Why Should We Reduce The Use Of Plastic

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Plastic waste is a growing issue that we face everywhere around the world.

Even though it is undeniable that plastic provides various benefits to our society, it is not enough to say that we overuse it without thinking about the consequences.

The unfortunate truth is that recycling plastic is extremely inefficient – only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled, and around 60% of plastic is discarded in landfills and oceans.

Because of this, reducing the use of plastic is essential. But that’s not all.

Let’s take an in-depth look at why it’s important to reduce plastic waste. 

Plastic production issues

Plastic manufacturing requires a massive industrial process, which leads to various environmental and social impacts.

First, we get the vast majority of plastics from non-renewable fossil fuels by processing oil to obtain the raw material for plastics.

A study calculated that we use around 4% of the world’s petroleum to make plastic and another 4% to power plastic manufacturing processes.

It might sound like little, but from 1950 to 2012, plastics production increased – from about 1.7 million tons to nearly 300 million tons per year.

Worldwide, an enormous amount of plastic waste is disposed of in landfills, where it takes up valuable space.

Even worse, a massive amount of this plastic waste (~40%) is single-use packaging. So, we waste tons of resources and energy to use things ONCE and dispose of them afterward. 

Finally, poorly managed plastic waste streams can block rain drains and sewers, which prevents proper drainage and increases sanitation-related risks.

We can all agree that these production patterns aren’t sustainable, which is a good reason to reduce plastic waste.

How plastic waste contributes to climate change

There are three main stages of a product life cycle – production, usage, and waste management. 

Production of plastics

As we figured, we need a lot of energy from non-renewable sources, which generate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to produce plastic products.

Use

A substantial percentage of plastics are designed for single use. So after a quick “convenient” use, it goes directly to the trash.  

Waste management

No mass-produced plastics biodegrade, so they are usually collected in landfills, dumped in the wild, or floating in the ocean.

The sunlight weakens the materials, which causes fragmentation into particles known as “microplastics.”

The additional problem is that many landfills represent serious hazards without proper management.

The only permanent way to eliminate plastic waste is by thermal treatment, such as combustion.

However, the impact of waste incinerators are often inefficient because it produces hazardous and toxic gases.

So, the most common methods of dealing with plastic waste result in:

1. Microplastics that impact human & animal health
2. Air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions

Related post: 8 Waste Disposal Problems and 8 Solutions

Recycling process and rates of plastic

Recycling plastic waste sounds like a great solution. But of course, it isn’t as simple as we all wish.

MATERIALS

Current packaging materials often include several different layers. Each layer has special properties, which makes it much harder to recycle.

Another problem is the plastics in durable applications, like cars, electronics, crates, etc. 

REQUIREMENTS

Each recycling facility has requirements that most of us don’t know about and don’t follow.

For example, separating the waste properly or cleaning the plastic packaging from leftover food. 

The recycling process gets much more complicated if items are dirty with food. It is possible to contaminate the whole batch and ruin the recycling process.

RESOURCES

Plastic waste recycling systems are more complex than traditional waste processing systems. This leads to higher waste management costs.

While recycling helps and requires fewer sources than extracting and using raw materials, it still uses a lot of energy.

Additionally, recycling facilities apply old techniques. Even though recycling it can be essential for reducing plastic waste, it is not efficient:

Conventional mechanical recycling methods such as sorting, grinding, washing, and extrusion can recycle only 15–20 % of all plastic waste.

To sum up, recycling is not as effective as simply reducing (as much as we can) plastic waste.

Rates of recycling

Research from 2017 concluded that for 2014:

• The highest recycling rates were in Europe (30%) and China (25%).

• In the United States, plastic recycling has remained at 9% since 2012. 

More researchers estimated that only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled and that, without action by 2050, there will be 12 billion tonnes of plastic in landfills and the environment.

How plastic waste affects humans

Quality of life

Local air quality and pollution can directly impact the quality of life of people.

Lacking technical health standards exposes people and workers (in recycling facilities) to various pollutants, injuries, infections, and other severe health problems that contribute to low life expectancy.

Plastic additives

Some plastics are dangerous and toxic for humans, such as #3 (PVC) or Bisphenol-a (BPA), a chemical that disturbs hormones.

Plastics can include hundreds of additives (PDF source); the worst part is that manufacturers are not even required to reveal this.

Any plastic can leach into your food or skin, depending on the conditions (light, heat) and the additives it may include.

Plastic in our freshwater supplies 

Microplastics have been detected in wastewater, fresh water, air, and drinking water (bottled and tap water).

Furthermore, studies also found microplastics in foods such as fish, shellfish, honey, beer, and sea salt. YIKES! We need more studies to understand better the consequences of plastic ingestion.

