Catch your reusable bag and kiss your plastic bags goodbye. Plastic waste is on its way out, thanks to these governmental bans from around the world.

From Indiana to Maine, governments at all levels in the US are forcing bans and improving recycling. People are shopping smarter and companies are doing better to ensure the protection of our environment. Slowly but surely, the world is entering a brighter future as more and more countries follow. But there’s still a lot of work to be done—or undone.

Since the 1950s, researchers say that about more than 8.3 billion tons of plastic has been produced. And 60% of that waste has ended up in the environment. That number has increased quickly over the years. For example, it was recorded that the world’s plastic production doubled from 1976 (50 million tons) to 1989 (100 million tons). It was highest at 368 million in 2019 before decreasing to 367 million in 2020.

A million tons decrease of plastic production is not enough to deal with the rising pressures plastic puts into the environment. We still do not know how long it takes for plastic to breakdown. It means that about 12 million tons of plastic waste that entered the ocean in 2010 is still breaking into micro plastics and filling up the stomachs of birds and sea animals. The plastic going into our environment is not going away. While recent studies of plastic-eating enzymes and bacteria offer some hope for the future of plastic waste management, the best way to deal with our environmental stress is through decrease.

In 2020, New York City began to ban plastic bags. But this wasn’t the first plastic bag ban in a US state. In fact, the US wasn’t even the first country to introduce this idea. Back in 2002, Bangladesh became the first country to implement a plastic bag ban. Since then, other countries have followed, introducing their own ways to fight with the continuing plastic bags.

Due to climate change and changes in land use, wildfires are predicted to rise by up to 14 percent by 2030, 30 percent by 2050 and 50 percent by the end of the 21st century, and even areas previously unaffected by wildfires such as the Arctic face increased risk, according to a report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal.

The report, “Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires”, says that wildfires and climate change are “mutually worsening”. Wildfires are made more serious by climate change through increased drought, high air temperatures, low humidity, lightning and strong winds. Meanwhile, climate change is made worse by wildfires, mostly by damaging sensitive and carbon-rich ecosystems like rainforests.

Wildfires can threaten people’s health and lives, pollute water, destroy crops and reduce land available to grow food. Wildlife, as well as natural habitats, is also rarely spared (幸免). Costs of rebuilding the areas after they are struck by wildfires can be beyond the means of low-income countries. In developing countries, an increase in damaging wildfires may delay progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The publication calls on governments to adopt a new “Fire Ready Formula”, with two-thirds of spending devoted to planning, prevention, preparedness and recovery and with one-third left for response. Currently, direct response to wildfires typically receives over half of related expenditures (花费), while planning receives less than one percent. “We have to minimize the risk of extreme wildfires by being better prepared: invest more in fire risk reduction, work with local communities, and strengthen global commitment to fighting climate change,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.

The restoration of ecosystems is an important means to reduce the risk of wildfires before they occur. Wetland restoration and the reintroduction of species, building at a distance from plants, and preserving open space buffers (缓冲物) are some examples of the essential investments in prevention, preparedness and recovery.

The Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, which offers tips for reorganizing personal space and getting rid of untidiness, has inspired many to shrink their overstuffed closets. Charity shops have seen an increase in donations of used clothing, a phenomenon that’s been credited to the influence of the show.

But people have a popular method of dealing with unwanted clothing. They simply throw it in the trash. And that’s become a real problem.

According to Fast Company, people of New York City throw 200 million pounds of clothing into the garbage each year. The used clothing goes on to take up space in landfills for an unlimited period of time. The Environmental Protection Agency reported in 2015 that 10.5 million tons of clothing wound up in the trash that year. New York’s fashion leaders and the city’s sanitation (公共卫生) agencies have started an advertising campaign directing people to cover 1,000 drop-off points where unwanted clothes can be deposited for recycling or repurposing. But if you can’t find one of the collection points in your neighborhood, what can you do with your old clothes?

Selling is one option. Local clothes stores may offer only a modest price for your used clothing collections, but they’ll likely fall into other hands rather than a landfill. There are also online marketplaces like ThredUP and Material World that pay cash or offer store credit for designer or chain-store clothing that you mail in. To maximize their value, it’s best to present clothing folded, buttoned, and cleaned.

You can also try sites like Rehash Clothes to promote a clothing exchange with others who are looking to clear up their closet. If you want to throw clothing because it’s damaged, give some thought to repairing it instead. Things like loose or missing buttons can be simple fixes; stains can be covered by dyeing material (染料). All of these options can keep some of your clothing’s value.

Whatever you decide to do, it’s best to keep clothing on someone’s back in one form or another—not in the trash.