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Bum Wrap
page
May be photocopied for classroom use. 2015 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study for Teaching Reading (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).
A Fourth R: Reinvent
To be fair, plastic wasnt to blame for the problem. Plastic did everything
asked of it and more. People brought about the plastic mess. Only people
can make it better. Plastic is nothing if not versatile. So why not invent
new plastic that eliminates the problem? Lets end our dependence on
classic plastic. Lets think back to the time of celluloid. Why not make
new plastic based on naturally occurring substances? There are plenty of
promising models among the carbohydrates and proteins. Keratin from
poultry feathers. Chitin from insect husks and fungi. Gluten from wheat,
casein from milk, albumen from eggs, collagen from processed meats. These
durable substances serve their creatures well. They are easily dismantled
when their service is over. New human-made plastic could do the same.
Maintain structural integrity while in use. Degrade when the job is through.
Degradation could be accomplished with microbes, weathering, heat, or
chemical treatments, or some combination thereof.
Bum Wrap
page
May be photocopied for classroom use. 2015 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study for Teaching Reading (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).
The Wrap-Up
Theres no going back to stone crocks and wooden chests. Plastic is here to
stay. But people need to rethink their relationship with synthetic materials.
That calls for a few more Rs. Lets require short-lifespan materials for
disposable items like wrappers and packages, bottles and bags, and yes,
disposable diapers. Lets recover and repurpose longer-lasting substances.
And by all means lets repair the reputation of plastic. Plastic: Its a
respectable product of human ingenuity.
Mary Beth Cox is a chemist from Texas. Her three kids wore cotton
diapers.
Mary Beth Cox, Bum Wrap: Does Plastic Deserve to be Trashed Odyssey
Magazine, November/ December, 2014. Carus Publishing Company.
Reproduced with permission.
Bum Wrap
page
May be photocopied for classroom use. 2015 by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study for Teaching Reading (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).