Single-use plastic is an environmental nightmare, but sometimes we just have to do something about it. Single-use plastics are often littering our beaches, rivers, and oceans and harming the environment. The good news is that we can do something about it if we use different strategies to reduce single-use plastics.
What Are Single-Use Plastics?
Single-use plastics are products created mostly from fossil fuel-based chemicals (petrochemicals) and intended to be disposed of immediately after use. Single-use plastics, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags, are most typically used for packaging and serviceware.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that plastic—a chain of synthetic polymers—was created that its popularity exploded. Plastic has begun to take the place of more traditional materials like paper and glass in the manufacturing process. Plastic jugs have replaced milk jars, for example. Plastic production has increased by 8.3 billion metric tons since the 1950s, with more than half of that growth occurring in the previous 15 years alone.
Surgical gloves and special-needs straws are only two examples of practical and necessary use for plastic. Only a small percentage of single-use plastic comes from these cases. Non-fiber plastic, which excludes synthetic textiles like polyester and nylon, makes up more than half of all plastic waste, according to research conducted in 2017.
What Are The Problems Of Single-Use Plastics?
Direct harm to wildlife
Plastic is responsible for the deaths of many animals each year. Plastic bags and fishing gear have been found in the stomachs of seabirds, fish, turtles, and marine animals. More than 700 species, including endangered ones, have been harmed by plastic pollution. Famine or suffocation are the two most common causes of animal death. Microplastics have been identified in the bodies of more than a hundred aquatic species. In extreme cases, the plastic might penetrate organs, obstruct the digestive tract, and lead to death.
They die of malnutrition if their guts are filled with plastic. Sea creatures are notorious for mistaking plastic bags for food.
More and more sea species are inadvertently ingesting hazardous chemicals from the breakdown of plastic litter, which is 60 to 80 percent of marine litter currently.
Greenhouse gases
Many greenhouse gases are released when disposable plastics deteriorate. When plastic is exposed to the sun, it emits harmful methane and ethylene. According to a new study, the plastic lifecycle accounts for 3.8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
When plastics degrade, they emit various toxins that harm wildlife and plants. As soon as they are discharged into the atmosphere, gas emissions can be hazardous to the environment and human health.
Pacific Trash Vortex
Every day, the amount of floating plastic in the world’s oceans continues to grow. Through these processes, plastic in the ocean is transformed into so-called microplastics that plankton can consume, removing them from the food chain. Fish, shellfish, and birds that ingest these microplastics have difficulty breathing and digesting because of the obstructions they create in their digestive tracts. These plastics don’t decompose, so they end up in the food chain, harming aquatic and human life alike.
The Pacific Trash Vortex is currently filled with plastics. The currents have sucked in a colossal amount of single-use plastic into this vortex. Marine life has been decimated, and it has been estimated to be twice as big as Texas. They both take in and expel hazardous substances and pollutants from the ocean. There may be a long-term buildup of plastic materials or harmful substances absorbed by plastics.
What Are Some Common Examples Of Single-Use Plastics You See Every Day?
The following are some of the examples of single-use plastics in that we see every day:
- Plastic bread bag tags
- Plastic bottles
- Styrofoam takeaway containers
- Straws
- Plastic packaging materials
- Plastic cutlery
- Plastic shopping bags
What Are Companies Doing About Single-Use Plastics?
Making Use Of Reusable Alternative
It is vital for environmental health, but using reusable products also has the potential to save money. Small businesses can save money on SUPP-related supplies and storage by bringing their own bags, cups, or containers. At the same time, customers will not be paying extra for shopping bags or containers.
Turning Single Use Into Multi-use
A product’s environmental impact decreases as it is utilized more frequently. Reusing SUPPs instead of throwing them away is better for the environment when customers can’t avoid them. Reusing and repurposing items like single-use plastic bags, bottles, cups, and dinnerware is excellent for reducing waste.
As long as they can be recycled, single-use equivalents made of different materials are not intrinsically better. There are many ways to reduce the environmental impact of a single-use plastic bag, such as reusing paper shopping bags four to eight times.
Consider The Product’s End-of-life When Designing It
Customers should not bear the whole burden of reducing SUPP’s adverse effects. Policymakers and retailers should direct product designers to focus on making lightweight and sturdy things so that they can be reused multiple times before becoming unusable. The use of renewable energy and recycled materials should be incorporated into the manufacturing process.
Another strategy to lessen the environmental impact of items is sourcing locally and avoiding air-freighted goods. When a product has reached the end of its useful life, it must be recycled or disposed of environmentally.
Innovations With Single-Use Plastics
Traceless
In contrast to traditional plastics and bioplastics, they provide a material that is holistically sustainable as a circular bioeconomy company. Founded in 2020 in Hamburg, Germany, their diverse team of dedicated professionals is now working on a new generation of biomaterials every day.
Company’s Website-:
GreenBig
GreenBig specializes in the creation of new Circular Economy solutions. Innovating new, digital products invites customers to make a positive environmental effect by encouraging them to use their products in innovative ways.
In collaboration for almost 10 years, Benoit Paget, Fabien Rimé and Baptiste Danezan founded GreenBig with the aim of creating innovative solutions that meet the challenges of the circular economy.
A few hundred thousand recycled bottles later, we’re a team of 30 people who work every day to keep our project growing and advancing recycling numbers nationwide (and who knows one day, maybe worldwide !).
Company’s Website-:
CleanHub
A global platform and movement for waste collecting that gives brands and consumers the power to stop plastic waste from entering the ocean.
Either collect plastic from every transaction or find another way to offset your impact. They have you covered in every way, from API to Shopify. Their Collection Hubs will immediately begin collecting, and their confirmed tracker will allow you to monitor your progress. Do not keep this to yourself; you are contributing to the cleanliness of our oceans. Tell others about the steps you’re doing!
Company’s Website-:
Relicta solution
Relicta solution is a water-soluble bioplastic made from fish processing waste used for packaging. Specifically, a translucent and odorless plastic film can be made from fish skin by mixing it with a certain combination.
A new startup called Relicta has invented a bioplastic that can dissolve in water and is made from leftover fish products. The company has the mission of contributing to the solution of a significant problem, which is the widespread use of plastics in the environment.
Company’s Website-:
http://www.relictabioplastics.com/
Conclusion
Single-use plastics are a severe problem that must be addressed head-on. We could reduce plastic pollution if we all became more conscious of its negative effects on the environment. Instead of single-use plastics, switch to reusable alternatives, and become familiar with the correct recycling methods.
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