I was sorting through the various digital scraps that drift through the inbox when I came across a piece featuring Penelope Cruz’s husband (seriously, I’m not hip to celebrities like I used to be), and he was talking about his latest encounter with plastic pollution. He used the phrase “addicted to plastic,” in there somewhere and that’s the thing that jumped out at me. It’s an addiction.

I have long thought that plastic pollution represents a uniquely deceptive kind of public health danger, mostly because of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that attach themselves to plastic, that is then ingested by organisms up and down the food chain. Click here to read up on more than you want to know about the various poisons that we have swimming around inside of us humans, for example. We are certainly not exempt from the related consequences (even though we’re just starting to understand what those consequences include), and I think there is traction to be gained by pursuing a campaign against plastic – especially single-use – on the basis that it is a health threat.

But to also see it as an addiction, and treat it as we might treat other addictions… hmm. This is an interesting take. Thank you, Mr. Bardem, for the insight. I think it’s worth considering.