The Feb. 4 “National View” column in the News Tribune, “ Plastics pollution isn't how you imagine it ,” was misleading and too supportive of plastic. Plastic may be ideal for specific uses, but for the sake of dear Mother Earth, we should avoid it if there are alternatives.
While doing our best to reduce the use of fossil fuels, we need to remember that 99% of all plastic is made from petrochemical raw materials.
Personally, I prefer thrift stores, where items are used and often old enough to be made of earth-friendly materials — also, more user-friendly since plastic breaks (wood and metal do not).
When shopping for groceries, it seems everything is in plastic; but many items are also available in glass, which is recyclable, sometimes in other areas of the store.
Some justify plastic shopping bags because they can be reused, but they do get holes or split open. Dependable cloth bags can be used for many decades and through many washings.
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The three R's — reduce, reuse, and recycle — are in order of their importance and are easy to remember.
Kathy Winkler
Duluth and Lakeview, Arizona
Readers' View and Local Views
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