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I want to agree with you, because I am generally pro-technology and pro-plastic. On many levels, plastics are one of the most amazing inventions of the last ce

I want to agree with you, because I am generally pro-technology and pro-plastic. On many levels, plastics are one of the most amazing inventions of the last century. On the other hand, we're seeing more and more particulate pollution from plastics which won't be solved by adequate disposal. Some plastic products break down and end up in the environment while they are still in use(see plastic clothing fibers for example).

Baeocystin 7y ago
You raise a good point, and I want to be clear, I fully understand that everything involves tradeoffs. Synthetic fibers from washing fleece blankets and clothing are a major source of plastic pollution. With current sewage treatment systems, some of this waste is caught, but not enough. Having cleanable filters on a washing machine's discharge water would be an inexpensive, easy fix, but as far as I know, none currently exist in the consumer space. But before we throw the baby out with the bathwater, we also have to remember that synthetic clothing keeps people clothed and warm for less environmental impact than most natural fibers- cotton is a resource-intensive crop that has its own waste and pesticide problems, for example. There are a lot of optimizations to be made.