Our story It began in a foreign country in Western Europe. It was the summer of 2018. We made a move and later, another decision that would change our lives f o r e v e r. The city was Berlin. The year was 2017, in the … Read more...
How much garbage do we really create?
You are what you eat, but how about how much garbage you create? Let’s dig into our little garbage container and peek what is in the three bags.
As we have said many times earlier: we are trying to consume less, mostly less plastic, and keep the household clutter-free. Sometimes things just come to us. This can be simply avoided. Always buy what you really need, write down a list to avoid extra purchases, do not shop hungry and alone.
Our shopping habits
Anyway while on our new path, some may probably wonder how much garbage we are creating in a week. I have to explain a bit about our buying habits. Since we are vegan, we buy mostly fresh produce, oftentimes beans and tomatoes in a can, rice, and pasta. Unfortunately, the two latter come in plastic bags, which we are looking to skip as well or buy bags of rice in bulk. Also, we are lucky that we can save ready-made food from the workplace’s canteen, which keeps us away from buying plastic-wrapped grocery items. Needless to say, when buying things, we look for items made of metal, wood, glass and we are trying to buy food packed in paper, cardboard, glass, and tin cans.
What is in our garbage bags?
As said earlier, we have a little cardboard box, where we store three little plastic bags. We are collecting paper/cardboard, packages, and garbage. Organic waste is collected to a bowl, which we empty daily to our building’s organic waste bin.
Below are descriptive photos of our garbage bags on a random week.
1. Paper/cardboard
It contains Alpro yogurt container’s paper wrapping, toilet paper roll’s inside, some teabag wrappers, and a towel’s tag.
2. Packaging
Here you can see a bag of rice, kidney beans can, and a cookie wrapper. You can’t see Alpro yogurt container, as we reused it for something else.
3. Garbage
Here you can see mostly tissue paper, wet tissues, floss, Alrpo yogurt containers aluminum lid, some dust, and lint.
The photos above change weekly, depending on our consumption habits. But we are glad that we have managed to keep our three little garbage bags quite minimalistic. We are not into buying things and consume plastic – so I guess we have a head start.
Please read our other article, how we are sorting garbage in our kitchen.
Zero-waste is not possible
You most likely have come across the photos of the waste jars of zero-wasters all around the world. Their little containers hold almost nothing of what they trash in a year. Their jars look perhaps like an average person’s hourly trash, if even. Don’t be intimidated by the little waste they are creating. It is impossible to live completely waste-free, as things may break down, things that are not recyclable and are made of plastic. Though you can come across households, which contain no plastic and traditional paints whatsoever. Goals, uh?
But it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to eliminate plastic from your household or consume less. Yes, please do that, it is good for our planet and your wallet. Buy less, buy only what you need, try to find it without plastic and try these three zero waste disposal options, before trashing the goods.
Just make a clear plan for yourself of what you want to bring home and how you can have a clear overview of your expenditures. Such little container with three little sections works the best for us.
How have you organized your garbage collection and how you avoid plastic? Share your experiences with us!
The whole truth about plastic numbers*
You have actually no idea of the secret life of plastic. It is wilder than most of us would ever think! The truth lies in the plastic numbers.
Perhaps there are some amongst you, like me not long ago, who will make a big revelation about plastic and it’s recycling. I was silly for a loooooong time to think that the three chasings arrows, which looks like the recycling sign, means that the product is recyclable. Whoops! No! Stop! Think again.
Anyway, coming back to these signs and the numbers inside of them aka plastic numbers. As they all have it inside, which is what tells you the whole truth about this particular item. You can find such triangles composed of three chasing arrows from 1 to 7. The purpose of the number is to identify the type of plastic used for the product, and unfortunately, not all plastics are recyclable or even reusable.
Plastic numbers i.e. codes
Code 1: PETE or PET: Polyethylene Terephthalate – soft drink bottles, mineral water, fruit juice, cooking oil, salad dressing containers, mouthwash bottles, and peanut butter containers.
Code 2: HDPE: High-Density Polyethylene – milk jugs, cleaning agents, laundry detergents, shampoo bottles, washing and shower soaps, cereal box liners, butter tubs.
