No Ordinary Kitchen Gadget

by Paul M July 15, 2020

Not Just Another Kitchen Gadget

The health of the environment is more important now than ever, and alternatives to synthetic plastics are emerging in the market.

One great example of this would be the use of biodegradable plastics or green trash bags in place of the harmful plastics.

Though this might be difficult at first, we can actually live without using these single-use plastics by incorporating biodegradable and environmental friendly trash bags instead of the conventional disposable plastics.

These green trash bags are not just another kitchen gadget because they are part of the solution.

One major advantage of switching to green trash bags is that they won't eventually turn into teeny tiny bits of plastic molecules in the ocean.

These biodegradable plastics take about three to six months to decompose fully, which is a whole lot quicker than its synthetic counterparts.

Simple Ways to Reduce the Use of Plastics

Use biodegradable bags
Purchase products in bulk
Use paper instead of plastic
Support environmental friendly stores
Avoid purchasing bottled water and beverages
Avoid single-use plastics, such as water bottles, straws, plastic bags, etc.

Did You Know Plastics are Ruining the Oceans?

The oceans are among our most important resources for life on earth, and also our biggest dumping grounds.

We are facing an environmental disaster and the clock is ticking.

We use and dispose of hundreds of products a year that aren't biodegradable.

Many of these products end up in our oceans.

Our green planet is suffering.

There is no doubt.

There are things we can do to save the planet and make our environment safe for our kids and grandkids.

Green trash bags aren't the only solution, just part of the answer.

Every little bit helps.

Even if we don't litter on the beach, mismanage an oil rig, or throw soda bottles on the ground, we are all likely still harming the ocean without realizing it.

The problem lies with the single-use plastics we discard, the consumer goods that fill our stores, and in our clothing, which sheds micro-plastic fibers in the wash.

The disposable plastics in the ocean are recognizable objects, including plastic bags, plastic bottles, fishing nets, but much of it mechanically breaks down to small particles, many a fraction of a millimeter across.

In fact, in June of 2020, the sailing vessel Kwai returned to Honolulu Hawaii with 103 tons of plastics, nets, and debris from 'The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.'

As the name suggests, the ocean suffers from a massive patch of debris and garbage (about 1.8 billion pieces).

Learn more with this video.

Last year the Kwai brought back 40 tons of debris. All the waste is sent back to the mainland and recycled. None of it is ever deposited in a landfill.

Recent studies have concluded that plastics in the ocean decompose faster than was once thought, due to exposure to rain, sun, and other environmental factors, resulting in the release of toxic chemicals.

However, as the production of these disposable plastic products continues to increase at a rapid rate, it overwhelms the ocean's ability to deal with them.

Effects of Plastic Pollution

Most of the plastics that we use in our day-to-day lives are made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET for short, which contains chemical substances that are nearly impossible to decompose.

The chemicals in plastic, which give them their flexibility and rigidity, are oily poisons that repel water and stick to petroleum-based objects like plastic debris that can leach out of plastics can accumulate on other plastics.

There are millions of metric tons of plastics that end up in our ocean each year, equivalent to almost five grocery bags filled with plastic wastes for every foot of coastline in the planet.

It is estimated that by the year 2050, plastic wastes in the oceans will outweigh fish, according to the projection report made by the World Economic Forum.

Fish, sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals can ingest or become entangled with these plastic debris, causing suffocation, drowning, and starvation--which in turn can end up in the seafood we eat.

According to the journal released by the Environmental Science and Technology says that it's possible that humans may be consuming anywhere from 39,000 to 52,000 and inhaling 74,000 micro-plastic particles each year.

Research showed that plastic particles might persist in the lungs when plastic waste is burned, which can lead to a myriad of health problems.

How Can We Help?

Disposable plastics may represent the epitome of today's throwaway generation. Even if you may live hundreds of miles from the coast, the single-use plastics you throw away could make its way into the ocean or other bodies of water.

This is a serious concern, especially with the increasing number of plastic wastes in the ocean.

It is hard to accept, but we, humans, are the primary contributor to these damages. If the waste management stays as effective as it is today, it is projected that there will be more plastic wastes than marine species in the world's oceans by 2050.

So what can we do to alleviate this problem and preserve the planet for our children and for the future generations to come?

Many of us are focused on taking care of our bodies by eating well, exercising, and making sure to get enough hours of sleep.

But despite these efforts, we often neglect taking care of the environment that we live in.

While disposing our garbage properly helps a lot, it is not enough to solve the already huge problem that our environment faces due to the excessive use of disposable plastics.

The key here is to use fewer plastics and to start recycling more.

By simply recycling plastics, we can save cubic yards of landfill space and help reduce the strain on the finite resources of the earth.

There are two major ways to recycle disposable plastic products:

(1) mechanical recycling, which involves grounding plastics into powders and melting it, and

(2) chemical recycling, where the plastic is broken down into basic components.

However, there are a myriad of ways to recycle plastics that doesn't involve complex processes, such as making a D.I.Y. plastic bottle planter, or reusing laundry detergent bottles into a watering can.

These methods will not only increase recycling, but it can also help you cut down on your unnecessary expenses.

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Additional Information About Saving The Planet

The Case Against Plastic

Biodegradable Explained

Environmental Sustainability

Living An Eco Friendly Lifestyle

My Favorite Kitchen Product Is Bagups