Beyond Plastics Greater Mankato Area

Resolution to reduce single use throwaway plastics in Mankato

• Whereas plastic never completely breaks down but breaks into smaller microplastic and nanoplastic particles that remain in our environment indefinitely (approximately 9 billion tons in total);
• Whereas only 8% is recycled or recyclable;
• Whereas about 8 million tons of plastic waste escape into the oceans annually (a dump truck full a minute), killing millions of animals and marine organisms;
• Whereas we breath in 272 microplastic particles a day and ingest a credit card’s worth of microplastics a week from dust particles that carry 1000 to 4000 tons of plastics a year;
• Whereas the 144 toxic chemical additives in plastic bags and food ware are known to cause breast and prostate cancer and harm our reproductive, neurological, cardiovascular and hormonal system;
• Whereas microplastics found in human fetuses cause miscarriage, low birth weight, immune problems, gene damage and developmental changes;
• Whereas the 30 to 36% increase in plastic production in the next 6 years will become an international health issue that will pose serious threats to future generations;
• Whereas a recent scientific study concluded that the cocktail of chemical pollution that pervades the planet now threatens the stability of global ecosystems upon which humanity depends;
• Whereas 130 plastics facilities report greenhouse gas emissions roughly equal to 57 average 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants with another 42 plastics facilities slated to open by 2025;
• Whereas an average local grocery store gives out approximately 1.5 million plastic bags a year that are used once and thrown away;
• Whereas Americans throw away 25 trillion Styrofoam cups, 40 billion plastic utensils and four billion plastic straws a year that are not recycled and contaminate our environment;
• Whereas chemicals such as vinyl chloride and benzene released during the production of plastic utensils are known carcinogens and neurotoxins;

Be it resolved that the city of Mankato authorize the following actions to protect our environment and health of our community from throwaway plastic pollution:

1. Put a fee on all plastic and paper bags in all retail establishments;
2. Provide plastic straws, condiment packets and utensils upon request only.

References for plastics resolution

The new Coal:  Plastics role in Climate Change study

https://www.beyondplastics.org/plastics-and-climate

The Duluth Campaign to put a fee on plastic bags

http://www.bagitduluth.org/

Ocean plastic pollution

https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/

https://plastics.oceana.org/?_ga=2.15180918.1524395739.1661302386-172237196.1661302386

75% of the people want a worldwide ban on single use plastics.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/75-people-want-single-plastics-000351848.html

Chemical Pollution is now threatening earth’s life support systems. 

https://chemtrust.org/news/global-chemical-pollution/

Widespread chemical contamination of recycled plastic pellets globally (IPEN)

US Plastic Waste Export Data

https://ipen.org/documents/widespread-chemical-contamination-recycled-plastic-pellets-globally

https://ipen.org/news/new-global-studies-show-health-threats-throughout-plastics-supply-chain

Microplastics in Human Fetus

‘Matter of great concern’: Scientists find microplastics in human placenta for 1st time

How Microplastics travel globally

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/04/atmospheric-travel-scientists-find-microplastic-everywhere

Chemical Additives in Plastics Cause Disease and Death

https://www.endocrine.org/topics/edc/plastics-edcs-and-health

Link between prenatal exposure to various endocrine-disrupting chemicals and the rising prevalence of a potentially cancer-causing liver disease in children.

Rates of Childhood Liver Disease Are Rapidly Rising – Scientists May Have Discovered Why

Chemical Additives Cause Brain Cell Damage

https://newatlas.com/science/bpa-chemicals-plasticizers-damage-brain-cells/?itm_source=newatlas&itm_medium=article-body

Multiple Human Health Risks from Plastic Chain of Production

Plastic & Health: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet

Microplastics in Beverages and Food

https://www.statista.com/chart/18299/how-we-eat-drink-and-breathe-microplastics/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/15/microplastics-found-in-more-than-90-of-bottled-water-study-says 

The Effects of Plastics on Plant Growth in Soil.

https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.10071

https://qz.com/2150031/plastic-use-in-agriculture-is-contributing-to-climate-change/

Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/plastic-recycling-doesn-e2-80-99t-work-and-will-never-work/ar-AAXSmkG

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/whopping-91-percent-plastic-isnt-recycled/

Polystyrene Fact Sheet: 8 reasons to ban Styrofoam

https://greendiningalliance.org/2015/10/8-reasons-to-ban-styro-foam/#:~:text=These%20are%20the%20reasons%20people,Washington%20D.C.%20have%20banned%20it.

Reasons to Ban Plastic Cutlery

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/environmental-impact-plastic-cutlery-and-solutions.php

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauratenenbaum/2019/07/16/plastic-cutlery-is-terrible-for-the-environment-and-we-dont-need-to-have-it-delivered/?sh=7c93c1e34019

Myths about reusable bags and covid

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/victoria-rome/paper-or-plastic-neither-grocery-shopping-during-covid-19

Dr.Shanna H. Swan’s book:  Countdown:  How Our World is Threatening Sperm Counts,  Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race, Scribner, New York, 2020

Videos 

Plastics: Earth Super Polluters hosted by Impacts of Plastics A-Z

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaEiBK2a2as

Host a Screening of the Story of Plastic

https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/films-and-documentaries/

The Global Plastic Treaty – What You Need to Know

https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/ppc-webinar-031622

Dr. Kara Lavender Law on Plastic Pollution in the Ocean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP04G1wJEqY  

An