- Most plastics are made from petroleum, a polluting, non-renewable (i.e. fossil fuel) resource
- Plastics can leach toxins that are harmful to human health, which is why I avoid plastic water bottles by using my Klean Kanteen, and avoid microwaving food in plastic containers.
- Plastic litter blights the landscape, pollutes the environment and poses a threat to wildlife
- Plastic cannot be recycled over and over (unlike glass); instead plastic is downcycled i.e. recycling plastic results in a lower quality product, which in turn cannot be recycled, and would end up in landfill
- Single-use plastics are wasteful, demonstrating a willingness to throw away money and pollute the environment at the same time
- In short, plastic isn’t sustainable, i.e. if we meet the plastic needs of present consumers, we will be compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Plastic pollution may not be as great a threat as climate change, but it is an issue that we should all be concerned with, especially since reducing plastic consumption is within our control as consumers! I recommend this plastic-free guide , which I found incredibly inspirational.
Info about Plastic Labels
Have you noticed that plastic products often have these symbols embedded on them?
- Number 1 and 2 plastics can usually be recycled
- Read about the dangers of number 3 plastics (PVC) here. PVC is used for cling film, some squeezy plastic bottles, peanut butter jars, detergents and window cleaning bottles
- BPA (Bisphenol-A) is a chemical in the plastic that is used to line the inside of canned food, metal jar lids, plastic blenders, food processors and juicers. BPA mimics oestrogen (a hormone), which may stimulate certain cancers. Read more about BPA and other food-related plastics here
