OK, ok, so that's not really where the name pLASTic came from, but it's true. What was once plastic's biggest bragging right, the fact that it's around forever, has now become its biggest vice. Following are ten tips for how to clean up our act and cut back on our plastic consumption.
Ten Tips for Reducing Plastic Consumption
1) DO use a reusable, durable shopping bag; DON’T use plastic bags at the grocery store, clothes store, electronics store, and everywhere else you shop.
2) DO use a reusable water bottle; DON’T waste resources on one-use water bottles. Combine that with a water filter on your faucet, and you’re doing as well as Dasani and Aquafina!
3) DO check local laws for what can be recycled; DON’T assume that all plastics can be recycled everywhere. (In Oklahoma, only plastics #1 and #2 can be recycled. Let’s work to change that!)
4) DO find other uses for plastic containers that can’t be recycled; DON’T forget that it’s non-biodegradable for a reason: to be reused!! (And I used to complain about all those empty butter containers my mom saved…)
5) DO stick your fresh veggies straight in the grocery cart or your own reusable bag; DON’T use a separate produce bag for each one. After all, you’re supposed to wash them once you get home anyway!
6) DO learn how to do things yourself, such as how to make your own yogurt at home; DON’T under appreciate the joy of learning a new skill and simultaneously keeping all those #5 containers from the landfill!
7) DO use biodegradable poop bags or a pooper scooper to clean up after your pets; DON’T buy those plastic bags that are here today, and the next day, and the next…
8) DO buy products that are packaged in products instead of plastic; DON’T buy a product without thinking about the consequences of what it came in! (For example, buy bar soap instead of gel soap. This will probably even save money, too. I promise, bar soap will get you just as clean! )
9) DO refuse to take plastic utensils when you get fast food or eat out. DON’T be afraid to bring your own set of reusable silverware or chopsticks!
10) In the end, if you do end up using something plastic, DO recycle it when you’re totally done with it; DON’T ever burn it or litter nature with it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Reduce plastic consumption!
I wanted to use a much more creative title, such as "Plastic: NOT fantastic!" or "The Garbage...er...Cabbage Patch Kids" or “Stuck in the Plastic Doldrums.” But I didn’t want to obscure the actual message behind the post, because it’s such an important one.
Perhaps you’ve heard of this horrendous thing mankind has accidentally created called The North Pacific Ocean Gyre. It's also called "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch," and the name that to me sounds the most shocking: "The Pacific Trash Vortex." The name alone conjures up an image of some huge swirling mass of plastic and waste that could swallow up any creature that ventures nearby! Although the North Pacific Ocean Gyre isn’t exactly a whirlpool threatening to consume any object that nears it, it does have its share of threats to be taken seriously.
This huge gyre is where all the plastic that’s been swept out to sea is broken down into tiny plastic fragments, often too small to be noticed by unaware sailors, or worse, by unaware marine creatures. These minute plastic particles, caught in the doldrums of the sea, basically just get stuck there until they get eaten. Since plastic was made to be durable and stay forever, it never decomposes like other materials; it just keeps breaking down smaller while retaining the same durable properties. This means that small fish and jellyfish end up eating the plastic bits along with plankton, and these harmful bits work their way all the way up the food chain to us! While we sit around and worry about BPA in our water bottles, we could end up eating it in the fish we cook for dinner.
The toxic stew that they call the North Pacific Ocean Gyre could just as well be called the “seafood soup” that we dine on tomorrow! This is an issue that all of us need to start resolving—yes, even those of us in the Midwest! Check back soon for some handy tips on how to use less plastic, and visit us at therecyclingrevolution.com for more information on how to start recycling in Oklahoma.
For a recent news article on the Pacific Gyre, read this Reuters article.
Perhaps you’ve heard of this horrendous thing mankind has accidentally created called The North Pacific Ocean Gyre. It's also called "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch," and the name that to me sounds the most shocking: "The Pacific Trash Vortex." The name alone conjures up an image of some huge swirling mass of plastic and waste that could swallow up any creature that ventures nearby! Although the North Pacific Ocean Gyre isn’t exactly a whirlpool threatening to consume any object that nears it, it does have its share of threats to be taken seriously.
This huge gyre is where all the plastic that’s been swept out to sea is broken down into tiny plastic fragments, often too small to be noticed by unaware sailors, or worse, by unaware marine creatures. These minute plastic particles, caught in the doldrums of the sea, basically just get stuck there until they get eaten. Since plastic was made to be durable and stay forever, it never decomposes like other materials; it just keeps breaking down smaller while retaining the same durable properties. This means that small fish and jellyfish end up eating the plastic bits along with plankton, and these harmful bits work their way all the way up the food chain to us! While we sit around and worry about BPA in our water bottles, we could end up eating it in the fish we cook for dinner.
The toxic stew that they call the North Pacific Ocean Gyre could just as well be called the “seafood soup” that we dine on tomorrow! This is an issue that all of us need to start resolving—yes, even those of us in the Midwest! Check back soon for some handy tips on how to use less plastic, and visit us at therecyclingrevolution.com for more information on how to start recycling in Oklahoma.
For a recent news article on the Pacific Gyre, read this Reuters article.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
