Dianna Cohen: Tough truths about plastic pollution

Summary

The speaker, a visual artist and co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, discusses her 20-year journey using plastic bags in her art, leading to a deeper understanding of plastic pollution. She initially planned to clean up the Pacific garbage patch but realized the need to address the root cause: reducing single-use plastics. She advocates for a global effort to refuse single-use plastics and promote alternatives, emphasizing the collective responsibility of consumers.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The speaker is a visual artist and co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, using plastic bags as a primary material for their artwork.
• ⏳ After 20 years of creating art with plastic bags, the speaker noticed their work started to break down into smaller plastic pieces, which they initially thought was a good thing.
• 😨 Upon further research, the speaker realized that the breakdown of plastic into smaller pieces is harmful, as it remains plastic and contributes to marine pollution.
• 🌊 The speaker learned about the Pacific garbage patch and the gyre, which led to a desire to clean up the ocean, but later realized the scale of the problem is much larger than just the gyre.
• 🚢 The speaker developed a proposal to use a cargo ship and machinery to collect plastic from the gyre and recycle it into building materials, but later reconsidered due to the enormity of the issue.
• 🔍 The speaker discovered that cleaning up the gyre would be insignificant compared to the amount of plastic being generated daily worldwide and decided to focus on reducing plastic production.
• 💢 The speaker expressed anger and concern about the prevalence of single-use plastics in everyday life, including supermarkets and health food markets.
• 🌐 The Plastic Pollution Coalition was formed to address the issue of plastic pollution, focusing on raising awareness and promoting alternatives to single-use plastics.
• 🗑️ The speaker highlights the low recycling rate of plastics in the United States and the reality that most plastics are down-cycled, incinerated, or shipped abroad.
• 🔄 The Coalition advocates for a fourth R, 'refuse,' to be added to the traditional 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,' encouraging people to avoid single-use plastics whenever possible.
• 🍽️ The speaker suggests using alternatives to plastic containers, such as Pyrex and stainless steel, as a personal choice to reduce plastic consumption.
• 🌍 The speaker concludes by emphasizing that plastic pollution is a solvable problem created by consumers, and the solution lies in raising awareness and choosing alternatives to single-use plastics.

Q & A

What is the primary material the speaker uses for their artwork?

The speaker primarily uses cut-up and sewn-together plastic bags for their artwork.

How long has the artist been working with plastic bags in their art?

The artist has been working with plastic bags for the last 20 years.

What did the artist initially think about the plastic breaking down into smaller bits?

The artist initially thought it was great that the plastic was ephemeral, just like humans.

What did the artist learn about plastic that changed their perspective on it being ephemeral?

The artist learned that plastic breaking down into smaller bits is a bad thing because it remains plastic and contributes to pollution, especially in the marine environment.

What is the Pacific garbage patch and why is it significant?

The Pacific garbage patch is a massive collection of plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean, significant because it represents a major environmental issue and symbolizes the scale of plastic pollution.

What was the artist's initial proposal to address the plastic waste in the gyre?

The artist's initial proposal involved going out to the gyre with a cargo ship and equipment to collect plastic, chip it, and mold it into bricks for potential use as building materials.

Why did the artist decide that cleaning up the gyre would not be as effective as they initially thought?

The artist realized that cleaning up the gyre would be a very small effort compared to the amount of plastic being generated daily worldwide, and that a more systemic approach was needed.

What is the 'faucet' metaphor referring to in the context of plastic pollution?

The 'faucet' metaphor refers to the need to stop the flow of single-use and disposable plastics entering the marine environment.

What is the Plastic Pollution Coalition and what is one of its main initiatives?

The Plastic Pollution Coalition is an organization co-founded by the speaker that aims to address plastic pollution. One of its main initiatives is to raise awareness and promote the refusal of single-use plastics.

What is the reality of plastic recycling in the United States according to the script?

In the United States, less than seven percent of plastics are actually recycled, with most being down-cycled, incinerated, or shipped to other countries.

What is the fourth R that the Plastic Pollution Coalition suggests adding to the traditional 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle'?

The fourth R is 'Refuse', which encourages people to avoid single-use and disposable plastics whenever possible.

What alternatives to single-use plastics does the artist suggest?

The artist suggests using stainless-steel or glass bottles and containers, such as Pyrex, as alternatives to single-use plastics.

What is the overarching message the speaker wants to convey to the audience?

The speaker wants to convey that plastic pollution is a solvable problem created by consumers, and that by raising awareness and choosing alternatives to single-use plastics, we can protect our oceans, planet, and ourselves.