You can’t save the planet just by wishing. Here are five exciting products aiming to make the world a cleaner place. Just swap these for the toxic products, invariably containing plastic, that you have been using like forever.
You must have read about reports of salt being mixed with very fine plastic particles. Where did this fine plastic come from? From all the plastic we use and which then goes into our water bodies like the oceans. There it slowly degrades and becomes plastic dust, which mixes with salt and reaches our bodies.
Plastic, by the way, is a carcinogen. It causes cancer, birth defects, and messes up big time with our reproductive system. Many species of birds and fish have become extinct due to plastic which we don’t care about. But, the point to ponder is this- what’s bad for a form of life will be ultimately bad for us too.
Easy, environmentally-safe swaps.
1. Stainless steel straws
Avoid plastic straws as plastic is non-biodegradable. It takes literally thousands of years for plastic to decompose completely. Plastic waste in landfills is often blown across the land and into streams, ending up in the oceans. Marine animals like tortoise, birds, and fish are at serious risk from plastic pollution, as they eat the plastic thinking it’s food. What’s more, small plants in the water called plankton eat microscopic fragments of plastic and transfer it all the way back up the food chain, as they are eaten by fish and we eat the fish and ingest the plastic.
Stainless steel straws are safe, durable, and easy-to-use. They are also unlikely to end up in our oceans, hurting and killing helpless sea animals and ultimately us.
2. Reusable cotton pads instead of one-time-use cotton pads
Cotton uses 16% of the world’s pesticides. The cotton pads that we use to remove makeup every night also come wrapped in plastic packaging. These pesticide-laden pads ultimately invade our bodies.
The reusable cotton pads can be washed along with your clothes and reused, Cheaper and simple!
3. A cotton shopping bag instead of plastic bags
Single-use plastic bags are a big part of the planet’s plastic problem. Mankind has produced over nine billion tons of plastic since the 1950s and 91% of it hasn’t been broken down yet. It’s still lurking around in the environment waiting to get into our bodies in some form or other. So just switch to cotton bags.
4. Reusable wrapping paper
Most of the wrapping paper we use to wrap gifts is not recyclable. But alternatives are available which are planet-friendly. All we need is to be imaginative. Use cloth instead of paper. It’s safe for the planet, healthier for us, and saves trees.
5. Eco-friendly menstrual cups
Did you know that sanitary pads are roughly 90% plastic-containing as much as four supermarket bags! Almost 45 billion feminine hygiene products including sanitary pads are disposed of every year.
These are either incinerated, releasing harmful gasses and toxic waste, or sent to landfills. The plastic in used sanitary pads, panty liners, and tampon applicators does not biodegrade at all. it remains in the environment unchanged for thousands of years polluting our rivers, air, and soil.
Menstrual cups are reusable, they are also easy to use, safe and eco-friendly. One cup can be used for up to 10 years. So, have a plastic-free period and do your bit for the environment, ladies!
And to all of you readers, thanks for going through this ‘listicle’. We hope that some of you, if not all will swap in favor of the planet-healthy products mentioned here.