Regarding the article “The overwhelming problem of plastic” (Sept. 27): As someone who has dedicated her personal and professional life to protecting the Great Lakes, I can attest to the mind-blowing prevalence of microplastics on the shore of the Great Lakes. Locals know me for my pink kei truck that I use to haul thousands of pounds of trash from the Great Lakes to my home, where I find creative ways to use it for art. The things I’ve seen are devastating: endless colorful plastic fragments. My childhood beach is inundated with plastic pollution.
No matter how much trash I collect, there’s always more. That’s why I use my career to advocate for policies that meaningfully reduce plastic pollution.
Illinois has taken baby steps in reducing plastic pollution over the years. Chicago supported the shift away from throwaway culture with a fee on disposable plastic and paper bags, and the city prohibits restaurants from providing single-use utensils and condiment packets unless they’re requested. Illinois recently became the first Great Lakes state to legally classify industrial plastic pellets as pollutants.
State lawmakers need to think bigger. Much of the microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes is microfibers, the tiny plastic strands that come from clothing and other textiles — and a major source is our washing machines. While fashion brands and textile manufacturers need to stop using so much synthetic material in the first place, policymakers can help trap a significant amount of these microfibers before they end up in our lakes. Research led by my 5 Gyres Institute colleague, Lisa Erdle, shows that installing filters on washing machines can reduce microfibers in wastewater by 41%. That’s huge!
We cannot filter our way out of a problem that starts with how much plastic companies put into our clothing. However, Illinois lawmakers should consider requiring filters in all new washing machines sold in the state. Additionally, the state legislature must finally pass a ban on single-use plastic bags and plastic-foam containers — a policy that would actually stop pollution before it even starts. These are simple but effective ways to substantially curb the plastic pollution happening in our treasured Great Lakes.
More Top Picks Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome Vs Meares Irlen Syndrome
It’s past time for meaningful plastics policy. The Great Lakes deserve our protection, and the region is counting on state leaders to preserve it.
— Hannah Tizedes, senior digital marketing lead, 5 Gyres Institute
The scourge of plastic waste
The series “Great waste in Great Lakes” reviews the scourge of plastic waste in the Great Lakes. The oceans of the world are also clogged with plastic. There has been much discussion about microplastics so small that they get into the human body. We have yet to see all the damage these small particle will do to a person’s health. That so little of the produced plastics are recycled, about 5%, is a story not widely reported, while blue containers around us give us a false impression about the process that we’re doing good.
When all children are found to have these plastics particles in their bodies, what will the plastic corporations; their CEOs, attorneys and lobbyists; and uninterested government officials tell their children about why they are infected and the cause of their health issues? That they took pride in producing the tons of plastics that clog the waste stream?
If we are to keep using these materials, then the producers and the public have to step up and find solutions to really reducing the world’s biggest solid contamination. The future generations deserve better. If we can put men on the moon, we can also clean up our environment.
— Bill Gurolnick, Northbrook
Individual actions for climate
Thank you for the series on the problem of plastic. Plastic is an important issue and deserves attention.
However, climate change is also important. Many know about the problem. How about articles on what individuals can do about it?
Faith in Place recently had a program on “Unlock Solar Savings: How to Fund your Clean Energy Transition.” The Illinois Environmental Council could also provide information.
Providing such information would help Tribune readers prevent the increasingly serious problem of climate change.
— Eleanor Hall, Chicago
Story took me back in time
In 1974, I was a fresh meteorology graduate from Northern Illinois University. My first job was in Wheeling at the Central Weather Service working for Earl Finckle. My main job was to call our contact at Bell Federal Savings and Loan and provide a forecast so the bank could set the bell in the right mode.
Seeing the picture of the updated Bellwether in Sunday’s paper (“Aglow once again”) and reading the article sure took me back in time. Thank you.
More Top Picks Best Flat Irons With Teeth
— Mike Garfield, Buffalo Grove
Letter on forgiveness
Wow! The letter from Scott T. Thompson hit home — hard (“What is actually forgiveness?” Sept. 28). I’m sure that like many people, family disagreements have kept family members apart for many years, sometimes decades. I cut out the letter and plan to send it to a family member I have been estranged from for decades. And ask for forgiveness.
Thank you to Thompson.
— Sonia McGuinn, Lake Villa
Bring back Kid Whisperer
Whatever happened to the Kid Whisperer? I imagine his astringent style annoyed a few parents, but I loved his columns because he was such a breath of fresh air. I wish the Tribune would bring him back!
— Barbara Newman, Evanston
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].