Tips on Reducing Consumption of Plastics

The environment is one of the main factors that impact our productivity, as well as health. Plastic pollution is a blight in our cities and landscapes. After plastics have been used, they get dumped into the environment and enter waterways, sometimes purposefully and other times accidentally, blown in the wind. Plastics harm our rivers, ocean, and many species who mistake plastic for food.

Your responsible attitude towards consumption, reuse, and recovery of materials is the best path to reduce emissions. Mentioning active participation in waste reduction challenge to professional resume writers can bring you additional loyalty points from the potential employer. A “zero waste” position is a good sign of pursuing a corporate social responsibility approach by a company.

We Are What We Breathe

Though plastics are associated with disposable and throwaway packaging, they are used widely in healthcare, construction, transport, electronics, agriculture, household, and sports. Plastics with a wide variety of other resins are found in many nondurable products, such as trash bags, cups, utensils, food-service items, and medical devices.

 The most commonly wasted and therefore dangerous plastic items are:

• bags, sacks, wraps;
• packaging materials;
• disposable diapers and pads;
• polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and jars;
• high-density polyethylene (HDPE) natural bottles;
• other containers.

New research, released in 2020 in the journal Science Advances, shows that the United States is the largest producer and exporter of plastic waste in the world. On average, Americans generated nearly twice as much plastic waste per capita as residents of the EU. Each minute a truckload of plastics flows into the ocean. The total weight of floating wastes is up to 269, 000 tonnes, which is 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in our ocean, or 46,000 pieces in every square mile of it. 

Entering the environment, plastics break down through exposure to the heat, sun, water, getting to the air we breathe on a day-to-day basis. Plastics generate heat-trapping gases at every stage of their life cycle, tiny particles get into our bodies. Tiny chunks can’t get filtered out, so they continue polluting, releasing toxins. Toxic chemicals, absorbed by microplastics, create poison pills for aquatic animals. Entanglement and ingestion are harmful at all levels of the food chain. Air quality, the freshness of the water, and good-doers are the main reasons to start our personal transition toward “zero waste”, contributing to our health today.

15 Easy Ways of Reducing the Plastic Waste

The US produces about 234lb (106.2kg) of plastic waste per person per year, that is far more garbage than other developed countries, recycling far less of it. A kitchen is a traditional place for generating unnecessary plastic waste. These simple rules on how to stop polluting will be much helpful to reevaluate your personal attitude towards plastics and save some money:

1. A reusable produce bag or carry-all for shopping is better than a plastic bag, which is used for an average of 12 minutes. It takes more than 500 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill.
2. Plastic straws are not a must, even for restaurants. You can purchase a reusable straw made of glass or stainless steel to use.
3. Purchase food from bulk bins and fill a reusable bag or container with rice or cereals. Reuse them any time you have leftovers.
4. Packaging of frozen foods is mostly plastic, even under cardboard they are coated in a thin layer of plastic. Avoid buying them to eat fewer processed food.
5. Reusable containers can be the best way to put your lunch in and take it with you. Drink coffee or tea in a porcelain mug during a working day, instead of single-serving cups.
6. Buy homecare products in boxes instead of plastic bottles or bags. For example, choose a  laundry detergent that comes in cardboard, recycling of such a package will be easier and faster.
7. Squeeze fresh fruit for juice, it is healthier than to buy it. Bottled beverages are harmful to the environment, use a mug, jar, or thermos for ordering anything from a to-go shop.
8. Your local grocer can take your container back if you ask. It is convenient for refilling while shopping at farmers’ markets for berries or tomatoes.
9. Plasticware at home is a bad idea. You can ask restaurants not to pack food in a take-out box. Your own container or a doggy-bag will be better than their styrofoam packaging.
10. Razor with replaceable blades serves longer than a disposable razor which you put in the trash every month.
11. Gum is made of synthetic rubber, which is a kind of plastic – this is a good reason to give it up.
12. Cloth diapers can reduce the carbon footprint of your baby, and they are cheaper. Imagine, that each year Americans discard 7.6 billion pounds of disposable diapers.
13. Try to create your own cleaning products and cosmetics. They won’t contain toxic ingredients and need no plastic bottles.
14. You can make your period waste-free with a number of non-disposable devices (e.g. Diva Cup, Ruby Cup, or reusable pads). Skip brands of tampons that have plastic applicators.
15. You can waste fewer plastics if you turn away from disposable plastic lighters. It’s better to purchase a refillable metal lighter or use matches.

Final Thoughts

The most common plastic items for pollution are EPS foam and plastic food containers, straws, bottles, single-serving cups, lids, and food wrappers. Personal cutting the national waste stream bridges the gap between intention and action. Responsible consumption of plastics is your investment in a sustainable future and a better world. As well, your own waste reduction is a great advantage that can be added by professional resume writers to your resume. All levels of society, including industries, governments, and consumers, need to solve together the global plastic waste issue together.