Code 3: PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride – trays for sweets, fruits, bubble foil, food wrap, medical equipment.
Code 4: LDPE: Low-Density Polyethylene – shopping bags, highly resistant sacks, wrappings, frozen food, and bread bags.
Code 5: PP: Polypropylene – furniture, luggage, toys, the lining of cars, Alpro yogurt containers, mixing bowls, ketchup bottles, syrup bottles, and medicine bottles.
Code 6: PS: Polystyrene – toys, hard packing, fridge trays, cosmetic bags, costume jewelry, CD cases, vending cups.
Code 7: Others (including polycarbonate, bioplastic, and acrylic) – other plastics, acrylic, nylon, fiberglass, etc.
By understanding these simple classifications, we can best use plastics to our advantage. While minimizing the health and disposal issues that may otherwise arise. Below is some information about the seven classifications for plastics, and the recycling and reuse information for each type.
#1 – PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
PET is one of the most commonly used plastics in consumer products, and is found in most water and pop bottles, and some packaging. It is intended for single-use applications; repeated use increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth. Polyethylene terephthalates may leach carcinogens.
PET plastic is recyclable and about 25% of PET bottles are recycled. The plastic is crushed and then shredded into small flakes. Which are then reprocessed to make new PET bottles, or spun into polyester fiber. This recycled fiber is used to make textiles such as fleece garments, carpets, stuffing for pillows and life jackets, and similar products.
NB! Products made of #1 (PET) plastic should be recycled but not reused.
#2 – HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
HDPE plastic is the stiff plastic used to make milk jugs, detergent and oil bottles, toys, and some plastic bags. You can tell a difference easily if compared to PET. Luckily this is the most commonly recycled plastic and is considered one of the safest forms of plastic. It is a relatively simple and cost-effective process to recycle HDPE plastic for secondary use.
HDPE plastic is very hard-wearing and does not break down under exposure to sunlight or extremes of heating or freezing. For this reason, HDPE is used to make picnic tables, waste bins, park benches, bed liners for trucks and other products which require durability and weather-resistance.
NB! Products made of HDPE are reusable and recyclable.
#3 – PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
PVC is a soft, flexible plastic used to make clear plastic food wrapping, cooking oil bottles, teething rings, children’s and pets’ toys, and blister packaging for myriad consumer products. It is commonly used as the sheathing material for computer cables, plastic pipes and parts for plumbing. Because PVC is relatively impervious to sunlight and weather, it is used to make window frames, garden hoses, arbors, raised beds and trellises.
PVC is dubbed the “poison plastic” because it contains numerous toxins which it can leach throughout its entire life cycle.
Products made using PVC plastic are not recyclable.
#4 – LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
LDPE is often found in shrink wraps, dry cleaner garment bags, squeezable bottles, and the type of plastic bags used to package bread. The plastic grocery bags used in most stores today are made using LDPE plastic. Some clothing and furniture also use this type of plastic.
LDPE is considered less toxic than other plastics, and relatively safe for use. It is not commonly recycled. However, although this is changing in many communities today as more plastic recycling programs gear up to handle this material. When recycled, LDPE plastic is used for plastic lumber, landscaping boards, garbage can liners and floor tiles. Products made using recycled LDPE are not as hard or rigid as those made using recycled HDPE plastic.
Products made using LDPE plastic are reusable, but not always recyclable.
#5 – PP (Polypropylene)
Polypropylene plastic is tough and lightweight and has excellent heat-resistance qualities. It serves as a barrier against moisture, grease, and chemicals. When you try to open the thin plastic liner in a cereal box, it is polypropylene. This keeps your cereal dry and fresh. PP is also commonly used for disposable diapers, plastic bottle tops, margarine and yogurt containers, potato chip bags, straws, packing tape and rope.
Polypropylene is recyclable through some curbside recycling programs. But only about 3% of PP products are currently being recycled in the US, for example. Recycled PP is used to make landscaping border stripping, battery cases, brooms, bins, and trays. However, #5 plastic is today becoming more accepted by recyclers.
PP is considered safe for reuse, but not always recyclable.
