Single-Use Plastics are one of the unfortunate milestones of human progress. We are able to make stuff so cheap and using them once and throwing them away doesn’t cost us anything. What we don’t realize is that there is no “away”. Our planet has to deal with what we’re throwing and it measures in millions of tonnes and more. According to statistics, countries like Canada send in well over nine million tonnes of trash into the landfills every single year. As scary as this may sound, about 35% of this trash is in the form of single-use plastics that are generated as a result of packaging for consumer goods.
The sad part of all this is that this trash is not recycled. The trash either enters the waterways such as the ocean, which in turn chokes it, killing aquatic life in the process. Predictions by scientists state that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than the amount of fish, which is a horrifying prediction, to say the least. Apart from this, mammals on land also die because of either inhaling or consuming these plastics. Soil quality degrades and in turn, man is affected.
8 Reasons to Avoid Single-Use Plastics
1) Plastic Production is a Dangerous Process
Plastic is made from a compound called polypropylene which is manufactured from raw materials such as natural gas and petroleum. These materials are classified as non-renewable resources also known as fossil fuels. The extraction of these fossil fuels is done by means of a process that gives out greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This, in turn, leads to the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming. There is a huge effect of chemical waste on the environment and human health due to fossil fuels.
2) Single-use plastic products are non-biodegradable.
This means that rather than degrading, plastic breaks down into smaller particles known as microplastics. These microplastics either pollute landfills or get swept into the ocean. According to a rough estimate, roughly 46,000-1,000,000 microplastics are floating around right now in every square mile of the oceans all across the globe polluting the quality of water.
3) They Kill Marine Life
Marine life such as sea turtles, porpoises, and fish assume that plastic is food for them and end up consuming it. This leads to congestion in their digestive system which can either lead to an infection or suffocation, both of these leading to the eventual death of the organism.
4) It Comes Back to Harm Humans
Microplastic fragments contain toxic chemical compounds such as PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyl) as well as PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) which are harmful to human health. These compounds can tamper with the normal functioning of hormones in the human body which in turn can lead to a large number of diseases. Humans who consume fish that has died as a result of plastic-poisoning are also at a greater risk of developing diseases such as cancer.This will cause Impact on Environment as well as Skin Health.
5) An Expensive Waste
Single-use plastics are also expensive in terms of production as well as cleaning. It takes resources to produce them – much of that cost is loaded on to the planet. Cleaning or recycling them would be another cost to people and the planet. Considering that it is used only once, this cost is not justified.
6) Difficult to Recycle
Single-use plastics are not easy to recycle. Since they contain compounds that do not break as easily, recycling them can be quite a challenge in itself. Also, if 100% single-use plastic bags are produced, then only a mere 5% of these bags are actually recycled which is a pretty poor ratio.
7) They Kill the Soil
Plastics that are accumulated in landfills and are left there for months on end, degrade the quality of the soil. The toxic compounds present in the plastic will strip the soil of its nutrients, rendering the soil as a wasteland that is unfit for cultivation of any sort.
8) Recycling Doesn’t Solve It
Even if 5% of the single-use plastics manufactured are, in fact, recycled, the properties of non-biodegradability that it has is retained. This means that even the recycled plastic will still contribute to significant pollution to land, water, and even humans.
Banning the use of single-use plastics will ensure that we all, as human beings of the planet Earth, take a collective step towards making this place a healthier and happier place to live in. It will simply mean that we are doing everything in our power to make a difference, no matter how small it may seem. There are some countries which had taken a revolution by banning plastic.
13 Single-Use Plastic Products to Avoid and their Alternatives
1) Plastic Straws
Plastic straws definitely make it on the top of the list of items that are found during beach clean-ups. The point of concern here is that most cities do not accept plastic straws as a part of municipal recycling. The solution to this is to simply carry a straw with you at all times or to just use a recyclable paper straw or, when you can, drink without a straw.
