Most likely not, but July allows us to bring more attention to a (useless?) material, which is polluting our world in every field of the world.

We are literally drowning in plastic and most of it is absolutely useless. It found its way to our home as a wrapper around so many products. The main task of plastic is to offer a case in what we are bringing food home. Or something else like beauty, cleaning and household products, most of the things really. It almost seems pointless to talk about the useless plastic we are trashing daily.

What makes plastic so good?

It is a unique material with many benefits.

It is:

1. cheap
2. lightweight
3. resistant

So all this makes plastic a valuable material for many functions. Ir provides environmental benefits, as believe it or not, it actually plays a critical role in the food industry. It helps to maintain food quality, its safety and helps to reduce food waste. Though it hurts us to see produce packed in plastic, most of the time excessive, it ables for the products to reach to the stores and our homes safely and fresh. Of course one can skip the plastic while buying local and visiting farmer’s markets. But as plastic is convenient, so is shopping at the grocery malls.

Where you can find (useless?) plastic?

Even if we consciously are thinking of bringing less plastic home, it lurks in some little-known places. You can look around in your home, and not go that wild, as Werner Boote did. He bought out all the items at his home, which were made of plastic. And he set them on his lawn. Take a look at the photo and find out about the 2009 documentary here. So these are the most common items you can find at home made of plastic.

• Most of the food packaging
• Milk and juice cartons
• Metal cans – read more about our investigation here.
• Synthetic fabrics – polyester, nylon, rayon, and acrylic yarns and fabrics are all made from plastic. These are shedding millions of microscopic plastic fibers that eventually wind up in waterways.
• Baby wipes and diapers
• Wrapping paper – is most of the time a mix of plant fibers and laminated plastic.
• Chewing gum
• Cigarette filters
• Glue
• Coffee cups – unfortunately even those that appear to be made from paper often have plastic in the lining.

We all have most of these listed items at home. Can we live without them? Sure! Though it is difficult we can make wiser choices and eliminate as much as we can.

Skip the useless plastic!

What we all can do to create less garbage, or at least bring less of it home, is to choose plastic-free items. Yes, not only products, which are wrapped with a material that is having a negative impact on our oceans and wildlife. But also products which are made of useless plastic. People tend to create more waste in high-income countries. So it should be also easier to implement the changes in such places. If you are in North America, when reading this, please do your part.

Here is a list of materials to choose over plastic:

• Stainless steel
• Glass
• Platinum silicone
• Natural fiber cloth
• Wood
• Bamboo
• Pottery
• Paper
• Cardboard

Choosing these materials over useless plastic, which is so over-produced, because it is cheap and relatively durable, you will start seeing less plastic in your home. By choosing the above-mentioned materials you are already making the world a better place. A tiny step at the time. Based on where you are located the management of plastic determines the risk of plastic entering the ocean. High-income countries have quite effective waste management systems. So only a little will end up in the oceans. Worse is the situation in middle- and low-income countries. Because they are the main sources of global plastic pollution.

How to break the plastic habit?

There are many easy swaps on how we all can start to cut plastic pollution. This is a small, but great step to make us feel good and do our part. Start with the basic manageable swaps, which are helping cut down the plastic use.

• Single-use plastic shopping bags – start using reusable bags.
• Plastic bottles – start using a reusable cup.
• Items packed in plastic – if possible, opt for not packaged or glass or metal packaging.
• Plastic toothbrushes – Bamboo toothbrushes.
• Liquid dish soap – in the kitchen use the powder for the dishwasher and a bar for handwashing.
• Plastic sponge and scrubber – choose a natural sponge, luffa, or wooden brush.
• Plastic trash bags – put the paper bags to good use, line with newspaper.
• Laundry detergent in plastic bottles – powdered laundry detergent or soap nuts (share your experience in the comments, if you have used them)
• Clothing, bedding, towels – organic cotton, wool, bamboo, or hemp.
• ETC.

We suggest you start with the easier swaps, as listed above first and then move to the harder ones. Also, do not be afraid of reusing. This also helps to save items and helps to create less plastic. Some swaps are much easier to make than others — but you can definitely tackle the harder ones if you challenge yourself. Approach playfully and while looking for plastic-free options opt for cheaper options, so you can save more and buy other plastic-free items. Plastic-Free-July is here to provide much-needed information about (useless) plastic and how to avoid it.

Read more detailed suggestions from a wonderful article Learn Earth Easy has written and get more swap ideas.

Conclusion

We can’t help but notice as July is approaching that it is time to celebrate Plastic-Free July. We have a complicated relationship with plastic for some years. I mean we are not buying plastic things and if we want to buy something, we consider where it is made and of what it is made and then reconsider. The beginning was hard, but since we love challenges, we did it. It is the right moment to check the Plastic-Free July to-do sheet and be determined to keep your promises. Share THIS SHEET with your friends to make it more fun!

But on a more serious note, unfortunately, the trade-offs between plastic and substitutes are complex. As earlier said plastic is a good material to use in the food industry for example. As it is essential for the prevention of food losses, wastage, and contamination. Storage and packaging play a crucial role from harvest all the way through to the final consumption of the foods we eat. Even if some consider the final phase of packaging (from retail to home) to be unnecessary, it is likely it has played an important role in preserving food from the farm to the retail stage.

So, plastic may not be so useless then after all. And perhaps the main solution here is to close down plastic-producing plants. One by one. As otherwise, our best efforts seem like taping the crumbling wall with pieces of tape. Or should we do anything at all?

Reference:

Our World In Data

Learn Earth Easy