Have you ever realized that you are surrounded by how much plastic? Can you tell us and could you avoid it? We humans are surrounded by several plastic products varying from food containers to water bottles, from pens to remote covers, and even our mobile covers are made of plastic.

Do you ever realize what happens to the plastic waste that we produce every day? Where does it go? How does it harm our environment? And, why we must limit the use of plastics?

Well, plastic consumption is a global issue that must be taken into consideration. It’s production and consumption, both are posing huge threats to the well-being of our planet Earth. 

Here, we are to share our views on how everyone should restrict their plastic consumption in their everyday lives.

But before proceeding any further we must understand why are we battling with plastic? What is plastic pollution?  And, how marine life is affected by dumped plastic? 

Plastic is one of the major concerns in today’s world. Millions of tonnes of plastic are disposed of in the seawater every year which ultimately pollutes and damages marine life. As per the studies, it has been clarified that it approximately takes 1000 years before vanishing the plastic waste completely, thus it breaks down into micro-particles which end up in the stomach of oceanic creatures. 

With the increasing use of plastic, there will be more plastic in the profound waters than the fish and other marine animals in the years to come. This means that our future generations might not see fishes in the seawater at all. Furthermore, there will be a huge amount of plastic floating all around with toxic algae. And, this seems to be a big problem for our future generations too. Let’s understand the Impact of Plastic on our daily lives;

Plastic stays Forever

One of the main problems with plastic is that it stays forever. Over a period of time, it breaks down into smaller particles known as micro-plastics whose impact on environmental health is still being determined. 

Kills Marine Creatures

Unfortunately, plastics cause more harm than good in the present world. Our world is overflowing with plastic and the majority of trash is found in the oceans. Every year, millions of aquatic animals are strangled, suffered or suffocated due to the tonnes of plastic waste dumped in the oceans.

Good vs. Bad

However, the production of plastic isn’t really bad. Plastics have played a significant role in the medicine and advanced space exploration sectors. The main problem is with the use of single-use plastics which you get from a takeaway while ordering food and the single-use plastic cutlery along with it or plastic carry bags that you get while shopping.

Our Aim

We aim to reduce the utilisation of plastic in our everyday life and not just recycle the product. As any of the plastic waste that goes into the recycling process; does not necessarily end up being reused. Everyone has to take adequate steps to reduce the use of plastic and stop disposing of trash in the ocean waters.

Misconceptions about Plastic:

1. Plastic is recyclable; hence it’s OK: Plastics are produced and discarded in large quantities every day. Every bit of plastic ever produced is still out there. Only a small portion of it gets recycled in the recycling depots.
   
   Fact: It is estimated that around 5-12 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year.
   
   It is imperative that we actually use recyclable plastic products. However, plastic takes numerous resources to recycle. Despite many forms of plastic that can be recycled, only a small fraction of plastic waste ends up being recycled and the remaining gets dumped away.
   
   Many recycling programs are currently working on recycling and fabricating new products, which helps in reducing the plastic waste that ends up in a landfill and ultimately in the oceans.

2. Ocean plastic comes from ocean dumping and Cruise Ships or Large Vessels: Plastic disposed of in the oceans mostly comes from the plastic products we use daily. It’s important to limit the use of single-use plastic in our regular lives. We need to recycle and reuse that recycled plastic in our daily routines to ultimately reduce the plastic waste from entering the ocean.

3. Habits are hard to change: The use of plastic in our life isn’t something we often think about.  To know and find out how much single-use plastic you habitually use in a single day, it’s preferable that you write them down and the results will be shocking.
   
   We don’t realise that we use so much plastic products regularly. Though we understand that reducing the use of plastic materials is challenging and problematic, but it could go a long way. Try to use sustainable products instead of plastic materials wherever possible.

4. It’s possible to break down Plastic: Plastic is created to defy the environment, to remain forever. It cannot be decomposed and stays in the environment for a very long time. Plastic doesn’t break down; it breaks up into smaller particles known as micro-plastics. These tiny particles pose a huge threat to our ecosystem.

So, this leads us to an imperative question as to how an you limit the consumption of plastic and live in a plastic-free world? Is it even reasonable to think that way? We don’t know how much we will succeed but as a first step, we should try to use some tips and tricks to limit the use of plastic in our daily routine.

Tips & Alternatives of Plastic:

We try to restrict the use of plastics but we were shocked to realize how plastic secretly sneaks into our lives without getting noticed;

1. Say “No” to Single-Use Plastics
   
   Single-use plastics must be reduced and replaced with reusable products. Avoiding the use of single-use plastics could be intriguing at an initial level but soon you’ll be comfortable with the use of plastic-free products. They are high in quality, chemical-free and most importantly skin-friendly products.

2. Go for Steel/glass water bottles
   
   Another important factor that cannot be ignored is to reduce the purchase of plastic water bottles. Stop buying water bottles made of plastic unless it’s necessary and unavoidable; politely refuse them when offered to you. Instead, invest in good quality steel or glass water bottles and reuse them by filling them with the RO purified water.

3. Bring your own travel bags for shopping
   
   While traveling, it is advisable to carry an extra backpack to be able to store all the purchases made during your trip. It helps you to avoid the unnecessary use of plastic.
   
   You could purchase fruits and vegetables from the local market using cloth or jute carry bags, as it involves less packaging which leads to lesser use of plastic.

4. Carry your own containers for food & beverage
   
   You can purchase reusable travel cutlery which is available online these days and is an extremely viable option for backpackers and budgeted travelers. Carry a reusable coffee mug while traveling is a must-have.
   
   Try to avoid purchasing takeaway food items which are often packed in plastic, instead prepare your own snacks for munching during your excursion. It’s an ecological and pocket-friendly choice to opt for.

5. Less is better for the Planet
   
   Buying less stuff is one of the most planet-friendly and pocket-friendly choices to make in the first place. When you buy less, you’re also reducing your environmental impact. Buy less and save more. Go for high-quality products that are paraben-free, chemical-free, ethical and plastic-friendly. It’s overwhelming for all of us as customers and also for the planet Earth.

6. Look for Alternatives
   
   Choose the alternatives for single-use plastics. You could opt for steel or glass containers to carry water or cloth bags for grocery or personal shopping. For example, you could buy your health drink in a glass bottle, rather than in a plastic container.

Honestly, these tips might make you a bit uncomfortable in the beginning to follow but if you’ll constantly follow them you’ll get used to them.

We’re trying our bit to lower the plastic impact on the environment and hope the same from you.