We cannot deny the convenience that single-use plastics have brought into our lives. However, we cannot ignore the damage it brings to our environment.
According to a 2018 study, 18 billion pounds of plastic waste flow into the ocean every year. About 40% of these are packaging.
If you are wondering why we should zero in on single-use. That’s because it is a serious environmental concern. They are not only unsightly; plastic pollution can also devastate our wildlife and ecosystem.
The Harmful Effects of Single-use Plastics
It is estimated that about 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic waste have been generated in the past 50 years. A massive chunk of it ends up in landfills or finds its way into the world’s oceans.
Single-use plastics are made of non-renewable resources, like oil and natural gas, and take hundreds of years to break down. The worst part is that they don’t come back to Earth. Instead, they turn into microplastics that fishes, birds, and humans consume.
Can you imagine yourself eating microscopic plastic?
Single-use plastics are created for only one use before they are thrown away. These plastics make a primary environmental concern because they can:
- Fill up our landfills
- Pollute our waterways
- Threaten the marine life
The effects of single-use plastics in your house are not just on the environment. It can also affect your health.
The most common way people consume single-use plastics is by using these materials to store food and water. These plastics can cause a problem because when you heat or cool them down, it releases chemicals that can be harmful to us. These same chemicals are used to make plastic bottles and containers.
If you drink from them or cook with them, they can release them into the food or water you use them for.
Some of the risks from these chemicals include obesity, heart disease, cancer, and infertility.
You should be more hesitant to welcome single-use plastics into your home, given all these adverse effects. Here’s how you can do it:
Turn Single-use into Multi-use
One way to reduce the amount of plastic being used is to turn single-use plastics into multi-use plastics. You can do this by working with materials made to be recycled, such as paper products.
The recycling industry is already using this idea to some extent, with many recycling centers now offering a “drop-and-go” service. The idea is that they would turn single-use plastics into multifunctional items, such as home furnishings or clothing.
If we can turn single-use plastics into multifunctional products, we will save the environment. It can also save costs for companies. This is a win-win situation for environmental and economic sustainability.
Declutter Your Plastic
Decluttering your house to free it from as much plastic that is single-use as possible should be one of the best ways you can get rid of them in your home. Hence, this is also something we advise our clients at Planet Maids Home Cleaning Services NYC.
Part of the problem is that we don’t know what to do with these things. It can be hard to figure out where to put them and dispose of them responsibly. This is why we recommend you keep all single-use plastics together in a bag and take it with you when you go recycling. You can also inquire about your local recycling center for advice on where and how to recycle things they don’t accept.
Many people reuse single-use plastics such as plastic bottles, tubes, lids, straws, and cups by washing them thoroughly and using them again for another day or another use. If this is not an option, we recommend throwing it in the recycling bin to get recycled into something new.
Now that you know more about single-use plastics, you should be better able to manage and organize your plastic consumption. This knowledge should enable you to live a healthier and eco-friendlier lifestyle.
Photo by mali maeder from Pexels.
