Plastic was quite a bonus when it was first developed at the start of the 20th century, but 120 years later, it has become quite a dilemma. This uniquely problematic material sticks around for longer than you think and poses numerous threats by being nonbiodegradable.
Inflicted upon us since humanity advanced and stretching till the unseen future, what else does the plastic pollution seem like if not a plague? And guess what makes it worse? It’s spreading!
With the rising Earth population and its swelling demands, global plastic production is expected to be tripled by 2060. More plastic bottles, more toxic containers, more damage to the environment and naturally, less hope for sustainability. But there’s always one ray of light that we can cling to, and that is improved human actions by avoiding plastic.
Alarming Stats about Plastic
Internet is brimming with startling stats about plastic pollution that might convince you into thinking that we are living in the era of Plastic Plague. Here are some of them:
❗️Our oceans already contain over 5 trillion bits of plastic floating in them.
❗️73% of litter in beaches across the world is plastic. It contains shopping bags, cigarette butts, plastic packaging, polystyrene items, and bottle caps.
❗️Every minute, we are selling almost one million plastic bottles around the world.
❗️It is estimated that plastic remains from around 450 years to possibly forever.
❗️Packaging materials contribute to almost 50% of global plastic and make the biggest market for plastic production. Unfortunately, most of it goes without being recycled.
❗️We have lost around 700 marine animals’ species that have been caught in plastic or consumed it.
Tips to Save our Planet from Plastic Plague
Here are some practical ways where you can stop the use of plastic and be a part of the sustainable community.
🌵Buy a reusable Water Bottle. Buying reusable water bottles cannot only decrease the use of plastic but it is also very cost affective. According to a study, every year around 20 Billion plastic bottles are thrown in the trash. With time the increase in the “use and throw” mentality has affected the environment a lot.
🌵Use re-usable grocery bags. This little action of responsibility will save you money and help you save the planet too.
🌵Avoid waste. Gift presents that are unwrapped. One step towards nature goes a long way.
🌵Switch to eco-friendly products to avoid contributing to plastic pollution. Replace plastic with stainless steel, glass, wood, bamboo, platinum silicone, etc. that consume least energy.
🌵Avoid plastic even in the tiniest amount e.g., plastic filters in cigarettes, plastic beads in scrubs and toothpastes, and even fashion accessories.
It is almost impossible to not take steps towards avoiding plastic use after learning about the perpetual threats it causes to the environment. It might not change our lives if we replace plastic with other sustainable products, but it will drastically change the future of our world if we start doing so.
See you in the next post ✌🏻🌱
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