The ban on single use plastic paper bags in Kenya was a good move.

But was it enough to tackle the plastic menace?

Certainly not. We still use non-recyclable plastics everyday of our lives.

NON-RECYCLABLE PLASTICS

Non-recyclable plastics cannot be recycled easily.

Infact majority can’t be recycled at all.

Don’t get me wrong…they could be remodelled into different products after crushing them into small-sized pieces.

Take for instance an old plastic bottle could be broken down into small pieces which could be fused together to make a plastic container.

That’s still a form of recycling but is it sustainable in the long run?

MICRO PLASTICS

When plastics are reused over time, they end up breaking into smaller, minute particles called microplastics, which easily find their way into our water, food, and air.

Because the manufacture of plastics is a chemically intensive process, microplastics expose us to a concoction of substances whose combined health effects are still a mystery.

Repeated recycling of plastics therefore increases the likelihood of these plastics converting to microplastics.

So what recourse to we have in mitigating this problem?

STOP PLASTIC MANUFACTURE

Yes, I know probably I might probably get some flack for this, but it’s one of the viable options.

The more the plastics in our society the more likely we’ll see an increase in microplastic pollution over time.

That being said, what options do we have for alternative employment?

That’s the reason for our second point.

BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS

Lots of research is going on in the whole sphere of biodegradable plastics – these are plastics that can be broken down by the environment or even microorganisms.

Think about cellulose.

This is the most abundant polymer (plastic type of material) on earth.

So what if we are to get inspiration from nature and fashion plastics from cellulose?

But cellulose isn’t the only option out there.

Starch from potato and cassava food waste and chitosan from sea crustaceans are nature-based polymers that could inspire plastics of the future.

But research needs not be limited to plastic manufacture.

Plastic-eating insects and microorganisms are another option.

PLASTIC-EATING WORMS

I once stumbled upon an article that highlighted the use of meal worms to consume styrofoam – a non-recyclable plastic contributing immensely to the solid waste menace.

The video of these minute creatures devouring into the stacks of styrofoam probably painted a picture of hope.

But these are not the only critters associated with the breakdown of non-recyclable plastics.

Others (incuding bacteria) have also been discovered, and more research is going on in this front.

IN CONCLUSION

The plastic pollution menace is a unique one because plastics are easy to make, friendly to the pocket but hard to dispose.

Opportunities exist for researchers and innovators to look for ways to make bio-degradable plastics or reveal insects/ bacteria that could break them down.