August 2018

I recently read an article that asked a very intriguing question. The book of Revelation informs us with vivid language that this earth is going to be consumed by fire in the end, so why, the article asked, should we bother trying to take care of nature? On the surface the answer may seem simple, we don’t need to bother. A deeper analysis shows that we are tenets living on God’s land (Job 41:11, Psalm 24:1). We do have to look after its upkeep after all. The earth is wearing out (Isaiah 51:6) and God will eventually destroy it with fire (2 Peter 3:10-12). But he has not abandoned it yet.

One of the biggest issues God’s creation is now facing is the proliferation of plastic waste. It has accumulated around the globe and poses a significant issue with no clear solutions. A 2017 joint study by the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Georgia, found that of the 9.1 billion tons of plastic produced since 1950, approximately 5.5 billion tons litter Earth’s land and oceans.1 In the oceans, currents gather the floating debris into large patches. The largest is the Great Pacific garbage patch and is estimated to be at least 270,000 square miles or about the size of Texas. Much of this floating trash island is plastic waste.

Plastic litter is problematic for plant and animal life. It can kill animals that get trapped in large plastic trash. Many varieties of marine life have been found to have plastic remains in their digestive tracts. This plastic often remains for life as it cannot break down. Several species of birds have been observed feeding bits of plastic to their young, sometimes leading to death. Plastics do not biodegrade naturally but may break down into microscopic particles that are absorbed by plants. Some of these have been found to make their way into our food chain. Microplastics have also been found in tap water. The problem is that some of these plastics release toxic chemicals over time and may have other health risks when consumed by humans.

There are new plastics on the market that claim to be biodegradable. While these claims are technically true, the biodegrading process is highly specific. Many will only biodegrade in a human controlled process within a biodegrading facility and require temperatures over 100 degrees. They will not biodegrade in a natural outside environment. Additionally, natural biodegrading processes primarily take place within the first few feet of top soil. Trash that is buried in a land fill is often buried much deeper than this and is sealed off meaning the trash may take centuries to decompose.

Plastic has created many problems, primarily because we have few effective ways of dealing with it. Plastic can be recycled but much of the world does not have an effective strategy to collect plastic waste, so it ends up in landfills or as litter. Metal can be recycled numerous times without losing its integrity. Plastic on the other hand, is down-cycled meaning it cannot be used for the same purpose again because it loses some of its integrity. For example, food containers can be recycled down for use in carpet or clothing. Each time plastic is recycled it becomes less useful. It can only be recycled 2-3 times total.2

Plastic is also being made at an exponentially increasing rate. Virtually half of the plastic ever manufactured has been made in the last 15 years.3 Production is outpacing the capacity of current plastic recycling infrastructure which is unable keep pace. However, there is hope. In 2016 researchers in Japan stumbled upon a bacterium that had formed the ability to “digest” PET, a common type of plastic. Since then scientists have been studying the bacterium to find ways it may be used to improve plastic recycling methods!4

Plastic is a problem, but it also has many benefits. It is very light and a great moister barrier. These properties have helped to make the products we buy cheaper and safer. The biggest problem with plastic is the culture of disposability it has helped to make. One-use plastic disposables are a big contributor to the insane amount of plastic pollution. If we cut back on one-use disposables by choosing reusable options, and recycle instead of trashing, our plastic problem will begin to decrease.

Practical solutions to try: Take your own plate and flatware to potluck. If more people did this then it wouldn’t leave a huge pile of dishes for the potluck volunteers to wash, nor would it create several bags of plastic trash. Carry a reusable coffee cup or water bottle. If you drink bottled water and are concerned about drinking tap water, you may be surprised to learn that bottled water is not always filtered. As much as 25% of bottled water on the market comes from municipal tap water sources. The bottling company may filter the water further or they may not. If you truly want filtered water, best to filter your own at home and take that with you.5

Another way to reduce plastic waste is to shop with reusable bags. You can also look for products that use less packaging in general. It is also beneficial to choose metal packaging over plastic when possible. Let’s work together to reduce plastic waste.


Written by David F. Garner



1. "Plastic pollution," NewsComAu, July 20, 2017. Accessed 8/14/18 from https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/plastic-pollution-9-billion-tons-of-permanent-problems-for-our-planet/news-story/77cd6fa7ba6ce3529f4969609f5eb143.

2. Lilly Sedaghat, “7 Things You Didn’t Know About Plastic (and Recycling),” (National Geographic, April 4, 2018). Accessed 8/14/18 from https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2018/04/04/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-plastic-and-recycling/.

3. Laura Parker, “Plastic,” National Geographic 06.2018 (59). National Geographic Printers: Washington. Print.

4. Neel V. Patel, “Scientists stumbled upon a plastic-eating bacterium,” Popular Science, April 17, 2018. Accessed 8/14/18 from https://www.popsci.com/bacteria-enzyme-plastic-waste.

5. Andrew Postman, “The Truth About Tap,” National Research Defense Council, January 05, 2016. Accessed 8/14/18 from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/truth-about-tap.