We now have plastic in our water and in the fish we eat. Do we really want to put plastic fibers into our bodies every time we eat and drink?
I have three simple thoughts about litter and recycling today: First, countries that have less plastic have less litter. Second and third, if everyone would recycle more, and change the plastic bag habit, it would make a big difference on our planet.
Here is an interesting plastic comparison for you. This is based on observation during the past month while I have been travelling through Central Asia and Iran. Central Asia uses very little plastic except for black plastic bags for purchases and plastic bottles for soda. Iran by contrast uses lots of plastic. Beside plastic bottles, restaurant food, hotel towels, and many things that don’t need to be, are wrapped in plastic. Plastic cups and straws are used in Iran, but I saw none in Central Asia. Where would you guess there is a terrible litter problem? The contrast was enormous. I brought Iranian plastic home to recycle.
Governments clearly need to become aware of the problem, and businesses like Coca Cola need to take more responsibility for the plastic they produce.
While I was thinking about this I came across an excellent essay by ECOwatch with great suggestions for everyone (see below) But keep it simple and by recycling and reducing plastic bags you can make a big difference on our earth!
From Ecowatch:
- Complain to retailers. Pressure retailers to do away with over-packaging.
- Support plastic bag bans, polystyrene foam bans and bottle recycling bills.
- Use natural clothing fiber rather than synthetic clothing, as synthetic cloth releases plastic fiber in every wash cycle.
- Choose to reuse. Neither plastic shopping bags nor plastic water bottles can be easily recycled.
- Deposit return schemes are highly effective ways to reduce plastic bottle waste. In Germany, where a bottle-return program is in place, nearly 98 percent of plastic bottles are returned.
- Recycle. If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics.
- Avoid plastic bags and polystyrene foam as both typically have very low recycling rates.
- Seek out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on.
- Pressure politicians. Governments should be funding research into microplastics and regulating and incentivizing changes in plastic production and consumption.
- Read the whole article at https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-facts-solutions-2509675059.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_AsiaRecycle More at https://health4earth.com/recycling-garbage-is-a-terrrible-thing-to-waste/
Health4earth 