#6 – PS (Polystyrene)
Polystyrene is an inexpensive, lightweight and easily-formed plastic with a wide variety of uses. It is most often used to make disposable styrofoam drinking cups, take-out “clamshell” food containers, egg cartons, plastic picnic cutlery, foam packaging and those ubiquitous “peanut” foam chips used to fill shipping boxes to protect the contents. Polystyrene is also widely used to make rigid foam insulation and underlay sheeting for laminate flooring used in home construction.
Because polystyrene is structurally weak and ultra-lightweight, it breaks up easily and is dispersed readily throughout the natural environment. Beaches all over the world have bits of polystyrene lapping at the shores, and an untold number of marine species have ingested this plastic with immeasurable consequences to their health.
Polystyrene may leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, into food products (especially when heated in a microwave). Chemicals present in polystyrene have been linked with human health and reproductive system dysfunction.
Recycling is not widely available for polystyrene products. While the technology for recycling polystyrene is available, the market for recycling is small. Awareness among consumers has grown, however, and polystyrene is being reused more often.
NB!! Polystyrene should be avoided where possible.
#7 – Other (BPA, Polycarbonate, and LEXAN)
The #7 category was designed as a catch-all for polycarbonate (PC) and “other” plastics. So reuse and recycling protocols are not standardized within this category. Primary concern with #7 plastics, however, is the potential for chemical leaching into food or drink products packaged in polycarbonate containers made using BPA (Bisphenol A). BPA is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor.
Number 7 plastics are used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, water cooler bottles, and car parts. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters “PC” by the recycling label #7. Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as ‘non-leaching’ for minimizing plastic taste or odor. However, there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids.
A new generation of compostable plastics, made from bio-based polymers like corn starch, is being developed to replace polycarbonates. These are also included in category #7, which can be confusing to the consumer. These compostable plastics have the initials “PLA” on the bottom near the recycling symbol. Some may also say “Compostable.”
NB! #7 plastics are not for reuse unless they have the PLA compostable coding. When possible it is best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for children’s food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. PLA coded plastics should be thrown in the compost and not the recycle bin since PLA compostable plastics are not recyclable.
Do so with other plastic items that have found their way to your home.
Are your eyes open now?
Okay this is something, isn’t it? Why nobody told us this truth about plastic numbers earlier, right? And all these plastic names are really complicated. I found it easier to remember the number and whether they can be recycled and are they safe to reuse.
After obtaining this information I went to our kitchen and I looked through the few plastic items we had looking for plastic numbers. I found two plastic bowls, which we got for free from somebody. For some reason, I have always disliked them. So, they are good to go now and find another use as a flowerbed or collecting green waste. The other few containers we had were all number 5 PP i.e. Polypropylene.
Let’s wrap the plastic up: which recycling numbers to avoid and which are “safest”
You probably agree after reading this post that it’s really best to avoid using all plastics if you’re able. But at the very least:
- Avoid recycling symbols 3, 6, and 7. While Number 1 is considered safe, it is also best to avoid this plastic.
- Look for symbols 2, 4, and 5, as these plastics are considered to be safest. These are the plastics to look for in terms of human and animal consumption.
Recommendations to keep in mind while buying plastic:
- Look for the numbers of safer plastic: 2, 4, 5 and 1. Avoid codes 3, 6, 7.
- Code 1 plastics are the easiest and most common plastics to recycle) and Code 7 – the most difficult to recycle.
- Avoid heating any grade plastic, not even in the microwave.
- PET is widely used for plastic bottles for water and carbonated soft drinks. These bottles are meant for single use only and then recycled.
- Avoid using disposable food containers e.g cups and plates. They are made up of Polystyrene or Styrofoam. When heated they may emit styrene to your food and drinks, which can damage your nervous system and is carcinogenic.
- Look for plastics labeled “BPA- free”.
- Opt for substitutes of plastics e.g glassware, jute or paper bags, metal containers.
- Always recycle or throw away containers once they start to crack or break.
- Don’t use the containers which are used to deliver food or carry food after a single-use.
Unfortunately, plastics will be used. But you can certainly limit your use of the product. Hopefully, this post shed some light on this crazy material, which seems to surround us everywhere.
Most of the information in this article is coming from a true eye-opener article by Earth Easy.
If you are not familiar with the term curbside recycling, please CLICK HERE to find out more.
