Oh, plastic. It seems we can’t live with you and can’t live without you.

The amount of plastic used and disposed of in our country is astounding – think 33 million tons each year. The making of plastic is the largest manufacturing industry in the United States, and we’ve become pretty dependent on the modern conveniences that plastic provides.

In the kitchen, on the road, in our doctor’s office, and on the sports field, plastic can go a long way to keep us safe and comfortable. But what happens next?

Despite two decades of recycling awareness campaigns, the EPA reports that only 9% of total plastic waste in the U.S. was recycled in 2013. And even when it manages to disappear into a blue bin, that doesn’t mean recycling is its final destiny. The use of dyes and additives can make recycling complicated or impossible.

Plenty of plastic piles up in landfills, endangers wildlife, and threatens human health as it reaches our water streams, among other ever-growing problems.

New ways of dealing with our plastic obsession are emerging. The plastics industry is exploring new methods of production and trying to help make recycling as seamless as possible. Others believe one of the most viable solutions is to adopt alternative reusable materials in our daily lives.

The Dude, as part of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, released this video in attempt to move this conversation forward.

So, are our lives too plastic? To talk more, join Scholars for a conversation and screening of Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic? on October 20 at 5:00 p.m. in the Cambridge Community Center.