- It never goes away.
All the plastic that has ever been created is STILL HERE. In our landfills, our oceans, our lakes, and our rivers...It may not look the same as it did when it was produced (i.e. broken down into microplastics), but IT STILL EXISTS.
- It leaches toxins, and animals can get hurt.
There are many different varieties of plastic: hard plastic (toys, toothbrushes, industrial stuff), soft plastics (produce bags, food wrappers), polystyrene aka styrofoam...the list goes on. When these plastics are heated (by food like takeout or coffee in styrofoam cups, or a Tupperware in the microwave, or a plastic water bottle left in your car in the sun) the little toxic plastic molecules leach into your lunch, coffee, and water. - Animals can get hurt.
Animals can often get confused when being surrounded by plastic. Sea turtles sometimes eat jellyfish, and plastic bags resemble jellyfish when floating in the water. When ingested, turtles cannot digest the plastic, leading to starvation. Birds and other wildlife may mistake the plastic fragments for food (I've seen frequent bite marks on pieces of plastic) causing more ingestion and starvation. Ghost netting in the ocean can cause entanglements to turtles, fish, sharks, whales, dolphins...pretty much anything than could interact with a piece of floating net!
- It's more fun to get creative and not use plastic things.
There are so many options to avoid plastic these days: reusable grocery bags, reusable insulated water bottles, beeswax food wrap, bamboo to-go utensils, bamboo toothbrushes, replaceable razors, and even laundry detergent that comes in a jar. I'm telling you, you'll feel better helping the environment and making changes to your life to keep things simpler.
Our planet is already under a lot of stress, so please be a conscious consumer like I know most of us already are, and stop using plastic! It's hard but worth it!
Are you already doing this? What are some tips and tricks that help you avoid plastic?