However, we should consider that human health is at risk from microplastics in drinking water and our food chain.

For example, a study suggested that microplastics can cause physical damage, biological stress & leaching of additives.

Another research suggested that microplastics may also serve as vectors* for harmful organisms.

Finally, according to available data, wastewater treatment can effectively remove just about 90% of microplastics from wastewater. 

Certain plastics are not intended for contact with our food or water, yet they are.

Just try to imagine eating plastic. Yikes.

*vector – an organism that transmits a disease or parasite from one animal or plant to another

How plastic waste affects animals

Marine wildlife and other animals

Marine wildlife is especially vulnerable to plastic pollution because approximately 10–20 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year.

Animals such as seabirds, whales, and dolphins can become entangled in plastic matter.

Moreover, some plastics float on seawater, and sometimes animals eat them because they confuse them for food. Once plastic reaches the ocean, it does not go away.

It breaks down into small pieces eaten by sea life, and transferred up the food chain, carrying synthetic and toxic pollutants. Larger plastic waste has already been shown to harm wildlife animals, too.

Benefits of reducing plastic waste

There are many great benefits of reducing plastic waste, such as: 

• Lower CO2 emissions – Reducing the use of plastic will result in fewer carbon emissions from producing, transporting, recycling, and disposing of waste materials.
• Reduces natural resources – The production process requires natural resources like water, oil, natural gas, and coal. We can lower the amount of new raw materials by reducing plastic usage and recycling what’s already there.
• Reduces pollution – Reducing plastic waste will reduce the contamination of the environment, soil, air, and water. There will also be less illegally dumped plastic waste in the oceans.
• Less trash is going to incinerators, landfills, and oceans – We can save up on depleting landfill space, reducing the plastic entering our oceans, reducing burning plastic, and releasing toxic gases.
• Lowers the demand for fossil fuel consumption – Petroleum is a finite all-natural resource, so reducing plastic waste will also ease the need for fossil fuel consumption.
• Less plastic makes our food, water & air cleaner and safer – Microplastic is found in our food, water, and air. Less plastic will decrease this issue.
• Saves animals and human lives – Microplastics are everywhere, and we consume many without knowing. Chemicals in plastic that leach out can be toxic and cause various health issues. Furthermore, thousands of animals die from getting entangled in plastics or digesting them.
• Saves money – In the long run, reusable items are cheaper than constantly purchasing more plastic.
• It helps sustain the environment for future generations

What can you do about plastic waste?

Plastic waste is a huge problem, and REDUCING our use of plastics is the most efficient and easy way to fight the problem.

The best thing we can do is prevent new sources of plastics from entering the environment. To reduce unnecessary plastic consumption, you can consider the following:

1) Avoid single-use plastics

This will reduce plastic waste and increase the demand for improving product and packaging design.

Reduce your plastic usage by bringing your bag to the shop and buying loose produce and bulk in jars and reusable containers whenever possible.

2) Buy reusables & plastic-free products

Nowadays, you can discover nearly anything in sustainable packaging that can be reused and recycled endlessly (such as glass and aluminum). 

Gradually start ditching single-use disposable items for reusable ones.

Switch up some of your personal care products that come in plastic with eco-friendly & plastic-free alternatives.

You can check my list of 100+ essential zero waste products or do a quick search and find if there are zero waste (online) shops near you. 

3) DIY

Look online for DIY tutorials for some essentials that you use daily, like toothpowder, mouthwash, DIY deodorant, body butter, dry shampoo, etc.

These are effective and super easy to make. Check my DIY category for more DIY ideas.

4) Buy second-hand

Second-hand items are much more sustainable since they’ve already been created and circulated. Buying second-hand will save money & things from going to landfills. 

5) Repair, reuse and upcycle things

Instead of throwing away things, consider repairing and upcycling first. Then, even if you already have plastic items lying around (or you can’t avoid buying something), you can reuse and upcycle them. 

Related post: 24 Things To Do With Plastic Containers (Repurposing Ideas)

Conclusion

Plastic litter can be found everywhere – on streets, fields, beaches, forests, and oceans. Plastic waste CAN affect the quality of life, health, tourism, and even our economy. 

It requires a lot of energy and resources to be created and recycled. Furthermore, $13 billion a year is used from environmental damage to marine ecosystems, financial losses by fisheries, tourism, and the time spent cleaning beaches.

The solution is in our hands – reducing (as much as we can) the use of plastics. 

For more tips on living a more eco-friendly lifestyle, you can check these 16 expert tips on achieving a plastic-free & zero waste home.

Feel free to share in the comments below what your struggles are when it comes to avoiding/reducing plastic!