09 Aug Why reducing plastic consumption is so important.

Over the past few decades, humans have realised that our massive plastic consumption is becoming a huge problem. So why is it important that we reduce our plastic consumption? Well, although plastic is a great material for consumers due to its convenience and cheap price, it can actually take thousands of years to biodegrade. Plastic also clogs up our landfills, pollutes our environment and has a devastating effect on our oceans and the ocean life within them. Plastic items which were discarded several decades ago are still washing up on our shores!

Sadly, most plastic manufactured does not get recycled or even reused and is used only once by consumers before being thrown away. These plastic items can be anything from plastic toothbrushes, plastic water bottles to plastic shopping carrier bags. Recycling plastic is very energy intensive and requires vast amounts of water. The majority of municipalities don’t have the means to process plastic recycling effectively.

Of course, it is always a good idea to recycle plastic so that it does not end up in a landfill but it should be noted that the recycling process contributes negatively to climate change. A good solution to this is simply not to buy “single use” plastic items in the first place and to substitute whatever you can with environmentally-friendly items that are made with biodegradable materials. Examples of these could be a bamboo toothbrush, glass jars and paper bags instead of their plastic counterparts. Obviously, it would be very difficult to eliminate plastic products from our lives completely, but if everyone tried to make use of better materials, our environment would be better off for it. So, the next time you are shopping for household or personal items, consider swapping out that plastic storage container for a glass one and a plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one!