Plastic is ubiquitous in our lives, it is everywhere; like bags, utensils, household items, and sometimes even in many consumer goods such as fiberglass buddha statues and FRP animal statues. But we need to come to terms with the negative effects of plastic consumption in our lives, the need to switch to an eco-friendly life has become more important than anything.
Here are some simple alternatives if you want to give up on plastic.
Use cloth instead of polythene.
Polythene bags are the worst offenders of plastic waste. Despite bans in many places, and civil movements, these bags are still in use. Are there any alternatives? Cloth bags on the other hand are reusable, as are bags made from jute, recycled or eco-friendly plastics.
Bottle up
Buying bottled water when we are outdoors or travelling is very common. But these bottles are either end up in the trash or being reused at home, both of which are equally damaging to the environment and our health.
Switching to glass bottles, which don’t contain industrial chemicals used in certain plastics, and therefore less likely to affect consumers with any harmful toxin. Glass bottles are not the best for travelling as they are heavy and fragile. Try stainless steel bottles and flasks.
Milk Protein
Scientists found out that milk protein can helps in the production a biodegradable plastic for insulation, furniture cushions, packaging, and many other products. Researchers are working on casein, the main protein in milk, to make into a biodegradable material that has the same compressibility and stiffness of polystyrene. This contemporary biodegradable plastic doesn’t crack easily under load, and it is less toxic.
Always prefer environmentally friendly plastics
Biodegradable Plastic:
Biodegradable plastics contain additives in the polymer mixture that help them to decay more rapidly in the presence of light and oxygen. The problem is that these types of plastics are made out of normal petrochemical products like normal plastic so it does not always break down into harmless by-products as bioplastics do. These types of plastics may leave behind toxic residue thus making make them unsuitable for composting and landfill.
Bioplastics:
Bioplastics are manufactured from natural materials like corn-starch. Unlike traditional and biodegradable plastics, bioplastics do not add to the net increase in carbon dioxide when they are broken down. Bioplastics easily decompose within a few weeks, making them suitable for landfill, whereas regular plastic bags take more than five centuries to decompose.
