If you love straws or know someone who does , consider replacing them with stainless steel drinking straws that can be reused. Plastic bottles for beverages are one of the most recycled types of plastic in the world. Unfortunately, plastic beverage bottles are typically made from polyethylene terephthalate PET , a clear and lightweight plastic that takes nearly years to degrade. Many shampoo bottles are made from high-density polyethylene HDPE , a type of plastic that is incredibly strong and designed to endure higher temperatures than other plastics.
If you want to avoid that scary mess and do right by Mother Earth, switch to a plastic-free shampoo bar. The plastic rings that secure our favorite canned beverages can be deadly to wildlife who may accidentally eat them or become entangled in the rings. Fortunately, many companies are phasing out plastic rings with non-plastic alternatives.
If your favorite beverage company is still using plastic rings, consider writing them an email and encouraging them to go plastic-free. K-cups and other coffee pods are a prime example of unnecessary single-use plastic. You know things are bad when even their creator has stopped using them out of eco-guilt. Coffee pods are terrible for the environment and frequently end up in waterways, where they break down and get ingested by wildlife.
Unless you bring your own reusable mug or cup, getting a quick caffeine fix at a coffee shop has an associated environmental impact too. Disposable coffee cups usually have a thin, plastic film on the inside to keep them from getting soggy, which makes the cup impossible to recycle. Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Put down the red Solo cup and all other plastic cups for that matter. Disposable cups are made from durable plastics that take nearly years to break down in landfills.
Tiny babies go through a lot of diapers. In fact, Americans throw away Organic cotton cloth diapers are a much better option for the environment — and your wallet! Plastic toothbrushes are primarily made from polypropylene and nylon, two incredibly strong plastics that are derived from fossil fuels.
And Americans throw away one billion of them every year. If you want to do your part to help, make the switch to a bamboo toothbrush and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Sadly, the final destination for most plastics is a landfill. There, plastic along with other waste is typically sealed under a rubber and clay barrier to prevent liquids from escaping.
Neither option is ideal since both create greenhouse gases that heat the world and contribute to climate change. Every year, an average of 8. Most plastics that are lurking below the ocean surface are microplastics that you can barely see.
In general, the concept of recycling is wonderful. But there are a few problems when it comes to recycling plastic. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, only 10 percent of plastics are ever recycled. Another problem with recycling plastic? Recycling plastic can help conserve fossil fuels that are used to manufacture it in the first place.
You should feel proud for taking the necessary step to be an educated earthling! With your newfound knowledge, here are some ways you can help combat plastic waste:. Swap out single-use items with reusable alternatives. Here are some of our favorite eco-friendly swaps:. Recycling rates are abysmally low, even in the United States. Every little bit helps! The kitchen is a big source of plastic waste. But did you know that there's also something called a water footprint?
As you can probably guess, it refers to how much water those same entities or actions use. What a lot Today, sustainability is one of the biggest factors people consider when By: Brian Armentrout. From Plastic-Eating Bacteria to Biodegradables There are, however, new kinds of plastic on the market: Biodegradable plastics, or bioplastics. Leave a Reply Click here to cancel reply. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.
Want more? Energy Conservation , Green Living How Saving Water Can Save Electricity You've probably heard about a carbon footprint — the number of greenhouse gases an individual, action, or entity produces. Read more. How long does it take a plastic straw to decompose? What impact does recyclable plastics have on this situation?
The first synthetic plastics were developed in early What gives plastic its strength and flexibility is the length of the molecule chains from the polymers that make plastic. The longer each chain of molecules, the stronger, more lightweight and flexible the plastic will be. When petroleum and fossil fuels were shown to produce longer chain polymers this then began the shift from natural to synthetic plastics. Nowadays the majority of plastics used every day are made of polyethylene terephthalate PET , which is a petroleum-based synthetic plastic.
Well, you know the stuff you put in your car that makes your car go? So think about how bad that effects our landfills, oceans, and the world as a whole.
Probably not the best remedy. No question about it, plastic is pretty bad and is made of some questionable materials that harm the planet. So, how long does this plastic stuff stick around for? Well, according to some researchers, they estimate that due to the PET used in objects like plastic bags, plastic water bottles and plastic straws, it could take upwards of years to decompose.
Yep, a rather frightening estimation. Breaking that down is equivalent to 5, months, or 21, weeks, or 1,, days just for one single plastic bottle to decompose. Now think about how many plastic water bottles are on this planet.
Probably not so thirsty anymore now, are you?
0コメント