Perez_marina_CM220M5_powerpoint12.pptx

Communicating Solution with Digital Media
Marina Perez
Purdue Global University
CM220 M5-05
June 22, 2021

Greetings, this is my communicating solution with digital media presentation.
The following is based on the importance of recycling in the workplace and community.
Please hold questions for the end of the presentation.
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Introduction
Did you know that you consume the equivalent of a credit card of plastic each week? Microplastics are consumed by people globally through food and by air, and it is estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Birds, sea turtles, jelly fish, and so many more animals mistake shredded plastic bags for food, which transfers through the food chain as larger marine mammals consume the smaller prey. (Center for Biological Diversity, n.p.) The United Nations have warned that marine life is facing “irreparable damage” from the tons and tons of plastic waste that gets dumped into the ocean each year. (BBC, 2017)

Modern life has produced the most amount of plastic waste. (BBC, 2017) It is unbelievable how the residence of Earth are not doing their part, especially since it is their children and grandchildren who will ultimately suffer the consequences of our actions. Earth is in dire need of help!
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Why is Plastic Problematic?

Although plastic has not been around longer than 80 years, it was designed to last a long time. Therefore, plastic can be found on almost everything that is used daily. Bottles used for drinking are the most common type of plastic waste, and according to the graph it takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to biodegrade. (BBC, 2017)
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How Much Plastic Ends Up in the Ocean?

An estimate of 10 million tons of plastic finds its way into the ocean each year. A survey of 192 coastal countries contributing to plastic waste in the ocean found that Asian lands were thirteen of the twenty largest contributors. (BBA, 2017)

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Why Is Plastic Bad for Marine Life?
Large marine animals like turtles, dolphins and seals may become tangled in plastic bags or other plastic items.
Sea birds and other marine animals may mistake plastic for food.
Turtles cannot tell the difference between jellyfish and plastic bags.
Scientists are worried about the plastic waste breaks down into super small micro-fragments.
If plastic items are consumed by animals, it could harm to their digestive system, cause internal blockage, and could be fatal.

Scientist are not sure what the effects may be for humans who eat fish containing plastic. However, in 2016 the European Food Safety Authority advised of a rise in risk to the health of humans and the safety of food “given the potential for micro-plastic pollution in edible tissues of commercial fish”. (BBC. 2017)

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Possible Solutions
Eliminating or reducing use of single-use plastic. (plastic straws, water bottles, utensils, containers and bags)
Recycle
Supporting bans
Educate your community
Do not use products that contain microbeads
Support organizations (non-profits) that are trying to address the issue (Blue Habit Tips, 2020)

Educating your community is a good start, but parents can be a great example for their children if they set the pattern. Parents who teach their children to recycle may help them make the right choice when at school, within the community, and as adults to recycle or limit the use of one-time plastic.
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Introducing Change At Work
Making changes at home is easy but getting colleagues to cooperate with new ideas may not be. Talking with coworkers about the dangers of plastic, and how simple changes in the office can allow them to do their part may get them onboard. Potential changes can include installing a water fountain where reusable water bottles can be used. Using Tupperware instead of onetime use plastic or providing a recycling bin for other recyclables. Asking the office if they can send memos through email instead of printing on paper is another great way to reduce waste within the business. Once employees have provided their thought and agree with the idea for potential change, it would be best to introduce the idea to upper management. (Berlin, 2021)

Coworkers may listen to your suggestions if they understand more on the topic. Providing coworkers with facts and explaining how easy the change could be may get them to cooperate with these suggestions.
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Reducing Company Expense
A recycling program may reduce the number of trips the business pays for trash pickup. For example, in 2011 the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin saved $13,000 in a year by removing blue wrap or polypropylene surgical sheets out of the trash, which removed over 10,000 pounds (about half the weight of a school bus) of blue wrap from the trash. There are several other businesses who recycle to save money. In Seattle, a mechanical contractor saves $4,800 a year by keeping cardboard and mixed paper out of their waste stream. Apple computers saves over $1 million dollars with their recycling program. And since everything is bigger in Texas; Texas Instruments keeps 81% of non-hazard materials for recycling, which saves them $16 million dollars every 3 months. (Polymer, 2020)

Management and/or corporate office may be more open to the idea of change in the workplace if they learn that money can be saved. Proving the company with information on how starting a recycling program at work could save them money at little to no cost, may allow them to be more open to your idea.
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Conclusion
Next time you see your kids, friends, or family ask them if they would you like a condiment with their plastic and explain to them how they eat a credit card each week. Making changes at home and introducing ideas in the workplace are excellent for initiating change. If more businesses recycled, they may have the potential to save the company money, it’s a win, win. Maybe we cannot reverse the damage but working together one community at a time can assist in preventing more destruction.

Do you plan on making a change?
Now I will answer your questions.
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BBC. (2017, December 10) BBC. Seven Charts That Explain The Plastic Pollution Problem. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42264788
Berlin, A. (2021) How to Convince Your Company to Make a Change Without Freaking Anyone Out. The Muse. Retrieved from: https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-convince-your-company-to-make-a-change-without-freaking-anyone-out

Blue Habits Tips, Resources, (2020, July 28) 7 Ways to Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution. Retrieved from: https://www.oceanicsociety.org/resources/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-plastic-pollution-today/

Center for Biological Diversity, (n.d.) 10 Facts About Single-Use Plastic Bags. Retrieved from: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/plastic_bag_facts.html

Chandra, G. (2020). Non-monetary intervention to discourage consumption of single-use plastic bags. Behavioral Public Policy, 1-14.
Gecko & Fly. (2021, June 13) 30 Sustainability Quotes On Recycling Energy, Ecology, and Biodiversity. Retrieved from: https://www.geckoandfly.com/31777/sustainability-quotes/
Heidbreder, L. M., Bablok, I., Drews, S., & Menzel, C. (2019). Tackling the plastic problem: A review on perceptions, behaviors, and interventions. Science of the total environment, 668, 1077-1093.
Polymer, A. (2020, June 21) Does Commercial Recycling Really Save Companies Money? AAA Polymer. Retrieved from:https
://www.aaapolymer.com/commercial-recycling-save-money/

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