The Plastic Problem is in My Own Backyard — And Yours, Too

Micro-plastics are already in New York City

Kayli Kunkel
Earth & Me
Published in
7 min readMar 1, 2022

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A gloved hand holds a piece of plastic waste, heavily soiled and degraded, underneath the thumb. The background is of dirt and soil in a garden.

As I walked with the realtor past the floor-to-ceiling accordion doors, I fell in love immediately: 400 feet of land, a large tree, three tall walls, and plenty of sunlight. This garden was what sold me. Amid pavement blocks and high rises, it was a New York City rarity to find such empty…

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She/her. Queens, NY. Creating new narratives on mental health and sustainability. Founder of Earth & Me, a zero-waste small business and publication.