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Add two-way footnote anchors with back-links on plastics page

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russell@unturf.com 2026-02-27 08:24:35 -05:00
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single-use-plastics/index.html
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</p>
<p>
A system in harmony has appropriate inputs for all of its outputs. Single-use plastic fails this test absolutely. Input draws from petroleum deposits laid down over a hundred million years. Output persists for a thousand years in landfill, or forever as microplastics in soil, water, & blood.<sup><a href="#fn11">[11]</a></sup> No process exists to close this cycle. No return arrow exists from output back to input.
A system in harmony has appropriate inputs for all of its outputs. Single-use plastic fails this test absolutely. Input draws from petroleum deposits laid down over a hundred million years. Output persists for a thousand years in landfill, or forever as microplastics in soil, water, & blood.<sup id="ref11"><a href="#fn11">[11]</a></sup> No process exists to close this cycle. No return arrow exists from output back to input.
</p>
<figure class="diagram">
@ -99,12 +99,12 @@ A tree takes sunlight, water, & CO2. It produces oxygen, fruit, wood, & leaf lit
<h3>Scale</h3>
<p>
Before 1907, zero synthetic plastic existed on earth.<sup><a href="#fn1">[1]</a></sup> In one human lifetime, petroleum industry produced over ten billion tons.<sup><a href="#fn2">[2]</a></sup> Every piece ever manufactured still exists somewhere.<sup><a href="#fn3">[3]</a></sup>
Before 1907, zero synthetic plastic existed on earth.<sup id="ref1"><a href="#fn1">[1]</a></sup> In one human lifetime, petroleum industry produced over ten billion tons.<sup id="ref2"><a href="#fn2">[2]</a></sup> Every piece ever manufactured still exists somewhere.<sup id="ref3"><a href="#fn3">[3]</a></sup>
</p>
<figure class="diagram">
<img src="img/scale-of-problem.svg" alt="Timeline of plastic production from 2 million tons in 1950 to 450+ million tons today">
<figcaption>from zero to ten billion tons in one century.<sup><a href="#fn4">[4]</a></sup> every piece still here.</figcaption>
<figcaption>from zero to ten billion tons in one century.<sup id="ref4"><a href="#fn4">[4]</a></sup> every piece still here.</figcaption>
</figure>
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@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ Before 1907, zero synthetic plastic existed on earth.<sup><a href="#fn1">[1]</a>
<h3>Recycling Lies</h3>
<p>
A recycling symbol on plastic got placed there by petroleum industry.<sup><a href="#fn5">[5]</a></sup> Not to enable recycling. To enable selling. That symbol transfers guilt from producer to consumer. You sort your trash. You feel responsible. You believe a cycle closes. It does not.
A recycling symbol on plastic got placed there by petroleum industry.<sup id="ref5"><a href="#fn5">[5]</a></sup> Not to enable recycling. To enable selling. That symbol transfers guilt from producer to consumer. You sort your trash. You feel responsible. You believe a cycle closes. It does not.
</p>
<figure class="diagram">
@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ A recycling symbol on plastic got placed there by petroleum industry.<sup><a hre
</figure>
<p>
Less than 6% of plastic produced in United States gets recycled.<sup><a href="#fn6">[6]</a></sup> Rest goes to landfill,<sup><a href="#fn7">[7]</a></sup> gets shipped overseas, gets burned in open air poisoning communities in Southeast Asia,<sup><a href="#fn8">[8]</a></sup> or enters oceans. Numbered resin codes (1 through 7) never functioned as recycling categories.<sup><a href="#fn9">[9]</a></sup> They served as material identification codes that industry knew consumers would confuse with recyclability. Confusion served as product.
Less than 6% of plastic produced in United States gets recycled.<sup id="ref6"><a href="#fn6">[6]</a></sup> Rest goes to landfill,<sup id="ref7"><a href="#fn7">[7]</a></sup> gets shipped overseas, gets burned in open air poisoning communities in Southeast Asia,<sup id="ref8"><a href="#fn8">[8]</a></sup> or enters oceans. Numbered resin codes (1 through 7) never functioned as recycling categories.<sup id="ref9"><a href="#fn9">[9]</a></sup> They served as material identification codes that industry knew consumers would confuse with recyclability. Confusion served as product.
</p>
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@ -138,11 +138,11 @@ An average American touches single-use plastic from waking until sleep. Plastic
<figure class="diagram">
<img src="img/american-way.svg" alt="A day in the American life: plastic at every step, 4.4 lbs waste per person per day">
<figcaption>4.4 lbs of waste per person per day.<sup><a href="#fn10">[10]</a></sup> 300 million people. 365 days. do the math.</figcaption>
<figcaption>4.4 lbs of waste per person per day.<sup id="ref10"><a href="#fn10">[10]</a></sup> 300 million people. 365 days. do the math.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>
Microplastics now appear in human blood,<sup><a href="#fn11">[11]</a></sup> lung tissue,<sup><a href="#fn12">[12]</a></sup> placentas,<sup><a href="#fn13">[13]</a></sup> & brain tissue.<sup><a href="#fn14">[14]</a></sup> Researchers estimate an average person ingests approximately one credit card worth of plastic per week through food, water, & air.<sup><a href="#fn15">[15]</a></sup> Endocrine disruptors leaching from plastics interfere with hormone systems across every species tested.<sup><a href="#fn16">[16]</a></sup> American life wrapped itself in plastic & plastic wrapped itself in us.
