The ban on plastic micro beads has eventually happened in the UK. This is a massive step forward in the right direction, we are now hoping the same ban will be happening soon for single use plastics!
What are microbeads?
Micro beads are small beads of plastic usually found in products like face scrubs and toothpastes. They are not degradable, once these plastic beads are made they last forever, so you can imagine how many are already in circulation today.
What is wrong with microbeads, why are they harmful?
When using products with mircobeads in them, such as a face scrub, they are then washed away with water so these micro beads enter the water system. This then ends up in the sea, all sea life are eating these micro beads thinking it’s food, when in fact it is harmfull plastics which they cannot digest. Then humans who choose to eat fish are actually ingesting plastic contaminated fish.
The great thing is they are now banned to be used in products, but this doesn’t solve the problem of the thousands of microbeads already in the world, harming nature and the wildlife.
Read more about the microbeads ban here:
Single-use Plastics
Image from https://inhabitat.com/tag/plastic-pollution/
The other main problem with plastics are single-use plastics.
What are single-use plastics ?
These are plastics that are made to only use once then thrown away. Items such as: bottles of water, coffee cups, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, shopping bags, takaway containers and packaging.
Why are single-use plastics bad to use?.
There is quiet a few reasons Single-use Plastics are bad for the environment. They are not biodegradable the life span of a plastic bottle is 450 years. All the plastics that were ever made are still around today. Most people don’t recycle them correctly and they end up as landfill. It is destroying all our ecosystems, leaching toxins into the environment. Animals are eating these plastics thinking there food which is bad for their health and lifespan.
Image from http://www.spotusa.org/recycle.html
The most heartbreaking thing is this can all be avoided!
What you can do to use less plastic?
- Invest in a reusable water bottle & coffee cup (some coffee shops give you discount if you bring your own cup)
- Be aware of packaging when purchasing food, you can get the same fruit and veg without the excess plastic.
- Take a reusable shopping bag with you everywhere, to save buying a plastic bag.
- Change your hand-wash, body wash and shampoo to solid bars of soap.
- Purchase a bamboo toothbrush.
- Refuse to use straws when you’re out, you can also buy reusable metal straws.
- If you still have some plastic at least recycle them correctly.
There is so much you can do you reduce your plastic usage and help the planet.