably not many people. Plastic is such a pervasive substance. So many objects are composed of it to some degree. With the large quantity of plastics and combined with the fact that it never really disintegrates, I feel a sense of overwhelming fear for the future of our planet.

However, I should not be crippled by this overwhelming sense of doom. Bringing a sense of consciousness of how involved plastics are in our lives is also interesting as well. It is better to find alternatives and solutions rather than be crippled by the problem. I find myself more aware of how plastics enter my everyday life and what happens to it. I realize that while some plastics are recycled, many are discarded as trash. A plastic water bottle ends up in the recycling bin to be recycled. Plastic cling wrap ends up in the trash to be discarded since there is no further use for it. What could we do it about this? Is there any way this seemingly useless cling wrap can be recycled? It could also be used as part of a costume or part of a sculpture, giving it a new life. But how would it be recycled for other uses and make new items? For the sake of environment, I feel it is important to ensure that alternatives and solutions be developed to prevent plastics from harming the world even further.