I’ve been on a mission to reduce my plastic use for a few years. I’m very far from perfect but I’m certainly better than I was. I didn’t use to think about buying a plastic bottle of water whilst out. These days I take my own bottle and fill it with water. How are you doing with your plastic consumption?
Why Plastic is a Problem and a Disruption to Our Environment
Plastic is a problem and a disruption to our environment because plastic does not break down in the environment and it can be found anywhere from the Arctic to our own backyard. All plastics were not created equal, so when we put them in landfills or in the ocean, they do not decompose. Plastics are made from oil and when we use oil, we cause climate change.
Plastic is a problem and a disruption to our environment because:
1) Plastic does not break down in the environment
2) It can be found anywhere from the Arctic to our own backyard
3) All plastics were not created equal
4) When we put them in landfills or in the ocean, they do not decompose
5) When we use oil
These days, it’s said that our bodies even contain plastic pollution in the form of microplastics.
Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Consumption
Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our furniture, it’s in our clothes, and it’s even in our shower gel. And the sad truth is that around 7.4 billion tonnes of plastic waste has been produced since 1950, and only 9% of this has been recycled. So, how can we reduce our plastic consumption? Here are some handy tips to help get you on your way.
- Use reusable shopping bags – it’s so easy to forget to take bags with you. I know because this used to happen to me far more than it should. These days, I keep a bunch of shopping bags in the boot of my car so when I do go to a supermarket there are always some there.
- Bring your own drink/coffee cup. It’s so easy to just grab a bottle of water whilst you’re out but that water bottle doesn’t decompose for literally hundreds and hundreds of years.
- Buy in bulk where possible because it saves on plastic packaging. There are also many places where you can buy refills and take your own containers with you – these are great.
- Reduce what you’re currently consuming. Do you really need this season’s fashion?
- Reuse. Buy quality items and if they break, rather than just buy new, why not have your things repaired?
- Recycle. Curbside recycling is getting much more convenient and they’re beginning to take a wider range of plastics. I don’t know about your area but where I live, they now only collect our refuse bin every three weeks so if people don’t recycle there’s nowhere for their rubbish to go.
I hope you’ve found this post encouraging. Just remember it’s about progress, not perfection. Please check out my other lifestyle posts here.