Microplastics now appear in human blood,<sup id="ref11b"><a href="#fn11">[11]</a></sup> lung tissue,<sup id="ref12"><a href="#fn12">[12]</a></sup> placentas,<sup id="ref13"><a href="#fn13">[13]</a></sup> & brain tissue.<sup id="ref14"><a href="#fn14">[14]</a></sup> Researchers estimate an average person ingests approximately one credit card worth of plastic per week through food, water, & air.<sup id="ref15"><a href="#fn15">[15]</a></sup> Endocrine disruptors leaching from plastics interfere with hormone systems across every species tested.<sup id="ref16"><a href="#fn16">[16]</a></sup> American life wrapped itself in plastic & plastic wrapped itself in us.
</p>
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@ -201,37 +201,37 @@ Grow food not lawn. Grow glass not plastic. Grow what cycles.
<div class="footnotes">
<ol>
<li id="fn1">Leo Baekeland patented Bakelite in 1907, first fully synthetic plastic. American Chemical Society, <a href="https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakelite.html" target="_blank"><i>Bakelite: First Synthetic Plastic</i></a>, National Historic Chemical Landmarks.</li>
<li id="fn1">Leo Baekeland patented Bakelite in 1907, first fully synthetic plastic. American Chemical Society, <a href="https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakelite.html" target="_blank"><i>Bakelite: First Synthetic Plastic</i></a>, National Historic Chemical Landmarks. <a href="#ref1">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn2">Geyer, Jambeck &amp; Law, "Production, use, &amp; fate of all plastics ever made," <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1700782" target="_blank"><i>Science Advances</i> 3(7), July 2017</a>. Documented 8.3 billion metric tons produced through 2015; production has continued accelerating past 450 million tons per year since.</li>
<li id="fn2">Geyer, Jambeck &amp; Law, "Production, use, &amp; fate of all plastics ever made," <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1700782" target="_blank"><i>Science Advances</i> 3(7), July 2017</a>. Documented 8.3 billion metric tons produced through 2015; production has continued accelerating past 450 million tons per year since. <a href="#ref2">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn3">Most plastic ever produced persists in landfills or environment. Roughly 12% has reached incineration. <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1700782" target="_blank">Geyer et al. (2017)</a> found 79% accumulated in landfills or natural environment, 12% incinerated, 9% recycled (most of which later reached landfill).</li>
<li id="fn3">Most plastic ever produced persists in landfills or environment. Roughly 12% has reached incineration. <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1700782" target="_blank">Geyer et al. (2017)</a> found 79% accumulated in landfills or natural environment, 12% incinerated, 9% recycled (most of which later reached landfill). <a href="#ref3">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn4">OECD, <a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/global-plastics-outlook_de747aef-en.html" target="_blank"><i>Global Plastics Outlook</i></a>, 2022. Production grew from 2 million tons in 1950 to 460 million tons in 2019, nearly doubling every 15 years.</li>
<li id="fn4">OECD, <a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/global-plastics-outlook_de747aef-en.html" target="_blank"><i>Global Plastics Outlook</i></a>, 2022. Production grew from 2 million tons in 1950 to 460 million tons in 2019, nearly doubling every 15 years. <a href="#ref4">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn5">Documented in NPR/PBS Frontline investigation, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/plastic-wars/" target="_blank">"Plastic Wars" (March 2020)</a>. Society of Plastics Industry created resin identification codes in 1988, deliberately resembling recycling symbols.</li>
<li id="fn5">Documented in NPR/PBS Frontline investigation, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/plastic-wars/" target="_blank">"Plastic Wars" (March 2020)</a>. Society of Plastics Industry created resin identification codes in 1988, deliberately resembling recycling symbols. <a href="#ref5">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn6">U.S. EPA, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling" target="_blank"><i>Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts &amp; Figures</i></a>, 2018 data (published 2020). EPA reported 8.7% recycling rate; <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/reports/circular-claims-fall-flat-again/" target="_blank">Greenpeace &amp; Last Beach Cleanup</a> reported 5-6% for 2021. Both confirm single-digit recycling rates.</li>
<li id="fn6">U.S. EPA, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling" target="_blank"><i>Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts &amp; Figures</i></a>, 2018 data (published 2020). EPA reported 8.7% recycling rate; <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/reports/circular-claims-fall-flat-again/" target="_blank">Greenpeace &amp; Last Beach Cleanup</a> reported 5-6% for 2021. Both confirm single-digit recycling rates. <a href="#ref6">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn7">Geyer, Jambeck &amp; Law, <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1700782" target="_blank"><i>Science Advances</i> 3(7), 2017</a>. 79% of all plastic ever produced accumulated in landfills or natural environment.</li>
<li id="fn7">Geyer, Jambeck &amp; Law, <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1700782" target="_blank"><i>Science Advances</i> 3(7), 2017</a>. 79% of all plastic ever produced accumulated in landfills or natural environment. <a href="#ref7">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn8">Basel Action Network &amp; numerous investigations documented US &amp; European plastic waste exports to China (until 2018 National Sword ban), then redirection to Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, &amp; Thailand. <a href="https://www.ban.org/plastic-waste-transparency-project" target="_blank">BAN Plastic Waste Transparency Project</a>.</li>
