Plastic pollution: My Thoughts!
Plastic pollution has been a very hot topic in the climate change/environmental safety world for multiple decades. However, in the past 2 decades specifically, things have gotten much worse and out of control. In fact, according to National Geographic, plastic production increased from 2.3 million tons in the 50s to around 448 million tons in 2015, with the prediction of production doubling by 2050. Additionally, over 8 million tons of plastic enter the seas and oceans on a yearly basis.
That’s why I think it’s extremely important to figure out how to protect the environment and also ensure that we find alternatives to plastics. There’s no denying that plastic products are embedded into our society, and we use them every day. However, plastic is detrimental to us and our planet’s health, so finding alternatives and focusing on a more eco-friendly approach is the natural step to consider, especially if we want to provide future generations with a livable planet.
What are the negative effects of plastics?
Plastic products are known for being very problematic for the environment. And it’s due to the nature of plastics since it takes around 20 to 500 years for plastic to decompose. It’s not like it fully disappears, either. Instead, it gets smaller and smaller.
Plastic impacts the food chain, because animals eat plastic without knowing, and whenever we consume their meat, that will automatically impact our health and wellbeing.
Water pollution is another major issue as well. Water reservoirs and even groundwater are susceptible to environmental toxins, and those will leak into our drinking water. It’s common to find microplastics in drinking water. And even if it’s in a very small amount, that’s a huge concern.
Naturally, all those things affect our health. Microplastics enter our bodies without us even knowing, and in the long run, they can lead to major health problems. Those can range from cardiovascular issues to type 2 diabetes, liver, prostate problems, and many others.
I also dislike the fact that plastic production relies on fossil fuels. In fact, around 8% of the total oil production goes into creating plastic products. That’s a huge waste, and it also leads to plenty of pollution.
What steps should we focus on when it comes to negating the effects of plastic products?
I think the best approach is to find alternatives. There are many eco-friendly solutions like wooden/metal replacements to plastic cutlery, for example, or we can use bags made from materials other than plastic. Additionally, recycling plastic is extremely important since we can reuse the available plastic instead of just throwing it away.
Spreading the word and talking with people about the problems caused by plastics can be very helpful as well. Plus, simple things like not drinking bottled water and not relying on single-use plastics are very effective as well.
I also think that purchasing second-hand items or even repairing stuff instead of buying something new can help quite a bit. Even buying in bulk and using eco-friendly packaging can be a major benefit. All these simple things can indeed help, and the more we focus on them, the better it will be. I think that once we add a lot of pressure on manufacturers to be more eco-friendly, they will listen.
Conclusion
Stop buying plastic-based products and talk with your wallet; that will hit these companies where it hurts the most: their income. And that’s when they will start listening to us. Some companies already started offering eco-friendly solutions, or they are more eco-conscious when it comes to how they run their business. That includes HP, Patagonia, but also Apple, Tesla, and Microsoft.
It’s not going to be a walk in the park; however, it’s possible to reach a point where our society doesn’t rely solely on plastic products. Yes, it’s very easy to access plastic bags and single-use plastics every day, but those will continually damage our environment. I urge everyone to make a change, find alternatives to plastics, and spread the word, as that’s the best way for us to work together and push away this huge reliance on plastic. Our future depends on it!
