L.A’s Plastic Waste Problem

L.A county has a large plastic waste problem, and the county itself creates about 28 million tons of solid waste each year. Less than 10% of all single-use plastics are recycled which means most non-degradable plastics will take up space in landfills for millions of years and damage L.A’s oceans and environment. Not only do taxpayers have to pay lots of money towards litter prevention and pollution, but plastic waste also contributes to climate change, as plastic production accounts for 20% of fossil fuel consumption. California lawmakers are trying to create legislation on plastic that would eventually phase out non-recyclable single use packaging by 2030. I want to figure out how to decrease the amount of plastic waste and how to decrease the impact it has on the environment to lessen climate change.

Californians have already been barred from getting plastic straws in many restaurants until they are requested and many grocery stores are not providing single-use plastic bags. State lawmakers have been trying to take action for years in order to help L.A’s growing pollution problem and to prevent climate change. In 2019, legislation had been passed that requires plastic and single-use materials to be reusable, fully recyclable, or compostable by 2030. The L.A council shares the objective of reducing the amount of plastic going into landfills.