Single use plastic is difficult to recycle and can only be recycled once or twice before it’s destined for landfill. It’s made from fossil fuels and carries a huge carbon footprint. Also, because it’s lightweight and frequently used for convenience items, it’s a lot more likely to end up polluting our environment, oceans and, inevitably, the bellies of our precious wildlife.
Plastic does break down, but it can take hundreds of years. In time, it becomes tiny particles called microplastics and nanoplastics, which are so small they can’t be seen with the naked eye. These plastic particles are in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.
It’s estimated that the average Australian ingests 2,000 tiny particles of plastic each week. That works out to be more than 50 credit cards worth of plastic, every year! 🤮 Oh, and if you mostly drink from single use plastic bottles… guess what? You’re likely to consume 22 times more microplastics than someone who drinks filtered water!
Many plastics leach toxins into our food and drink, even the ones toting ‘BPA free’ labels. The plastic itself can travel through tissue, lodging itself throughout the body, and is readily found in brain tissue and in the placenta of pregnant mothers.
The true extent of the health issues caused by plastic build up in our bodies is still unknown, however there is growing evidence that chemicals found in various plastics can cause a plethora of health problems. Issues with brain and organ development in children, infertility, immune system and cardiovascular problems, as well as an increased risk of cancer, to name just a few.
The devastating fact is, no matter where plastic ends up, it will still exist for far longer than you or I will.
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REDUCE SINGLE USE PLASTIC AND AVOID THE BIG 5:
1/ 🎒 Plastic shopping bags and produce bags.
Buy some good quality, fabric shopping bags and a set of produce bags. Avoid the cheap nylon produce bags - they're made of plastic! Have a couple of sets, so you can rotate them and always have some handy.
2/ 🥃 Plastic straws.
Refuse plastic straws completely. Use alternatives like pasta or glass straws. Plan ahead and get into a habit of taking them with you on the go.
3/ ☕ Cups, coffee cups and lids.
Bring your own ‘keep-cup’ or perhaps just take the time to stop, relax and enjoy your coffee from a ceramic cup at your favourite cafe. Remember… plastic lids cannot be recycled!
4/ 🍽 Takeaway containers and cutlery.
Buy consciously. Ask what containers your takeaway food will be supplied in. A lot of the time they will have cardboard options but may not use them. Also, keep a set of travel cutlery in your car or handbag. You'll be surprised how often you use it. And please, never accept food if it's supplied in or on Styrofoam!
5/ 💧 Drinks in plastic bottles.
Buy a good quality water bottle, keep it with you, use it until it's dead. If it's not water that you're drinking, maybe you can make it cheaper at home, or perhaps there's a chance that you shouldn't be drinking it anyway?
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