Plastics suffocate and clog up our oceans, lands and our lives. According to The World Counts, over 4 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into our oceans, globally, this year. Unfortunately, plastic is the most widely-used and cheapest material used worldwide. We use 5 trillion plastic bags a year worldwide and it is estimated that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Humans have only explored 5% of the ocean, yet 10% of our plastic ends up there, which may not seem like much, but actually is enough to form a swirling, trash-collecting ocean gyre of plastic of the size of the state of Texas! Single-use plastics are those that can only be used once before being disposed of forever, and they make 50% of marine litter.
1. Plastic Bags
Did you know that two trillion seventy-three billion three hundred thirty-four million five hundred fifty thousand and two hundred (that's 2,073,334,550,200) plastic bags were produced, globally, this year?
Plastic bags, like many plastics, are built for domestic use and convenience, but the problem arises when short-term convenience causes bigger, long-term issues. Plastic bags are often used for convenient, water-proof, and easy usage, but cloth tote and shopping bags are not only better for the environment, but more aesthetically pleasing, stronger, reusable and also lightweight.
Why wait? Replace your plastic-bag containers with cloth bag stands for efficient and an environmentally friendly lifestyle!
2. Drink Bottles
Ranging from flimsy one-time use bottles to detergent and drinking bottles, it is hard to imagine that there was a time when it was safe to drink the water from our faucets. But for the past 50 years, pollution has become a concern that people became afraid that the toxins were seeping into our water system, especially in the cities. The past 20 years has seen a surge in people’s desire to be healthy and drink safe water… and the bottled water became a regular and popular commodity. More than a 100 million plastic are used globally, every single day. These bottles take several hundred years to even begin decomposing, and since plastics don't biodegrade, they photodegrade (break down to become smaller plastics) and remain on Earth for eternity as tiny pellets that can't be seen by the naked eye.
Want a solution? If you're looking to buy a bottle, go for glass or steel instead. They work just as well, if not better, and last much longer. Carry a water bottle wherever you go so that you'll never have to purchase a single-use plastic bottle again! (Note:- don't throw away all the plastic bottles you bought already! Zone it out slowly. Once the plastic bottle is beyond repair, remember to recycle it and purchase an eco-friendly alternative.)
3. Sanitary Applications
These products are often taboo-topics in society. For some reason, a perfectly healthy and natural process has been disregarded and marked as a topic to be hushed-up about. Forget that! Sanitary applications are required, and are important to discuss. The plastic layers on sanitary pads also contribute to the plastic problem, so why ignore them? There are, in fact, alternatives that are healthier to use and quite efficient. Instead of plastic sanitary products, try using the cloth kind, which you can make yourself here.
4. Cotton Buds
How many times have you jabbed these in your ear after noticing you have an ear full of wax? Well, here science can weigh in. According to an article from ScienceAlert, by stuffing cotton buds inside your ears, you're risking gunking them up with an excess of earwax, a medical condition called cerumen impaction. Your ears are designed to clean themselves by gradually pushing earwax out, but by using buds you might be pushing all that excess wax back in. Earwax is actually essential for the proper function of your ear, and your body naturally removes excess earwax on its own, without external help. Earwax cleans your ears and prevents them from drying out. If you do have an excess build-up of earwax that seems to be particularly bad, along with ringing in your ears, go for a doctor's check up, as you might have tinnitus. Otherwise, relax with the knowledge that your ears don't need cotton buds to help them out.
5. Cutlery, straws and stirrers & (6.) Cups and Lids
(no. 5 'cutlery, straws and stirrers' has been merged with no. 6 'cups and lids' for efficiency and less writing length)
Plastic cutlery produces a lot of waste, even when steel and glass work great! They are often found in fast food restaurants and food chains and served along with your meal for an easy eat-and-throw-away use, but don't let the pretty colours deceive you. Each and every one of them are deadly, for the world and also for your health! Make a conscious effort to avoid plastic cutlery. Think about it; why do we use straws? They're not really necessary, are they? What is so wrong with drinking from the cup rather than an elongated cylinder of plastic that you'll only use once? Straws are pretty useless, if you ponder their use. Next time you're at a fast food place, make sure to tell them that you don't want the straw and the plastic cap that they put on drinks.
Other solutions:
1. Carry your own cutlery in a pouch in your bag. Next time you order food, you'll be prepared!
2. While attending a birthday party, ask for the non-plastic plates. They'll probably have them available if the party is at a house. If it is being held elsewhere, carry your own cutlery!
3. Planning a party? Check out the No Plastic Party campaign!
7. Cigarrete Butts
Cigarette butts are made from cellulose acetate, a plastic. Smoking is generally unhealthy and should not be tried, but if you are a smoker, do consider giving up the habit so that you can give a break to the Earth, and your lungs. Try nicotine patches or alternatives and make an effort to rise above the problem, for the sake of the world.
8. Balloons and Balloon Sticks
Can you believe that balloons are not eco-friendly? I could barely cope with the fact!
Though incredibly fun, balloons make up a lot of waste in the ocean as they last for little time and are quickly thrown away. Latex balloons are also harmful, so steer clear of them too. Balloons actually are extremely dangerous once thrown away, as they kill animals and cause dangerous power outages. Seems like balloons aren't all that fun, are they? If you care about the planet, you should definitely ditch balloons.
Don't kill the party vibe! Celebrate a fun, eco-friendly party with the help of our campaign - the No Plastic Party campaign!
9. Chips packets & Candy Wrappers
The wrappers and packets that you discard after finishing its contents? It's very harmful!
There are chips that are packaged in paper and others, but since there is a huge lack of these, I'd suggest making the chips and candy yourself! It could be a great weekend project to do! You can create packets of your choice, with flavours of your choice and still be environmentally friendly! There aren't a lot of solutions to this problem, so do try thinking of one and posting it in the comments below!
10. Food Containers
As mentioned before, the food industry contributes a lot to the plastic problem. Write to a local food centre to convince them to switch to eco-friendly packaging! Until then, ask the people who work there to serve your food in your container instead of using take-away boxes.
I hope you found this article helpful! Do check out our campaigns (on our site) for ideas on how to make a change, and try a Zero Waste activities online on the many blogs dedicated to the topic. Did you know that the European Union is moving to ban all the above listed products? We can solve this problem as a community, so let's go!
Urvashi Balasubramaniam
Creator of The EcoClub United.
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