<li id="fn8">Basel Action Network &amp; numerous investigations documented US &amp; European plastic waste exports to China (until 2018 National Sword ban), then redirection to Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, &amp; Thailand. <a href="https://www.ban.org/plastic-waste-transparency-project" target="_blank">BAN Plastic Waste Transparency Project</a>. <a href="#ref8">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn9">NPR, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled" target="_blank">"How Big Oil Misled Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled"</a> (September 2020). Internal industry documents showed companies knew most plastic could not get recycled economically.</li>
<li id="fn9">NPR, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled" target="_blank">"How Big Oil Misled Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled"</a> (September 2020). Internal industry documents showed companies knew most plastic could not get recycled economically. <a href="#ref9">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn10">U.S. EPA, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling" target="_blank"><i>Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, &amp; Disposal in United States: Facts &amp; Figures</i></a>. Average American generates 4.4 pounds of municipal solid waste per day.</li>
<li id="fn10">U.S. EPA, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling" target="_blank"><i>Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, &amp; Disposal in United States: Facts &amp; Figures</i></a>. Average American generates 4.4 pounds of municipal solid waste per day. <a href="#ref10">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn11">Leslie et al., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199" target="_blank">"Discovery &amp; quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood,"</a> <i>Environment International</i> 163, May 2022. Found microplastics in 77% of blood samples tested.</li>
<li id="fn11">Leslie et al., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199" target="_blank">"Discovery &amp; quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood,"</a> <i>Environment International</i> 163, May 2022. Found microplastics in 77% of blood samples tested. <a href="#ref11">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn12">Jenner et al., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155623" target="_blank">"Detection of microplastics in human lung tissue using μFTIR spectroscopy,"</a> <i>Science of Total Environment</i> 831, July 2022.</li>
<li id="fn12">Jenner et al., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155623" target="_blank">"Detection of microplastics in human lung tissue using &#956;FTIR spectroscopy,"</a> <i>Science of Total Environment</i> 831, July 2022. <a href="#ref12">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn13">Ragusa et al., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106274" target="_blank">"Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta,"</a> <i>Environment International</i> 146, January 2021.</li>
<li id="fn13">Ragusa et al., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106274" target="_blank">"Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta,"</a> <i>Environment International</i> 146, January 2021. <a href="#ref13">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn14">Campen et al., University of New Mexico, 2024. Found microplastics in all brain tissue samples examined, with concentrations increasing over time. <a href="https://hsc.unm.edu/news/2024/brain-microplastics.html" target="_blank">UNM Health Sciences Center</a>.</li>
<li id="fn14">Campen et al., University of New Mexico, 2024. Found microplastics in all brain tissue samples examined, with concentrations increasing over time. <a href="https://hsc.unm.edu/news/2024/brain-microplastics.html" target="_blank">UNM Health Sciences Center</a>. <a href="#ref14">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn15">WWF International &amp; University of Newcastle, Australia, <a href="https://www.wwf.org.au/news/news/2019/revealed-plastic-ingestion-by-people-could-be-equating-to-a-credit-card-a-week" target="_blank">"No Plastic in Nature: Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People,"</a> June 2019. Estimated ~5 grams per week through food, water, &amp; air. Figure remains debated; other studies estimate lower amounts.</li>
<li id="fn15">WWF International &amp; University of Newcastle, Australia, <a href="https://www.wwf.org.au/news/news/2019/revealed-plastic-ingestion-by-people-could-be-equating-to-a-credit-card-a-week" target="_blank">"No Plastic in Nature: Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People,"</a> June 2019. Estimated ~5 grams per week through food, water, &amp; air. Figure remains debated; other studies estimate lower amounts. <a href="#ref15">&#8617;</a></li>
<li id="fn16">Endocrine Society Scientific Statement, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2009-0002" target="_blank">"Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals,"</a> 2009 &amp; 2015 updates. Documented effects of BPA, phthalates, &amp; other plastic-derived chemicals on hormone systems across mammalian, aquatic, &amp; amphibian species.</li>
<li id="fn16">Endocrine Society Scientific Statement, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2009-0002" target="_blank">"Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals,"</a> 2009 &amp; 2015 updates. Documented effects of BPA, phthalates, &amp; other plastic-derived chemicals on hormone systems across mammalian, aquatic, &amp; amphibian species. <a href="#ref16">&#8617;</a></li>
</ol>
</div>