The plastic pollution crisis

I’m a college student from Southern Maine, and I’m writing regarding the plastic pollution crisis. My goal in writing this letter is to spread awareness from a student’s perspective, and to call attention to steps that Maine can take to reduce plastic waste in our environment.

I was pleased to read that Hannaford inc. is working to reduce its single use plastics. In reading your article published on May 2, 2019, and hearing that “… by 2025, Hannaford plans to make sure all plastic packaging ‘within our control’ is reusable, recyclable, or compostable…” it came to my attention that the same revamping is needed in other institutions in Maine and New England.

Growing up, I didn’t worry about what my fork was made of, or how I got groceries home. Now that I’ve stepped into the adult world, I realize that I can make a difference in combating this crisis. My goal is to give people tasks they can implement into their daily lives to help reduce the plastic waste in Maine.

People are hesitant to remove plastic from their lives because of its convenience. There are things we need to use plastic for. Aircrafts need plastic in order to function. Snack wrappers, grocery bags, and pre-portioned meals are just a few examples of everyday items that have plastic in them that don’t need to.

Many people are taking plastic containers and repurposing them. Following Greg D’Augustine from the same article, we see that repurposing is possible — “The same for plastic containers of food such as sour cream and humus. D’Augustine washes them, reuses them, then recycles.”

This is a sustainable method, but I propose that we construct these containers from sustainable materials in the first place. When microwaved, these plastics release toxins into food that wouldn’t be present if the containers were made of compostable material, even glass. My hope is to build a future where single use plastics don’t exist, though that is quite far off.

Lily Tiffany,
Durham

Hearing help

“Whazzat?”

This was me in 2017. My patient wife suggested an audiologist appointment to determine whether I needed hearing aids and to get an estimate of their cost. The resultant report was yes, I had significant hearing loss. The fee for the hearing aids that were recommended? $1,750 each – $3,500 for both – and that was with the $750 each that my generous (at that time) insurance would cover. We decided we couldn’t afford them.

Fast forward to December 2019, I received a letter from my insurance company saying they would now cover the cost of hearing aids beginning in January of 2020. I immediately made an appointment and was hearing better by mid-February. The cost to me for a pair of $5,000 hearing aids that can link to my phone, take calls, and enable me to listen to podcasts without bothering anyone else with the sound? $4. Yes, you read that correctly.

Why did the insurance company decide to cover my need? Was it because they suddenly decided that, yes, everyone should have the benefits of decent hearing and be able to interact in a meaningful manner with their spouses, friends, and neighbors?

Nope. It was the Democrat-led legislature and Gov. Janet Mills who broadened not only who is covered but the actual coverage all Mainers receive from their health care insurance.

This didn’t happen as a result of politically charged rhetoric. It was the Democratic legislature and a governor whose leadership style is to carefully examine all sides of an issue, make a determination, and then act in a manner that provides the most benefit to the most residents of this magnificent state.

And, as you may have heard, hearing aids will soon be available over the counter for those who wish to go that route. Thank you again, Democrats.

If you want to continue this sort of leadership – leadership Maine can be proud of that actually helps the little guy (and gal) overcome real issues that improve their lives – join me in supporting Gov. Janet Mills and return a Democratically-led legislature to Augusta in November.

Geoff Bates,
South Bristol