*Pictured are different plastic containers we found in our household after we were informed about the real truth about plastic numbers. All these were harmful to health. So we discarded them. There is a number of similar trays we use to arrange things in the drawers and keep different containers tidy. Find a way to use the plastic you already have and avoid buying more.
Why love your soap bar?
Should you grab that soap bar? Yes, definitely, if you want to save money and eliminate plastic in your bathroom! Don’t worry about the germs!
Trying to use less plastic may be quite an adventure in the beginning. Especially when you haven’t done any research and just come up with your own stuff, as in our case. Soap is probably the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a bathroom. Also perhaps the first thing to cross your mind, when you enter your completely empty washroom. Soap bar can become really handy first not just washing your hands, but also to do some quick laundry if needed.
Skip the plastic package
Bar soaps, used to be on sale without packaging, then came paper and then plastic. Now we are going hopefully, back the same way: we should skip the plastic and then look soaps in a cardboard box. Or even better without any packaging.
Soaps without packaging are common in health or really rustic hardware stores, which have a section for all kinds of cleaning products. Those products are not only environmentally friendlier, but they are always very cost-effective. Bar soap lasts for a long time. Way longer than its partner in a liquid form in a plastic container.
We used our first bar soap daily for washing our hands, up in six months. Do the math, with one soap you a family of two can use it for a whole year!
The downside of bar soap or is there one really?
The one thing about soap, what people have said is not so fun, is that it tends to dry the hands. I have to disagree, as I do not get dry hands at home. I get dry hands when I am traveling and washing hands at the airports. The soaps used there are liquid and come in dispensers with a pump. Even the foamy ones are really drying.
When I started using bar soap, I was really worried about the fact, that I will get dry hands. But I worried without a reason. Just to be sure and to take care of our guests, we have a little jar of coconut oil in our bathroom. We are using this for our hands and body after taking a shower. I am sure we will talk more about coconut oil in the future, but I just want to write it down now, that coconut oil is not suggested to use on your face. As it has a more delicate and different pore system, which doesn’t respond so well to very oily coconut oil.
While showering, we use, yes, you guessed it right, luxury body soap, a birthday gift that came in as a set of three in a cardboard box wrapped separately in a thin handicraft paper. Just a little remark, keep your soap on a higher shelf near the shower or on the other side of the bathtub. The more water it gets, the faster the soap will disappear and the softer it will turn. Have a good soap holder to avoid problems. Or even better, make your own.
Are bar soaps dirty?
There is a false understanding circulating around that bar soaps are dirty, as they are publicly used as door handles, counters, taps, but studies that prove that it’s the other way around. The bar soap gets some bacteria from each user, then it gets washed off by a next user, as well, drying the soap seems to eliminate the bacteria. What is known is that soap doesn’t store bacteria after each use by different people.
Soap bars are perfectly safe, better for the environment and easy on your wallet, just go ahead and soap away! Even in public spaces.
What to know about a shampoo (bar)?
Nature lovers headache: who would have known that a transfer from your everyday shampoo to an all-organic shampoo bar can be such a hassle?
I must admit that honestly for the longest time, I really didn’t give much thought about what I was washing my hair with. If it was in a container, it promised many good things and it was meant for hair, I was okay using it! I mean, how wrong can one go with a shampoo anyway. Right? Shampoo bar-say what?
By now I have found the hard truth on my own and it is not pretty. Transitioning from consumer products to all-natural products may be a bit complicated. The new items may not give the wished results. It may even give worse!!
Let me share my painful path from using any shampoo to an all-natural shampoo bar.
Why did I decide to start using a shampoo bar?
Since the late spring of 2018, we have been trying not to bring plastic home. Though we were really committed to not buying plastic, we oftentimes still did. Mostly when buying groceries. Also, we weren’t really committed to the whole idea, ass we were thinking like a usual Aldi, Lidl, or any grocery store user. If it was not there to grab plastic-free, then it probably doesn’t exist.
We agreed to use up what we already had in plastic containers and plastic packaging. And then make a change gradually, when we run out of different items. It took us some time to get to change our plastic toothbrushes to bamboo ones. We just recently made the switch to a toothpowder, as we used up our last tube of organic toothpaste that we cheaply stocked up on when leaving Bulgaria in the summer of 2017. Unfortunately, we are still using plastic razors, given to us by friends, so…anyways, back to shampoo containers.
