Eliminate Plastic from your home
The plastic plague we human beings have caused has hit the environment and living beings at worst. The global data for plastic consumption and its effect is staggering. Feeling helpless and tied up is common.
The plastic plague we human beings have caused has hit the environment and living beings at worst. The global data for plastic consumption and its effect is staggering. Feeling helpless and tied up is common. However, little efforts everyday will contribute to change. In this article, we mention 7 such efforts or ways we could incorporate every day to eliminate or reduce plastic from one’s home.
According to a 2018 staff article from ICIMOD, Kathmandu alone uses around 4,700,000 to 4,800,000 plastic bags daily. Shocking and worrisome, isn’t it? In Nepal, 16 percent of urban waste is comprised of plastic, which is 2.7 tons of daily plastic garbage production. And this is just Kathmandu. If you look at the global level the data is staggering. As claimed by researchers, humans have produced 9.1 billion tons of plastic so far, and much of it ends up in nature—causing harm to both living beings and the environment.
Less than 3% of plastic bags are recycled a year, and it takes 1,000 years for them to degrade in the landfills. Let those hard-hitting facts sink in for a minute. Although, a bad news, we do have the power to make a big difference through small changes to our everyday actions. It is all about constantly committing to little efforts that will ultimately help better the world, drop by drop, step by step. Clearly, it’s not always as simple as it sounds. Leaving out a lifelong habit is not easy. Avoiding plastic is not at all cheap, it can be quiet expensive. Sometimes the decision to use plastic over other options comes down to budget and functionality. However, this goal is not unachievable. Here are some attainable and cost-effective ways to remove the pollutant from your life. Even if you adopt just one of the below alternatives, you’ll be doing your part in reducing plastic consumption.
Carry your own bag: Supermarkets have eliminated the use of plastic bags since the ban on polythene bags in 2015. This initiative has brought environmental awareness on people, and successfully brought a change. However, other stores have not yet followed this path for certain reasons. How we can contribute is we can carry our own bag! Forgetfulness is just another excuse. Carry your shopping bag like you carry your purse everywhere. This way you won’t forget your shopping bag unless you forget your purse. Eliminate as much plastic bags as possible. After all, you are bringing change as an environmentally responsible individual.
Carry your own tumbler: Plastic may be cheap, easily accessible and user friendly, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t easy alternatives. At home, consider replacing your water bottles with stainless steel bottles or glass bottles or copper bottles. You can reuse used wine bottles or whiskey bottles by cleaning them and using it for the purpose of drinking water.
Water bottles available in the market are as cheap as Rs. 20 and they come in plastic bottles. Try your best not to contribute to the non-environmental friendly deeds by buying water bottles. Rather, carry a tumbler and fill water wherever and whenever possible. This may not be possible or accessible everywhere and anytime, but the least we can do is try. Not only are you doing your health a big favor, but you’re being responsible towards the environment. Carry a tumbler with drinking water before leaving your home.
Use toothbrush made of plastic: Toothbrushes, we use daily are widely available, cheap and made of plastic body. However, it is easily replaceable too! The social media famous Bamboo toothbrushes are available at many stores state wide. Most of these are sold online too. They are a bit more expensive than the usual ones but are totally worth it. One bamboo toothbrush saves four plastic brushes! You not only save the environment but also save your money too on a long run. To be aware of the plastic plague and still support it every day is a guilty act. Stop being ignorant and switch to bamboo toothbrushes, a better alternative.
Carry your own straw: Did you know? It takes approximately 200 years for a single plastic straw to decompose which is way beyond our life span! One metal straw is said to save 540 plastic straws. Most restaurants have started using reusable bamboo straws and stainless steel straws that comes with a cleaner. Most of these straws are portable too. You can use only bamboo or steel straws at home and use portable stainless steel straws for when you are out, sipping your drink somewhere. Either skip the straw or carry your own portable, environment friendly straws.
Buy in bulk: Vegetables like onions, potatoes don’t get bad so quickly. You can buy these items in bulk in jute made sacks. Also stock up on beans, grains, nuts, cereals, pastas and spices by bulk buying. At supermarkets, these are available in different weights but usually come in plastic packaging. At places like Ason bazaar, they sell these to you in polythene bags despite its ban. You can take this opportunity by carrying your own jars or reusable plastic bags at home to avoid adding up new plastic bags.
Use throw able plates: The silver colored plates that are served with food in various food stalls and events are no better than the plastic plates. So what do you do when you have a birthday party or a small gathering at your home and the maid is on a sick leave? You can use the authentic Nepalese leaf plates and taparis! Opt for the Duna Taparis and Lapteys (leaf plates) which are completely bio degradable, chemical free and authentic. Most street food stalls and food stalls around the malls are seen using this option lately. So next time you have a party at home, no need to worry about washing dishes nor feeling guilty for the use and throw option.
Silicone is the new plastic: Most kitchen wares are made of plastic. Compared to plastic, a silicone product lasts a good deal longer before it’s unusable. Unlike plastics, silicone has a low reactivity with chemicals, high resistance to temperature, doesn’t support microbiological growth, repels water, and is resistant to ultraviolet (UV light). Silicone is therefore easy to clean, perfect for cooking (microwaves too!), great for hospitals, and a strong overall alternative to plastics. In 1979, the US Food and Drug Administration determined that silicon dioxide, the raw material that goes into silicone products, was safe for food-grade applications. Hormone disrupting chemicals found in plastics, like BPA and BPS, aren’t found in silicone.
Once your plastic made kitchen wares are of no use, switch to silicone. They’re more durable, health friendly and are as functional as plastic based products. Silicone, like plastic, can be recycled multiple times. However, silicone usually has to be sent to a specialized recycling company to be properly recycled. If properly recycled, silicone can be down cycled into oil that can be used as industrial lubricant. However, using silicone in kitchenware can only be a good option as long as you maintain it and ensure it has a long lifespan, and do your best to recycle it once you can no longer use it.
Eliminating plastic from your life can be difficult. The idea is to slowly remove and replace plastic based products with a better alternative. Next time you buy your trash bin, don’t buy a plastic one, buy a chic woven one. If glass bowls for your fruit display are expensive and difficult to maintain switch to wicker baskets. Similarly, your laundry basket can be fabric made foldable type or a chic woven wicker basket. Instead of using paper towels (which comes in plastic wrap), you can use reusable washable cloth towels. One cloth towel is said to save 7,300 paper towels. Do the math! It all starts with small steps so don’t be overwhelmed. These little efforts can make an impact even if they seem little. Make changes to your lifestyle, live in a plastic-free home.
REFERENCES:
http://www.icimod.org/?q=31587
