Everyone seems to have their own idea about what REALLY makes a difference in their efforts to clean up the mess humans are making of our blue planet.
But they all agree that plastic, especially single-use plastic, is clogging up our rivers and oceans, and ending up in landfills, creating an environmental catastrophe.
Some of these plastic items can take hundreds of years to break down, and that in itself creates a new problem...microplastics.
These are the tiny fragments of plastic that end up in the ocean where they pose a danger to sea creatures, and even end up in our food chain.
Apart from the pollution caused by plastic, the manufacturing of plastic containers uses way more energy than those made of cardboard.
By recycling your plastic, you can make a difference, but it is not fool-proof, since the process required lots of energy, and much of it still goes to landfills anyway.
You can make a bigger impact by cutting down on your use of plastic, by adopting these tips:
* Use your own carry-all bags when shopping, and reusable bags for produce that needs weighing.
* Carry your own reusable water bottle with you everywhere you go.
* Use a flask for coffee when you go out, instead of buying it in disposable containers.
* Choose products that are in cardboard containers, rather than those in plastic.
* Ditch your habit of using disposable plastic razors.
* Swop your bottled shampoo for shampoo soap bars.
* Stop using body gels and face scrubs that contain microbeads.
* Ditch your glitter (yes, you!) and find biodegradable alternatives.
* Find eco-friendly products to replace food wrap and plastic bags for storing food.
* Stop using disposable nappies and go for biodegradable ones or washable cloth ones.
* Stop using plastic straws, rather get your own reusable drinking straw.
Source: www.treehugger.com