2) Plastic Water Bottles
According to statistics, a mind-boggling one million plastic bottles are bought all across the globe every single minute! This means that well over 50 billion plastic bottles are used in the US every single year, out of which a mere 1/4th of it gets recycled. The best solution to this is to carry a refillable water bottle with you. You can refill your bottle at your workplace, restaurants, cafes or bars rather than buying yourself a bottle every time you are out. We can replace plastic with eco-friendly products.
3) Coffee Cups with Plastic Lids
Disposable coffee cups are covered with a lid that is plastic. This is difficult to recycle and thus ends up going to a landfill. Starbucks alone sends 4 billion of these plastic lids to the landfills every year. As an alternative, carry with you either a reusable cup or even a collapsible coffee cup.
4) Plastic Bags
These are probably the most commonly used single-use plastics today. Recycling these plastic bags by the municipality is close to impossible and thus, these bags form the bulk of the plastic waste that is dumped into the oceans. A much more eco-friendly alternative is to carry a reusable bag with you that are either made of jute or even paper. The durability of plastic bag poses immense problems for every life form around the globe.
5) Plastic Bags for Produce
These bags are different in the sense that they use low-density polyethylene which makes the bag thinner. However, recycling these bags is also quite a task and the percentage of non-recycled bags is a lot more than those that do get recycled. The alternative is to carry with you one or two reusable cloth or jute bags at all times.
6) Plastic Take-out Containers
Most take-out containers are made of black plastics which do not reflect any light. Thus, the optical scanners at municipal recycling facilities fail to identify it as recyclable as the reflection of light is used to do so. An alternative to these containers is to bring your own container to restaurants. You can also use reusable containers for sauces and the likes.
7) Plastic Wrap
Plastic wraps are thinner versions of produce bags which are used to wrap up goods that are shipped across countries. The best solution to get rid of this single-use plastic is to use wraps that claim to be plastic-free or simply skip using the plastic wrapping altogether.
8) Plastic Cutlery
Plastic cutlery is another single-use plastic that needs to be banned. In fact, France has strictly banned all plastic cutleries that are single-use such as forks, cups, and even plates. Instead of using plastic cutlery, opt for reusable forks and spoons that you can carry around with you wherever you go.
9) Plastic Party Cups
Parties and festivals are the times when plastic cups are the most used. These cups are used only once and then dumped in a landfill or the ocean which ends up polluting the environment. Thus, use paper cups instead at parties. These are biodegradable and cause no toxic effects to the environment whatsoever.
10) Menstrual products
20 billion pads and tampons are dumped into landfills on a yearly basis. Since pads are made of polyethylene, these can take centuries to degrade. Thus, switch to biodegradable menstrual products such as reusable pads or even menstrual cups.
11) Deodorants
Fancy-looking deodorants are manufactured by companies that spend so much money on their packaging that is made of plastic, which is again, non-biodegradable. Thus, companies should take initiatives to avoid using plastic to package their products.
12) Frozen dinners
Frozen dinners are packaged in plastic which is thrown out as waste, thus polluting the environment. Thus, avoid buying frozen foods as it is not really the best for your body as well. Save the environment by doing so.
13) Six Pack Rings
These are connected plastic rings that are used to secure beverages such as cans of beer which are usually dumped into the ocean. Thus, avoid buying anything that uses these rings. If you find them on the street, discard it by cutting through all the loops.
7 Tips to Avoid Single-Use Plastics
- Carry reusable bags.
- Always recycle plastic that can be recycled.
- Start exploring more eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics.
- Read up and do your research on how you can contribute to avoiding single-use plastics.
- Carry reusable cups, cutlery and water bottles.
- Do not dump plastic waste into nature.
- Educate the people around you to stop using these plastic products as well.
By avoiding these single-use plastics we contribute to a healthier and cleaner planet. It does not take a huge cost on convenience and goes a long way in unclogging the planet of the plastic, and in leaving a better future for ourselves and our kids.
Also Read:Â Everyday Products that Contain Avoidable Plastics