My first shampoo bar – let the…misery begin!
When the last non-fuzz shampoo bottle was finished, I asked for a shampoo bar as a present for my birthday. I was so excited, as I knew the bar will come in a tin box. Or at least in a cardboard box. Well, it didn’t! It came in a little plastic bag. Oh, well. At least I tried. I wish this could have been the least of my worries with this new shampoo bar!
I took my new bar out of the package (less plastic packing than an average shampoo container) and it really felt like something special. The bar consists of wheat proteins and yellow clay. I loved its shape and size – a perfect fit for my hand and easy to apply. It lathered very well and smelled fresh, not like the average shampoo. I was happy and satisfied when drying my hair.
After a few hours of drying, I felt that my hair felt dirty. It didn’t feel anything like before washing – it felt worse! I thought okay, this is my own fault, as I thought I didn’t rinse my hair properly. I have had this issue before in my younger years – too eager to get out of the shower. My hair is really thick and long, so probably I need more care when rinsing.
When my hair was completely dry, it all looked clean and felt nice. Except for the area near my neck, the nape, which seemed to have quite a big section of smelly sebum infused clumps of hair. Since most of the time I keep my hair in a ponytail anyway, it wasn’t a big problem for me to chew through.
Here we go again!
After a week (I wash my hair once a week), it was time to wash my hair again. I washed as before and rinsed. More thoroughly this time. No luck – still the same results as before! I continued like this for almost two months. Putting so much effort each time to rinsing thoroughly. I divided my hair into different parts to concentrate more on each section.
I forgot to research the hair washing problems with a shampoo bar before washing my hair. So I kind of got used to this. And also hoping that different times would give me different results. I also believed that this was some kind of transition period anyway. I started thinking that perhaps this particular bar is not meant for my hair type.
On one fine day, I remembered to research the problem. When I found out, what was the cause of it – I was blown away. This is a common issue and it takes just a few easy steps to solve this disaster. Thanks to Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve, it all made complete sense! I made the following discovery:
Commercial liquid shampoos and conditioners often contain synthetic silicones and silica that coat your hair, to make it “feel” nice, but leave a residue in your hair. Styling products and your own natural sweat and oil production can add to residue build up.
The detergent shampoos with loads of SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) are very good at stripping EVERYTHING (even those natural oils we want) and ridding your hair of residue.
Clarifying your hair is a way to remove the build-up some products leave on your hair which can make your hair dull and lifeless. Regular household baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate aka Baking soda) is an easy clarifier to use.
Source: CVSAS
Baking soda to the rescue – once again!
My hair was emitting all the crap that I had been using for years. Once I realized this – it gave me back my hope! I didn’t blame myself anymore on the fact that I didn’t know how to wash my hair. Nor did I blame the soap. There were now solutions to try and I was ready to change the situation.
Hard water and/or residue from previous products can cause shampoo bar adjustment problems. To tackle both of these problems, baking soda rinse can make miracles.
My recommended rescue regimen for the first month, when transitioning to a bar shampoo:
- Make a simple baking soda clarifying hair rinse using:
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 – 2 cups warm water
- Make your hair wet under the shower and then add the above-mentioned rinse.
- Wash your hair with your shampoo bar – just circling the hair edges on the scalp and scattering the lather all over the head.
- Sprinkle a bit of baking soda on your fingers and massage it on the scalp. Do it in several areas of your head.
- Rinse your hair thoroughly and dry.
- Spray some ACV-water (3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar and a half cup of water) mixture on damp my hair.
After a month I stopped doing everything else, I just continued using a bit of baking soda on my fingers and my scalp, while washing. I haven’t had any problems since. But I haven’t dared to stop using baking soda while washing altogether, as the experience was too painful to go through again.
Share your experiences and tips in the comments, please!
Some valuable links to help your transition to a shampoo bar smoother:
- What is an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse and when to use it – Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
- How to wash your hair the best using shampoo bar – hair washing techniques
and
Give promises that matter and keep them!
It is the beginning of the new year – time to give yourself some promises and keep them! Think of yourself, but also of the world around you.
