This article is not about a food, rather it is about what we use to carry, store, and package our food in.
Plastic really helps to make our lives so convenient. It doesn't break when dropped, it holds liquid, it's light and portable, and can be molded into an endless array of shapes and sizes. It is used in every industry and helps to unburden our ecological system of sustaining us by using natural materials. Because it is light weight it doesn't require as much fossil fuel to transport. There are many beneficial uses for plastics.
Yet at the same time it is killing us and destroying our earth.
Ocean's Garbage PatchesUpon closer look it is not really that plastic is bad, rather it is in
how we use plastic that is detrimental to us. Primarily because many times we use it for one-time purposes that make our throw-away lifestyle so convenient. So what can we do to make it better?
There are many things you can do. Granted, it does require extra effort, but it is worth it for better health and to lend a hand in aiding nature (and us) to survive.
1.) Use glass to store your food in. It's been known that plastics contain harmful chemicals which leech into your foods as they are being stored in them or microwaved. For most of the glass bowls (like Pyrex) that are available, you will still be using a plastic lid to keep them closed but it has less contact with your food.
2.) Don't buy bottles of water. Carry your own water in glass or stainless steel containers (though the glass ones are covered in plastic to protect the glass from breaking if dropped, at least it is not getting into your water).
3.) Cloth sandwich baggies are more readily available, though they require washing. Again it's worth it. Or use
Abeego.
4.) Carry a stainless steel straw with you so you don't have to use the plastic ones. It's a little thing that adds up because straws are one of the biggest offenders in beach cleanups.
5.) The biggest help you can do is to carry your own bags or baskets to the market to bring your food home in.
6.) Ask your dry cleaner not to cover your clothes with plastic. If you need to cover your clean clothes bring a traveling garment bag to cover them with.
7.) Purchase items in your grocery store that are packaged in paper (or cardboard) instead of plastic.
8.) RECYCLE, RE-cycle, reeeee-cycle! Please.
9.) Don't use those plastic six-pack holders (or at least cut through all of the circles).
10.) Here's a shocker.
Stop chewing gum...it's plastic. Who knew?
For more suggestions go to this website:
Plastic-Free Living GuidePlastic will forever be a part of our lives. We can use it to do much good for us and the world (it's used in solar panels) but it lasts for eternity, it doesn't break down like natural products do, so we need to begin to look at how we use it. In what small way can you begin the change away from plastic? It's something to think about.
NY Times: Plastic - Too Good To Throw AwayLife Without Plastic Boutique
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