5 Ways to fight plastic pollution

Plastic happens to be one of those invention that has been designed to make human life easier. Cheap, convenient and easily available they have permeated our lives to such an extent that we have become highly dependent on it. However this obsession with plastic has led to a serious threat to the environment. It is not just the human beings who are affected by this seemingly harmful material but plastic has become a cause of worry for the whole ecosystem.

The discarded plastic that comes in the form of shopping bags, wrappers, plastic bottles and tubes etc. gets swallowed by various animals including cows, fish and birds because of being mistaken as food. Also, the huge amount of plastic that are thrown into the ocean further endangers the lives of sea animals. But that is not all. The main problem with plastic is that it is non-biodegradable and sticks around for a much longer time than any other form of trash. It further contains toxic chemicals which acts as a magnet for other pollutants such as dioxins, pesticides and metals. Hence, it becomes very important that we wake up to the danger plastic is causing to the planet. Here are some easy ways to fight plastic pollution.

Reduce the use of plastic:

Reducing the use of plastic can drastically reduce the amount of plastic waste. Always carry a reusable plastic bag with you instead of asking for plastic bags to carry your stuff. You can further reduce the use of single use plastic such as water bottles, straws, cups and other such materials that are discarded after one use. You can simply refuse the products you don't need and try reusing the ones where it can be. Take for instance plastic water bottles. You can use it multiple times and carry your water instead of buying a new bottle every single time you are outside.

Recycling:

While recycling comes as an obvious thing to do but we are simply not doing it because only a meager amount (less than 14%) of plastic gets recycled. All you have to do is to check if the plastic you are about to throw in the bin can be recycled. Most of the liquid cleaner bottles, as well as those of milk, juice and body lotions, yogurt and ketchup bottles etc. are recyclable and can help in controlling the plastic pollution by reducing the amount of new plastic in circulation.

Micro-beads are dangerous. Avoid them

Those tiny particles found in face scrubs, body washes, toothpastes and other beauty products, appear harmful but are in fact a growing source of ocean plastic pollution recently. They enter the waterways through our sewer system and harm the sea animals who take them for food. Besides, the tiny size of these micro-beads which in fact is a form of plastic further allows them to slip through water treatment plants thus enter the nearby waterways.

Volunteer for beach or river cleanup

Of late there has been awareness about the dangers caused to marine lives because of the increasing plastic waste in oceans and other water bodies. If there is any waterway or beach in your locality you can try organizing a cleanup and collect plastic wastes that is polluting it. However, if you don't want to take the inititaive on your own you can also participate in various cleanups which are organized by NGOs andsocial bodies and help fight ocean plastic pollution.

Buy secondhand

Purchasing products second hand is an important step towards reducing your plastic footprint. Products such as toys and electronic gadgets come with all kinds of plastic packaging which can be avoided if you choose to shop second hand. Second hand products not only uses less resources as it is unpack aged but also helps keep those products in use and out of landfill.