WILLMAR — The more she learned about plastics, the more alarmed she became, and the more she reached out to tell others.
Now, they are calling on her.
“More people are beginning to be aware of the dangers of plastic,” explained Jane Dow, a 77-year-old grandmother and retired postal worker in Mankato.
Dow will be a featured speaker this Saturday when Willmar hosts its first-ever combined “Healthy Earth, Healthy Kids” event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Willmar Civic Center.
Dow and others organized Mankato Zero Waste , and its sub-organization, a chapter of Beyond Plastics Now . They are working to reduce the plastic and food wastes that end up in landfills.
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Plastics are everywhere, including in human bodies, said Dow. They’re found now in fetuses. How they affect human health is not yet understood, according to Dow.
Plastics are made from petroleum and toxic chemicals are added to many plastic products, she pointed out.
What gets the attention of people most is talking about plastics in children, said Dow.
Plastics pose a concern in the environment, and the implications are still being discovered, she said.
What to do?
Reduce the plastics uses in daily lives, Dow said. Most of all, she encourages people to stop using bottled water. People consume microplastics with every swallow, and a portion of the nano-sized particles find their way into the bloodstream and cells.
She also urges people to take simple steps to cut down on plastic use, such as by bringing reusable bags to the grocery store.
Dow supports recycling plastics as much as possible, but warns that most plastics really don’t see a second life. Roughly half of the plastic sent to recycling ends up in developing countries, where some is reused but the majority of the material is either buried in shallow landfills or burned in open fields, she said.
There are seven different recycling symbols on plastics, but only three of the seven can actually be recycled, she will tell her Willmar audience on Saturday.
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People have been recycling in an organized way in Kandiyohi and neighboring counties for more than 30 years now, and doing a better job of it. West Central Sanitation of Willmar makes that possible by not only picking up and transporting recyclable materials, but also by finding the markets for them.
Don Williamson, founder and president of West Central Sanitation, said there are currently stable markets for plastics numbered as 1 and 2 in the recycling triangles. No. 1 includes plastics used for pop and water bottles, and No. 2 includes colored plastics with heavier walls, such as detergent bottles.
Williamson said he understands the popularity of plastics. They keep food safe, which is one of their most important uses, he said.
But he pointed out that recycling comes with many challenges. Recycling markets go up and down. The demand for recycling materials is highest when oil prices rise, he said.
Williamson agrees with Dow. Everyone should do what they can to reduce the use of plastics or other materials that end up in landfills, he said.
Last year, Kandiyohi County recycled 2,488.77 tons of material, according to information from Gary Geer, environmental services director for the county. Based on the composition breakdown of the county’s contract with DemCon, a Minnesota recycling company, plastics made up 6.81% of that total, or 169.49 tons.
In 2023, the landfill received 37,574.89 tons of municipal solid waste.
Those looking for information on how to reduce the waste that is buried or the plastics that find their way into the environment and human bodies will find it at the “Healthy Earth, Healthy Kids” event. The free event features the annual YMCA-sponsored kids Color Run, with free T-shirts to the first 200 youth participating in the fun run. There will be speakers, exhibits on a wide variety of topics including home energy saving ideas, food and plenty of activities for kids.
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