Hashtags, real problems, symbols, and what they mean for the industry

Social media has the plastics industry on its toes. I'm not talking about Facebook posts with funny photos from the company golf outing. I'm talking about the surge in social media posts calling on people to stop using single-use plastic products.

Don't believe me? Go to Twitter and do a search on "plastic straws." You'll get hundreds (if not thousands) of recent results, including many with hashtags like #StopSingleUse, #EndOceanPlastics, #RefuseTheStraw and #StrawsAreForSuckers.

A year ago, plastic straws were barely part of debates about single-use plastics and ocean pollution. Today, it's a movement that's growing every day. And that's just straws. You'll find the same results if you search on plastic bags, polystyrene cups, plastic water bottles or balloons.

Most plastics processors don't make straws or single-use grocery bags or polystyrene foam takeout containers. So you may think this social media phenomenon doesn't impact you. But if you look at the big picture, you'll realize that it does. To understand why, let's take a look at a few stories from last week.

First, the environmental group Ocean Conservancy on Oct. 4 announced that it was spearheading a $150 million investment fund targeted at reducing plastic marine litter in Southeast Asia.

Experts say about half of the plastic waste in the ocean comes from Asia, specifically from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. Helping those countries develop better infrastructure for collecting and recycling waste will make a big impact on one of the plastics industry's biggest issues.

The idea is to offer startup funds to help projects that recycle plastics. Where do North American plastics processors fit in? Well, plastics and consumer products industries are already part of the project, including the American Chemistry Council. Resin suppliers are evaluating making contributions to $150 million; I won't be surprised if they end up being the largest benefactors.

Second, As You Sow, a foundation that promotes corporate social responsibility, is putting pressure on Starbucks to stop using plastic straws. It's part of a resolution that the foundation is trying to get Starbucks shareholders to vote on at the next annual meeting.

Most shareholder resolutions fail, but the attention they generate has a way of getting companies to eventually take action. No company wants to be seen as a business that's in favor of creating more ocean pollution.

As someone who spends a fair amount of time picking up roadside plastic trash, I agree with the sentiment that plastic straws are overused. I think we've just about reached a point where businesses are going to stop handing them out willy-nilly with every takeout order. That will impact everyone.

Finally, last month Al Gore (remember him?) stepped in to bring attention to the plastic ocean litter issue by accepting an honorary citizenship from the Trash Isles.

Trash Isles is a made-up country, an idea being pushed by Plastic Oceans Foundation with news and entertainment publication LadBible. They created a flag, a passport, a currency and stamps, and they asked the United Nations to recognize Trash Isles as the world's 196th country.

Gore did a video for the group that will draw some attention, as will his proposals: using biodegradable materials instead of conventional plastics, introducing a carbon tax and increasing recycling.

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Now I admit some of this is silly, and quite a bit is primarily symbolic. Starbucks uses a lot of straws, but if they completely stopped tomorrow, it wouldn't make a big difference in the volume of ocean litter.

Still, there's plenty that the industry can do to help. Participate in Operation Clean Sweep. Volunteer in community beach and river cleanups. Show people outside the industry that being in plastics doesn't mean you're in favor of litter.

Loepp is editor of Plastics News and author of The Plastics Blog. Follow him on Twitter @donloepp.