How To Limit Single Use Plastic?

What Are One-Time-Only Plastics

Single-use plastics are mostly made of chemicals from fossil fuels (called petrochemicals) and are meant to be thrown away quickly after use, often within minutes. Most of the time, single-use plastics are used for packaging and serving things like bottles, wrappings, straws, and bags.

Plastic, a chain of artificial polymers, was created in the middle of the 19th century but didn’t widely use until the 1970s. Plastic containers started to replace liquid milk jars made of paper or glass because they are lightweight, cheaper, and stronger. Half of the 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastics made since the 1950s have been made in the last 15 years.

Plastic can be used for many important and useful things, like surgical gloves and straws for people with disabilities. However, these examples only make up a small part of single-use plastic. A study from 2017 found that more than half of non-fiber plastic, which does not include synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, is made of plastic packaging.

Why Is Plastic You Only Use Once Bad

Plastic only used once is bad for the environment because it doesn’t break down, and it breaks up into smaller pieces that do not decompose, which is bad for the environment. The fact that it requires 1000 years to break down is another thing that gives single-use plastic a bad name.

When plastic bottles and bags are not recycled, they add to the amount of trash in landfills. Plastic is used all the time in many countries these days. When people throw away plastic bags and bottles in dumpsters and landfills, the poor animals that eat them die. Many sea animals have died because they ate one of these plastic bags. If we keep going this way, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.

Plastic bottles and bags never break down, and animals that eat them often choke on them. The animals will die because they can’t eat these bags and bottles.

Where Do Most Single-Use Plastics Come From

The two most popular single-use plastics are plastic bottles and plastic bags. You can find these all over the natural world. But your trash is most likely your main source of single-use plastic.

People and businesses often throw away their trash in single-use plastic bags to save cash, and single-use plastic bins are then used to transfer the trash. The most common single-use plastic items are shopping bags, produce bags, and bread bags.

40% of all the trash made of plastic is from products or packaging, and the rest comes from buildings, garbage dumps, cars, boats, and airplanes. A Greenpeace study found that microbeads, food containers, grocery bags, straws and cutlery, beverage containers, and so on are the main sources of single-use plastic.

How To Cut Down On Single-Use Plastic

Invest In A Reusable Water Bottle

Every minute, more than a million plastic bottles are sold throughout the world. One of the simplest methods to keep hydrated without contributing to one of the main sources of single-use plastic is to buy a water bottle that you can use repeatedly.

Don’t use bottle caps made of plastic

Plastic bottle caps, one of the most prevalent forms of plastic pollution, are particularly hazardous because marine life may mistake them for food. Plastic bottle tops shouldn’t be drunk, and you should recycle the ones you use.

You must stay away from more than just plastic water bottles. Even if the drinks themselves are not made of plastic, most of them have a plastic bottle cap.

Try Not To Use Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are yet another item that can only be used once and are very bad for marine life. Turtles and other sea animals will have difficulty telling the difference between trash bags and jellyfish that float in the water. Bring your bag or tote to the store, so you don’t have to use a single-use plastic bag. If you have to use a plastic bag, take it home and put it inside your trash can to make it last longer.

Use A Reusable Cup To Serve Coffee

Every year, almost 500 billion coffee cups that can only use once are thrown away. There are many different kinds of these cups, from paper cups with plastic liners to whole plastic cups with plastic lids. People often throw these cups in landfills, where they slowly break down over time.

The World Wildlife Fund says that you can help if you bring a cup or mug you can use again to your favorite coffee shop. Some shops will even offer you a discount if you bring your cup.

Do Not Use Straws Made Of Plastic

The World Wildlife Fund urges people to use metal and paper straws instead of plastic ones if they require straws and have the option. Even better if you don’t have to use any straws at all.

Some scientists think that there could be as many as 8 billion straws on the beaches of the world. If you promise to stop using plastic straws, other governments and organizations will be more likely to do the same. Plastic straws were forbidden in several countries and companies.

“Zero Waste” Should Be Bought As Often As Possible

Even though it can be hard to find a reliable zero waste or bulk food store, food markets are a good option for people who want to stop using single-use plastics when they shop for food. Farmers’ markets usually have a wide variety of fresh vegetables not packaged in plastic. Also, buying locally helps support local farmers and reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released when food is shipped.

Throw Away The Plastic Wrap

Using a plastic disposable lunch bag or cling film to keep food fresh is easy. Instead of storing leftovers in wasteful plastic containers, buy some reusable storage containers for foods or inventive beeswax wraps to keep your food fresh without plastic.

Keep Plastics For One-Time Use In Your Bathroom

Don’t forget about the plastics in your bathroom! Most of the time, when we think about single-use plastics, we only think about food and drinks. From toothbrushes to shampoos, moisturizers, and potions, there can be a lot of plastic in your bathroom.

Try using soap bars instead of body wash, and look for products that don’t come in plastic whenever you can. You may even try solid shampoo if you’re feeling particularly daring!

Don’t Buy Clothes That Are Made Of Plastic

Most microplastics end up in the environment through clothing. About 60% of our clothes are made of synthetic materials like nylon, synthetic fibers, acrylic, and other fibers. So, just doing the laundry can send hundreds of tiny plastic ﬁbers into the water system, where they end up in the ocean.

Even though we can recycle most textiles, 85% of old clothes are in landfills. Like plastic bags, it can take hundreds of years for synthetic clothes to break down. Used clothes are one of the best ways to shop for the environment because they don’t use more energy to make and don’t end up in the waste stream.

To make less of a difference in the environment, you must start using less single-use plastic. A great strategy to guarantee that your trash is managed and regulated properly is to hire a dumpster rental company to remove junk in bulk.