Paper straws are annoying to use. They make the drink taste like paper, go soggy after a few minutes, and barely have enough structural integrity to punch through the seal on juice boxes.

Despite the many downsides to using paper straws, many restaurants are still switching from disposable plastic straws in an attempt to reduce plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution is a dangerous problem worldwide. Not only do emissions during production and disposal contribute to global warming, but plastic waste breaks down into microplastics and other pollutants and contaminants the surrounding environment.

This is already bad enough when it’s just humans being poisoned, but the horrible disposal practices used to deal with plastic mean a lot of it also makes its way into the ocean, where it can cause devastation to entire ecosystems.

Where does the plastic come from?

Right now, there are about 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in our oceans, with another 8 million pieces of plastic being dumped into it daily.

While up to 80 percent of plastic is being used in high-income countries such as the USA, most of the plastic that manages to make its way to the oceans comes from less developed countries, showing that mismanaged waste is the major contributor to plastic accumulation in the ocean.

Unfortunately, not all plastic in our oceans can be fixed with better recycling. Up to 20 percent of ocean plastic pollution also comes from discarded fishing nets and lines. Waste from industrial fishing also makes up at least half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a patch of plastic and garbage twice as big as Texas by area and has seemingly grown so large that it now hosts its own ecosystem.

Even plastics that have been “recycled” don’t really do much good for the environment. Plastic is almost impossible and incredibly unprofitable to recycle, and when someone drops a plastic bottle into the recycle bin, it usually just ends up sitting in a landfill somewhere else.

Even more discouraging, despite efforts to reduce plastic waste by activists and governments, plastic waste is barely slowing down. This is not because consumers do not want to save the environment. As governments slowly pass bills limiting sales and use of oil, oil companies are moving more of their efforts to plastic, a product of fossil fuels.

In order to protect their bottom line, big oil companies will spend millions of dollars ensuring that consumers remain dependent on plastic.

Capitalism is going to kill us all

Currently, most of the single-use plastics in the world are produced by a small group of petrol companies, which is incredibly worrying because many of the companies that are investing in plastic production and lobbying for looser regulations on plastic are also part of the coalition that founded the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, one of the leading organizations supposedly attempting to solve plastic waste worldwide.

If that weren’t bad enough, these big companies that profit from destroying the environment will stoop to even more underhanded measures to maintain their profits. It turns out that these Big Oil companies also use astroturfing — in which they fund grassroot organizations, supposedly created by ordinary people who just want to keep using oil — to protest bills and movements that can reduce plastic and oil use.

This shows that unless consumers are willing to go to great lengths to walk everywhere, bring their own containers and utensils, and spend more money on non-plastic products, there is no way to reduce plastic waste and prevent environmental damage because big oil companies have literally removed every alternative.

How can we fix this?

Ever since the danger of plastic was discovered in the late 1960s, there have been people working to come up with solutions to plastic pollution. Groups such as 350.org are genuinely trying to end fossil fuel use, and numerous organizations have attempted to spread awareness of plastic pollution and develop eco-friendly products such as reusable coffee cups and biodegradable utensils.

Governments have also attempted to pass new policies that will limit the sale or use of plastics. For example, single use utensils will be banned in the UK at the end of 2023. These attempts by governments, however, have also been delayed by industries that have no incentive to protect the interests of their consumers.

The best way people can help the state of ocean pollution in the world right now is by advocating for change. While we’ve known about the dangers of plastic since the 1960s, many policies – such as four bills in American states to ban single-use plastics in food services – have been made in the last decade partially because of activists and public demand.

Big oil companies will attempt to maintain the status quo to protect their profits at the expense of literally everyone, which means it is even more important that we show governments that change is what citizens want through voting and getting involved politically.

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In conclusion, eco-friendly products like reusable bottles are a fun idea to help consumers feel less guilty about their impact on the environment. However, reducing personal plastic use is about as helpful as trying to stop a flood with a bucket. In reality, the day-to-day choices we make about what products to buy don’t compare to those the government and companies make for us. The responsibility for reducing plastic waste does not fall on consumers, as companies in the petroleum industry actively work to hinder more responsible plastic use.

By making a racket about climate change, advocating for genuine policy changes, and supporting organisations that aren’t led by oil companies, we can collectively work towards a cleaner and healthier planet. It’s time to take action to protect our oceans and the environment before it becomes too late.

Movements you can support:

350.org
Sunrise Movement
Natural Resources Defense Council
Climate Changemakers
Unions of Concerned Scientists
Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Rainforest Action Network
YIMBY Action