Plastic Pollution

Plastic water bottles are cheap, convenient, and also probably in your tap water. Researchers from the State University of New York and the University of Minnesota, Orb just tested 159 different tap water faucets for pollutants, including ones from the US Capitol building and the Trump Grill in New York. 83% of those samples contained microscopic plastic fibers from products such as synthetic clothing and plastic water bottles. The effects of ingesting plastic fibers are not yet completely know, but studies involving animals point to some negative health effects. 

"There's no way the plastic fibers I may be drinking are mine, right?" you might say. "How is that fair?" you might ask. Well, I don't know if it's fair or not, but it's definitely a negative consumption externality. When someone consumes a product that contains plastic and doesn't dispose of it correctly, it goes into the environment and can eventually end up in the water that others drink, possibly negatively affecting their health. As of now in the United States, this externality is not accounted for. The European Union requires member states to ensure drinking water is free of contaminants– the United States does not. Ronald Coase would argue that individuals and firms can reach the efficient output of plastic materials, correcting for negative externalities, without government intervention. The European Union, though, may be onto something with their water standards.