I guess hiatuses are sometimes needed. Taking a break from online life is a must for everybody. But know that we weren’t resting, just working harder and more intensively on another project. Stay tuned to find out more about it. Thank you for coming back to read our Can’t Human Properly thoughts – ideas far from average and wish to contribute as much as we can to the well-being of this Earth, which will be hopefully our home for another 50 years. Join us by giving promises to yourself and this wonderful planet we all call home!
Promises to yourself
Though January is half-way down, there is still enough time to write down your promises for the year. Since you as a person matters the most, it is wise to start from yourself. Think first of how you felt last year, about your health, relationships, goals, etc. Were you healthy and active? or should you make some changes in your eating habits? Did you have enough time for your hobbies? Did you start a project, which would benefit other people?
Get moving!
Working-out may be the answer to your low health state. Do not think of joining a gym, as this way, you just contribute to the never-ending consumerism and capitalism. Instead, save your money, log online and find a beginner’s exercise package through an app instance. Set two days and get into work-out gear. Though the beginning is tough, the good feeling will kick in soon and you start loving working out.
If working-out is really not your thing, then make a goal of 10 000 steps daily. It makes you feel better, even without sweating at the gym. If walking aimlessly is not your thing, then download an e-book and listen to it, while walking to meet your partner or going to do grocery shopping.
Eat food that matters
How about food? Do you like what you eat? Do you know where your food comes from or how it is made? If there are plenty of no’s as answers, then it is the time to stop and think. Perhaps you realize that ready-made, overly salty and sugary meals are not good for your health. Also, foods that take a long way to travel to your table do not contribute to the well-being of your local farmers. Check online for your local farmer’s markets or if there is nothing around, start learning more about what you can do to change this situation.
January is known also as a Veganuary. It is your chance to try not to eat meat and dairy. Why should you want to do that? Animal farming is known as one of the most devastating industries for Mother Earth. It is extremely strenuous for the environment, needs many resources and hence has a very big ecological footstep. Animal products are not needed and we can survive without consuming their bodily fluids, skin, and meat. There are plenty of plant-based options for every taste and craving out there. And if Meat Loaf can do it, so can you!
We will take the Liberation Pledge and be more dedicated and environmentally friendly vegans.
Do more for yourself
There are plenty of things you should have time for, as they help and make you feel good:
- reading
- sleeping in
- breakfast in bed
- going to the movies
- walk a nature path
- inviting friends over for a potluck
- decluttering – fewer things, fewer worries
- listening to music, I mean, really listen to music
- cleaning out your fridge and discover food you can eat!
- start a project you feel strongly about, which would help some special group of people or tackle an important issue
- etc., etc., etc. Insert what makes you happy here and share it in the comments!
Perhaps you have a personal project or goal you neglected last year, this is your chance to tackle it with fresh energy. Personally, I will try to update my photography website and make it modern. It is a big cross I have dragged along with me for the longest time. I also want to hone my skills in architecture photography, which I have always found very interesting. In addition, I want to scribble down more of my thoughts, who knows perhaps one day they will be put together for a book! Dreams, dreams, dreams.
Promises to your close ones
This one is easy: JUST SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEM!
Promises to Planet Earth
We here, at CHP appreciate nature a lot. We do not like consumerism and plastic and we love animals and saving food. So it is not difficult to guess what we are going to offer you, as something you can do in 2020 to make life better. Not just for yourself, but also for people around you and the environment.
We are going to follow this little list below. And we are offering you to try at least some of the things yourself, whether it’s for a few weeks, a month or even for a year. As long as you feel comfortable:
- fasting
- no buying
- saving food
- trying not to eat out
- not buying items in plastic
- not eating sugar and gluten
Conclusion
I guess there are always things we want to improve, start or continue what we like. But dedication is what we lack. Make sure you do not overcrowd your goal list and concentrate on up to 10 items.
You should come back to your goal list every month and see how you are doing. This is how you are not going to neglect them and actually work towards completing them!
Make sure to share your list, if it is not personal, also with your close ones, to inspire them to take steps to make their lives better too. And also to preserve the world around us.
