In our daily lives, we use plastic pollution in almost every shape and form. It transports our beverages, stores our shampoos, and keeps our produce fresh. Humans are using resources and producing garbage at a bigger scale than ever before, according to the UN Environment Programme opens pdf download, and per capita consumption levels are expected to rise with continuing development. According to data, global material resource use increased at around twice the rate of the population during the twentieth century. Plastic is all throughout the place! It’s one of our favorites because it’s waterproof, inexpensive, long-lasting, and adaptable. Plastic makes our life immensely comfortable, disposable, and simple, yet most people are unaware of the environmental consequences. It, unlike other materials, never truly vanishes. Plastic does decompose, but it takes up to 400 hundred years in a landfill; worse, it never decomposes into other materials; instead, it breaks down into minuscule fragments of plastic that are still non-biodegradable. Plastic bits frequently make their way into the waters from there. But we must be concerned about more than just the conclusion of a plastic’s life cycle.
Also Read: Recycling Waste Management System
Stop the pollution of plastic at the source
We’ve all heard the words “reduce, reuse, recycle,” and we’re all aware that these actions are generally beneficial to the environment. What you may not realise is that the order in which those words are said has significance. The words are listed in order of importance in terms of reducing your carbon footprint, with reduction being the most essential. If you want to lessen the negative consequences of plastic pollution, take the procedures and advice outlined below.
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Reduce is the first step
Avoiding the creation of plastics in the first place is the most effective strategy to prevent plastic pollution. Minimize and refuse! However, it is far better to never use it in the first place, avoiding the extraction of materials from the ground, the energy required to create it, and the fuel required to carry it to the point of sale. Every year, each child who brings non-reusable lunch bags to school contributes 67 pounds of waste. Every day, try to remember this most critical step!
You might be shocked at how little thought you put into your use of plastic. With some forethought, or simply asking to skip the plastic packaging, you can eliminate the straw in your water at a sit-down restaurant, your deodorant tube, extra plastic bags for your fruit, and even the plastic wrap your sandwich comes in. Be wary of hidden plastics that you should avoid, such as microbeads in facewash! You can also cut down on your plastic usage by purchasing in bulk! Instead of purchasing two bottles of shampoo per month, get a larger bottle and reduce overall packaging by purchasing only one.
Consider what you’re using and where it’ll end up once you’ve completed it, and opt for things with less packaging. By voting with your pocketbook and purchasing products that use less plastic, you are encouraging manufacturers to follow the money and use less plastic. As a consumer, you have this power!
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The next stage is to reuse
It’s tough to get through the day without obtaining some type of plastic if you’re like most people! This is where recycling comes in. Once you have the plastic, you can use your imagination to come up with new ways to use it. Reuse your plastic utensils, produce bags for sandwiches, and plastic supermarket bags into little trash bags! If you don’t know what to do with something, donate it! You will not only be decreasing waste, but you will also be assisting others. The majority of people skip this step and go straight to recycling, although reusing plastics can help to lessen the need for new plastics.
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The final stage is to recycle
When you’ve reused your plastic as much as you can and are ready to get rid of it, put it in the recycling bin rather than the garbage. It takes less energy to recycle plastic than it does to manufacture it from raw ingredients. Sure, cleaning your peanut butter jar to recycle it rather than throwing it out can be inconvenient, but the impact is significantly different, and the choice is yours.
It is, however, simple to reduce your carbon footprint with a little forethought, commitment, and effort. Remember that avoiding plastics in the first place has the greatest impact; if that isn’t possible, reuse and recycling are the next best options! Be aware of how much plastic you’re using and attempt to replace it with something more environmentally friendly wherever possible. Reuse and recycle any plastic you already have to keep it out of the trash stream and to lessen the need for new plastic. If enough people take these simple steps, we will be able to eliminate plastic pollution and maintain our world clean and healthy for future generations.
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