I hate to admit it, but as a child, one of my greatest joys was tearing the paper off of a new straw, dropping a splash of soda onto the wrapper and watching it wriggle open as a worm. I felt sophisticated using a straw. And it was always associated with the treat of a sugary soda drink (something else that makes me cringe). Fast forward twenty years and the idea that big franchises and educated people can still hand out and use plastic straws blows my mind.
Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These items are things like plastic bags, straws, plastic cutlery, soda cans, water bottles and food packaging.
We produce roughly 300 million tons of plastic world-wide each year, yet only 10% of plastic items are recycled. Petroleum based plastic (non-biodegradable) usually ends up in a landfill where it is buried, or it gets into the water and eventually ends up in the ocean. In the process of breaking down (though not biodegrading), it releases toxic chemicals which make their way into our food and water supply. This means that not only is this toxic for plant, animal and ocean life, but it also then reenters the ecosystem and bio-accumulates back into our own diets. We are basically poisoning ourselves
With so many more options these days (think of canvas shopping bags, re-usable coffee cups, glass bottles …. even bamboo straws) it’s near unnecessary for us to ever use these plastic poisons any more.
At Earthchild Project, we are passionate about the environment, and passionate about nurturing young eco-warriors for the future of our planet. We urge you to join us in taking the plastic challenge, and see how easy is it to make the small changes in your life style. Check out http://www.plasticfreechallenge.org/solutions-what-you-can-do/ for tips on how to lead a single-use plastic free lifestyle. And while you are there, sign up for The Plastic Free Challenge and see how simple it can be to do your part in saving the planet.