Why plastic is nasty and why to stop using it
We are daily surrounded with so much plastic, that we even do not notice how much of it is out there. It is practical, it is poisonous and it is forever.
Look on your table, in the kitchen drawer, and in your bag? How many plastic items you can count? I bet quite a few. These are the things we need in our lives. We buy more of these things every week. Then we trash these. We toxicate ourselves every day with plastic. Plastic is forever. Plastic is nasty!
Why plastic is nasty?
You may wonder why all this fuzz about plastic, while this is a strong, lightweight and waterproof all at once. Making it really a wonderful product. No? But maybe you do not wonder so much about the fact that most plastics are oil-derived and non-biodegradable. Which means plastics last for centuries and more.
We are using this wonderful product just for our convenience and greed. But all plastic, especially food and product wrapping are discarded very hastily. And all that ends up as litter, polluting all water bodies and damaging the life of all life on earth.
Most plastics are non-biodegradable. This is the main problem with plastic. It never disappears. At least nobody’s eyes can see that in their own lifetime. It can’t be burned, as it releases dioxins, a group of highly toxic chemicals to the atmosphere, therefore contributing to global warming. Plastic is nasty!
People love plastic
The other problem is us – the users. We value comfort, cheap price, and the lightness of plastic. Actually so much that we hoard the stuff home mostly in plastic. As we are at home start cooking or eating, we discard the plastic wrappers just like that – easy come, easy go! As plastic makes sense only during the transporting. For example in the UK, people generate 3 million tonnes of plastic annually.
Think of the first three items that come to your mind when you think of plastic litter? Perhaps you were thinking of food packaging, disposable cups, and sweet wrappers. The wrapper lives only a few seconds in our hands and then flies to the bin. And then it becomes a litter if you discard it in public and do not care where you are throwing your rubbish.
Sore sight for an eye, right?
Plastic is nasty everywhere
If you can’t really think of how bad the situation really looks, then please take a look at this wonderful gallery by Atlantic. It doesn’t matter that it may happen far away from you. As it all affects the air, the oceans and wildlife and humans everywhere on this planet. If this again is too broad then think of:
- Fish and sea birds ingest plastic which can kill them or stuck in plastic,
- Drainage systems get blocked with plastic causing flooding,
- Layers of plastic trash choke grasslands and lakes
Since the ocean is downstream, much of the plastic trash generated on land ends up there. It has been estimated that 6.4 million tons of debris ends up in the world’s oceans every year. And that some 60 to 80 percent of that debris, or 3.8 to 5 million tons, is improperly discarded plastic.
The nasty plastic degrades rather than biodegrades, which means it simply breaks up and becomes smaller pieces. These are microplastics. Synthetic clothing releases thousands of plastic fibers every wash. Some cosmetics include small beads, which all end up in the water somewhere.
The sea salt you are using, definitely consists of some microplastics. We can’t see it but we eat some of it in our healthy meals every day. The same is happening to animals, who seeing little pieces of plastic think it is food. Since it has no nutritional value it makes the animals underdeveloped and underweight. The chemicals in plastic poison them secretly and many get tangled in plastic twine and ghost fishing nets and starve to death.
Plastic is poisonous
There are many different categories of plastic. Exactly 7, which determines how the plastic is made and how it can be used. Even the most common plastic with a marking 1, though recyclable, proven to be cancerous and advised not to reuse after the first time. But most of the food comes in plastic containers with such marking! Manufacturers are not obliged to reveal what they use in their plastic mixes. Though the polymers used in base plastics are mostly considered to be harmless, the potential toxicity of the additives is often unknown.
Take a look at what plastic does
Visit Chris Jordan’s project Midway: Message from the Gyre and take a look at what birds have eaten and how their bodies look filled with all plastic found in them.
Or visit Plasticrubbish.com about the sad stories what is happening to animals all around us, of whom we hardly ever think or pay attention.
In conclusion
I hope this a bit hectic post gave you an overview that plastic is nasty. And perhaps next time when shopping for groceries or anything else you happen to need in your life, then you are making a better choice than buying disposable and short-life items that quickly end up as everlasting rubbish.
Perhaps now it is the right time to read also this article about minimalism on our website and get your decluttering on ASAP.
Reference from: Why we hate plastic.