Cut the (Plastic) Crap
If you already know that plastics are a problem and want to cut it out of your life – scroll down to see how you can eliminate them. If you need convincing, let’s start at the top.
Did you know that every 60 seconds, a million plastic bags are used? Did you also know that the average plastic bag is used for a mere 15 minutes before being thrown away? That’s a lot of garbage being produced.
Oh, and did you also know that somewhere between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year? That’s a hard number to visualize. A single metric ton is 2,205 lbs. Approximately the size of two fully grown cows. Imagine that on the scale of millions. Still having a hard time? Think of it this way – on an average workday there are approximately 3.9 million people in Manhattan. Now imagine they all weigh 2,205lbs and you get sort of close to the low estimate of how much plastic we put into the ocean every year.
You want to know what happens to that plastic? It strangles turtles, starves birds, cuts up dolphins, and ends up in our sushi (and other seafood we consider delectable). This seems insane. Except the insanity is just getting started. It turns out that as all our straws and plastic bags and bottles float around in the ocean, they start to decompose. Except it isn’t a clean, environmentally friendly decomposition. They’ve discovered that plastic starts releasing chemicals like bisphenol A, styrene monomer and polystyrene-based (PS) oligomers. I’m not a scientist, I don’t know a lot about what these are. I have read that they are toxic to animals and humans – and that these chemicals don’t occur naturally. Oh, and styrene monomer causes cancer, birth defects and organ failure. And the fish are eating it, and we are eating the fish.
I’m calling for a change. Don’t exit the window. I know you are only one person. I know that some of you are thinking “I’m one person, I can’t make a difference” or “I use a reusable water bottle and I bought a Save the Dolphins T-shirt, I’m good.” Hear me out. We need a change, probably a radical one. Plastic usage may be really common, and really easy, but it doesn’t have to be, and there are alternatives that are just as easy. We just need to create different, better habits. We need big corporations to use alternatives.
Also, if you think recycling your plastic is the solution (like I used to) think again. Not every plastic is recyclable – so even if you are tossing every piece of plastic into the recycling bin, some of it is still going to a landfill because they literally can’t recycle it. “Typically, 50% of what you put in your recycling bin is never recycled. It's sorted and thrown out,” said Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle. Except that costs money, because eventually someone has to sort the recyclable from the non-recyclable. Paying someone to do this is expensive, and someone needs to foot the bill, and it just isn’t cost effective for many markets to recycle, so all those recycling bins are just dumped into the land fill.
It gets worse though, because even the plastics that can be recycled – can’t. Recycled plastic can only be turned into lesser quality plastic. So yes, it is reused, but there is a limit to its recyclability. There is one exception: PET. However, the problem with it being clean enough and actually getting to a recycling facility still exists.
All in all, recycling isn’t the answer. It isn’t economically feasible currently, it’s an imperfect process, and consumers don’t know what they are doing when they sort their recyclables.
What I mean is: You aren’t helping as much as you think when you recycle. I suppose your recycling efforts are better than nothing, but they aren’t enough. We need to start refusing to use plastic. Go to The Giving Brush and they will give you a free bamboo toothbrush and a bamboo drinking straw. Fun Fact: Bamboo is 100% biodegradable and if you drop it in a compost pile instead of your trash – it will decompose. Completely.
Lately I heard an argument that buying reusable shopping bags wasn’t feasible because of the water pollution it takes to create the shopping bag exceeds the pollution of plastic bags. I was flabbergasted at that argument. You mean to tell me that you don’t want to buy a new bag to hold the new clothes you bought because of the water pollution that was caused by created that bag? (In case you didn’t catch on, those clothes underwent the same process as that bag). Here’s a fix for that argument. Go to the nearest thrift store and buy a canvas shopping bag. You can throw it in the washing machine or wash it by hand, and now you have a reusable shopping that can replace the stupid plastic ones at the store. Bonus: You also bought something used instead of new. Or, if that is too much commitment, just ask for paper bags when you check out instead of plastic. You can feel guilt free throwing that paper bag away – it’ll decompose without giving you cancer.
Deciding that it is too much effort or not worth it is a selfish stance. Yes. Selfish. Because when you put your own inconvenience as more important than the health of our oceans, our marine life, and ultimately the lives of everyone on the planet - it’s selfish. I understand that plastic is something we use for everything and change can be difficult. Yet, we need change. Change has to start somewhere. Even a small change - eliminating plastic bottles from your grocery basket - can start to add up as a big change. You don’t run a marathon without first slowly implementing a training regime. It’s the same concept.
Just in case you don’t know where to start - I started a list for you (in addition to the toothbrush, straw, and shopping bag thing).
10 ways you can eliminate plastic from your life:
1. Walk away from those plastic wrapped meats at the grocer. Find a butcher shop, ask for your cuts of beef or pork to be wrapped in butcher paper.
2. Switch to plastic free toothpaste. Start your Bite Subscription – you’ll never have to remember toothpaste at the store again, and it shows up without plastic packaging.
3. Stop buying bottled water (unless you live in Flint, Michigan). Not only is it 2000x more expensive than tap water, but those plastic bottles will likely end up in the ocean. Hate your tap water? Buy a recyclable Brita filter. It’ll save you money and eliminate unnecessary garbage. Also, get yourself a good water bottle.
4. Invest in a reusable K-Cup filter. Buy a bag of grounds, fill your own filter, brew your cup of coffee. Disposable K-cups are made of, you guessed it, unrecyclable plastic and aluminum. Alternatively, just make the switch to a French press. It makes better coffee anyway.
5. Bring your own reusable mug to the coffee shop. Forgot it? Ask for no lid.
6. Upgrade from the plastic bottled to glass bottled soda (or pop for you fellow mid westerners), it just tastes better.
7. Stop bagging your produce in plastic produce bags. Either find a good cotton mesh alternative, or just put them right into your cart. You’re supposed to wash produce regardless, so the plastic bag isn’t really saving you from germs.
8. Give up the gum. Almost all chewing gum is packaged in plastic – and made from plastic. Yes. You read that right. Chewing gum is actually just chewing plastic. Click here for a list of gum brands that aren’t chewable plastic.
9. Check your facial scrub before you buy it, if it lists “polyethylene” in the ingredients, it contains tiny plastic beads that you rub all over your face before washing down the drain, where they’ll eventually get gobbled up by salmon, dolphins, birds, etc.
10. Give up plastic wrapped toilet paper. “Who Gives a Crap” is a toilet paper brand that packages their toilet paper, in more paper. Eliminated unnecessary plastic packaging.
Want to do more? Visit 100 Steps to a Plastic Free Life.
Think I missed something? Mention it in the comments below.
As always, I am but a work in progress.
Cheers.
