Plastic free World

The world has to suffer from rather an odd affliction that has incurable symptoms, doctors are still working on its name but there currently calling it 'Plastic Itis'.  The world has to wear plastic free goggles, which is walking into a room and identifying where those pesky pieces of plastic could be eliminated and replaced with reusable and sustainable alternatives.

But we are in an age where most people living their lives blissfully unaware of the mountain of trash they're living in the midst. Somehow we are an addict of consuming plastic and other throwaway items with fervour because they added convenience to our lives.  We never thought about all plastics that we have gotten involved at some point. What happened to it? Where is it now? Is it in a landfill buried deep under the thousands of other pieces of plastics? Has it been incinerated its toxic fumes long gone into the atmosphere? Or worse, has it caused harm to another living creature?

Plastic was first invented in its first form as a synthetic polymer in 1907. but plastic in the form we recognize and know like polyester or polystyrene was invented in early 1930. what really ramped up the production of plastic was World War II. Where it was being used in everything from military weapons to automobile. After the war end plastic industry faced with an overabundance supply of this miracle material with no real demand. Putting their mind to know how we can use it for almost everything. We assured in a new age of throwaway living. We are getting into something that is virtually indestructible.

Plastic is an incredible invention. It has propelled us into the future. Forming the basis of our technological devices, improving our efficiency in the medical field and made shipping easier and cheaper just to name a few things but our demand for plastic is increasingly insatiable. Plastic production in 2015 was 322 million tons. In Europe, about 40% of that used just for packaging and this stuff is increasingly ending up in our oceans. Mostly through poorly controlled waste sites.  Actually, it amounts to about 8 million metric tons entering the ocean each year.

The impacts of plastic pollution are multi-dimensional. Since plastic is not naturally occurring in the ocean it can wreak havoc on marine species, they can become entangled in floating plastic debris and accidentally ingest in either chocking or leading to a false sense of fullness. Plastic can take up valuable space in the stomach while offering no nutritional value. Some seabirds have been found up to 3000 pieces almost 8kg of in their stomachs.

As our global population continues to grow we're also creating more trash. In developed countries were throwing away a whopping average of 2.2kgs per person per day. but impacts of increasing waste generation are felt more deeply in the developing world.
As humans, we have a desire to protect each other and the creature we share this planet with. The reason why plastic pollution as a problem is so insidious because it doesn't feel like we are hurting anyone by using plastic.

Plastic-free living doesn't have to be a major inconvenience in life, like any habit practice and a little bit of patience makes perfect. Using food containers,  without using textile-like polyester and nylon usually used in activewear unfortunately really released tens of thousands of micro fibres with each wash really small micro fibres are too small to caught by water treatment plants which means they've a direct ride into our waterways. It's better to opt the natural materials like cotton by using cotton guppy bag we can safely dispose of them.   We can easily replace disposers with metal utensils. Our kitchens can be massive source plastic garbage, mostly from over packaged food and grocery stores. So people can shop on the bulk shop, refilling on pantry staples, this stores also allow to refill detergent and dry goods. Replacing personal care products replace with eco-friendly goods make a big step. 

When we know about all the chemicals that can leach out of plastics, we realize it's important to do or this for ourselves. What about the plastics that are supposedly safe food. Well, the truth is that we don't if any plastics are safe because they all contain additives that can leach out. And the problem is that companies are not required to disclose the additives they put in plastics. There are antibacterial chemicals are added to supposedly food safe plastics. Animal fat is used to make plastic bags slippery.

People think what's wrong in recycling? But recycling is great but it's not a viable solution to this problem. Most types of the plastic can't be recycled and for those that can like PET bottles, they can genuinely be recycled only for once or maybe twice. Some people think that don't governments and cooperation have a bigger role to play?  Yes! Governments can take a big step through positive policy like banning or taxing plastic or incentivizing the use of compostable or reusable packaging.

 Like to refer this to Newton's first law of motion, the law of inertia "an object at rest stays at rest and object in motion stay in motion"  unless acted upon force. We can be that force that engaged moving from their resting and infecting all our friends and family with 'Plastic Itis'  like any habit plastic-free living can take some adjustment period.

Know that we have the choices that are personal actions do matter that we can all refuse single use-plastics and not only that we can refuse to buy the things that advertisers tell we need to buy just because they tell us to need to buy them.  We have the power to change the menu that's have been offered to us and we have the power to change the world

 We just have to remind that every single piece of plastic matters and taking small steps in future makes difference.