The invasion of the planet by the plastic it’s a reality. Suffice it to say that the island of plastic waste floating in the Pacific Ocean now measures 1.6 million square km. If we want to save the planet, now is the time for each of us to act.
Reduce your plastic consumption and reduce its impact on the environment
There plastic it has become a constant element in our lives. It’s everywhere: product packaging, cosmetic ingredients, fabrics, cell phones, etc. It’s even in the chewing gum you might be chewing right now. Its omnipresence is such that many would find it difficult to simply give it up. Reducing consumption therefore requires not only a change in habits, but also a change in mentality.
As for single-use plastic, which accounts for half of the plastic we use each year, according to Life Out Of Plastic it has an average useful life of 12-15 minutes and yet can take up to 500 years to disappear. It will outlive us and survive who will come after us.
The good news is that it is in our hands, as consumers, to fix this situation. We have the power to make manufacturers change the way they produce. As? Changing the way we consume.
Avoid single-use plastics like straws. Disposable plastics, such as plates and cutlery made from this material, make our lives easier, but seriously damage the planet. These types of products have viable alternatives and there is an urgent need to choose them.
If you go shopping, remember to bring a cloth bag with you. Let’s go to the supermarket at least once a week to fill the fridge. If every time we go we use reusable bags (made of cloth, string or wicker) the health of our planet will improve. From now on, remember to take yours with you when you leave home.
Buy more loose food and fewer packaged products. Disposable containers flood supermarkets (polystyrene trays, PET bottles, tetra paks, plastic containers, etc.). But there is an alternative: more and more businesses are offering the possibility of buying wholesale.
Replace plastic Tupperware with glass or steel containers. If you eat at work, a Tupperware container is part of your day. We recommend changing your routine and opting for glass or stainless steel containers. Not only will the planet appreciate it, but also your health, because some of these plastic containers can release harmful substances.
When hanging out your laundry, use wooden clothes pegs instead of plastic ones.. Even the smallest of actions can have a big positive impact on our planet. For example, something as banal as hanging clothes can become an extraordinary act if we switch from clothespins made of plastic to wooden ones.
Avoid using cosmetics that use microplastics, buy a biodegradable brush and wear natural fabrics. The market today offers a range of alternative plastic-free products and the options are increasing. From microplastic-free lipsticks or wooden brushes to t-shirts made from natural fabrics.
Choose to reuse and give some of your packaging a new purpose. If you have no choice but to buy a bottle or container made from plastic at the supermarket, reuse them instead of throwing them away. A bottle can be refilled as many times as you like and the containers can be used to store other foods.
#Plastic #reduce