I think that a huge step humans must take in reducing carbon emissions and waste production is for the majority of the population to stop buying and making products with plastic.  However, before that we need to use up all the plastic that has already been processed.  Here are a few ways we can repurpose recyclable materials: turn plastic food containers into pots for seedlings/plants, make other plastic containers/packaging into art, decorations, and even jewelry.  I often use plastic packaging to hold my paints or to store my other art supplies (organizational purposes) and reuse any plastic or glass containers for plants or food, until the container breaks.  There are many ways in which we can reduce plastic consumption and disposal, however these methods are often not implemented because people find that having to repurpose plastics is tedious and requires more effort than many are willing to put in.  It is important for people to understand that recycling by itself will not solve the problem of the mass amount of carbon emissions and waste produced by people.

I agree that the production and use plastic is a huge reason why there is so much carbon in our atmosphere. Plastic is mainly produced because it is cheaper to mass produce. However, plastic is an issue because the factories producing it are emitting carbon into the atmosphere and plastic takes 450 years to decompose, therefore, if plastic was invented in the 1500s it would be decomposed by right now in 2017. Our Earth is running out of time and we do not have 450 years to waste.  I think a solution for all of us could be to refrain from purchasing produce that comes in plastic packaging. Such as water bottles. A solution to the water bottles would be to use a reusable water bottle. That goes for all packing materials. Instead of packing lunches in plastic bags, reusable containers should be used so less waste is going into the landfill and therefore less carbon is being emitted into the atmosphere.