Do you consider it important to focus on the fight against plastic pollution?

As long as the technical part (necessary to solve the problem we already have) is accompanied by a cultural and humanistic part that gives it meaning and helps to address the ultimate cause of the problem, which is our behavior as a society. If we really want to put an end to plastic pollution (and so many other environmental problems), we must begin with a change of mentality (which involves a change of heart). Plastic pollution is perhaps one of the most visible signs of a culture that resorts to discarding more often than caring. In other words: the accumulation of plastics (in the sea, in the landfill...) is only a physical sample of an excess of discarding and a lack of care. There are more examples of the same, some easier to see than others.
 

How can this problem be addressed from your research area ?

From our unit, one way to combat this problem is to help everyone to see that caring is much more humane (and brings us much more) than discarding, and that both attitudes are reflected in the decisions we make every day. Some examples:
- Part of plastic waste is the result of rushing (for example, we buy disposables because we don't have time to wash): perhaps by living more slowly we would generate less waste.
- Part of the plastic waste is the result of wanting to be fashionable (there is a lot of plastic in clothes and shoes): perhaps by understanding that the value of oneself does not lie in one's appearance we would generate less waste.
- Part of plastic waste is the result of convenience (for example, returnable containers are uncommon because they are uncomfortable to carry): perhaps by recovering the sense of effort dedicated to the good of others we would generate less waste.
 

Are you participating in any project related to this issue? Tell us briefly! If not, what project or idea would you like to implement to tackle plastic pollution from your discipline?

We do not have specific projects on this issue because our way of work is different: we do not go to specific problems but to the cultural (humanistic) background behind them, which is always common to several of them. In that sense, it may be interesting to use this case as a starting point and example to address broader issues that also appear in other areas. To put it another way: what is the problem of plastic pollution pointing us to? Returning to an idea pointed out in the previous question, the excess of plastics in the environment can make us think about how we understand our interaction with other existences. Does my way of living enrich or impoverish those around me? In nature, what is no longer useful to one becomes wealth for another (see what happens in composting). In disposable culture, what is no longer useful to one becomes a problem for another.

* Ana Villarroya belongs to the Environmental Society and Culture Unit - BIOMA Institute. Learn more about her research.