why to be plastic free

There are so many reasons we as humans should give up on our use of plastics and switch to the many biodegradable alternatives. As Julia Butterfly Hill said “You have to hold yourself accountable for your actions, and that’s how we’re going to protect the Earth..” We all affect what happens on our planet.

The number one place that has the worst impact from the plastic we use is the ocean. Tons and tons of our plastic is in the ocean floating around to be more precise, about 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic. Many sea wildlife have been negatively affected by it; over 30 whales have unfortunately washed onto the shores with stomachs filled with our plastic waste. In 2017 there was also a lobster found with a pepsi logo imprinted on its claw most likely from a one of many pepsi bottles that have been dumped into the sea. Some time In 1972 the governments decided to throw tires that were tied with ropes into the ocean. The hope was to make a place for reefs to grow but unfortunately the ropes broke and the tires are now still all over the planet's ocean. A big way you can help try and get plastic out of the ocean could be going to your local beach to collect plastic that is the best way to go, but if you want to help from home you can add Oceanhero to your computer which makes it where every few searches is another piece of plastic they will go and collect.

Not only has the sea been severely affected but our land also has been hurt from our mass use of plastic and many big companies. Many plastic products have been dumped out in wild habitats. A lot of the time when you look at the side of the road you may see trash bags, plastic cups, or wrappers do to people throwing it out their car windows. Many animals mistake the trash as food. Some of the animals that have suffered are raccoons, tortoises, and squirrels. Big businesses have flat-out destroyed habitats for many species, some well known ones are, gorillas have had to watch their home cut down, tigers have seen the ground for their hunting shrink farther and farther down, and elephants are forced to live in smaller and smaller pieces of land. Ecosia is a good search browser the plants tree from the tabs you open, they don’t do it right away and

There are many switches you can take to do your part to protect the planet's wildlife. When you go shopping it is hard to find things that are not wrapped in plastic. Bringing your own bag is a big help because now you won’t have to use the plastic bag. Look for items that are not sealed in plastic, try and aim for glass or paper packed things. When I am looking for bags and more for grocery trips i would go to this website, called boston general store.

When it comes to the kitchen, Instead of buying plastic wraps for your food use beeswax wraps which can be used more than once. You could change the dish soap with dish powder which I got from blueland. Instead of using non-biodegradable sponges made out of cellulose and polyester or nylon you can get a biodegradable made out of wanent shells or cocoanuts that are made by grove. If you don’t like sponges and prefer something else, use a dishcloth or a bamboo brush. There is a wide varvatity on green ecotopia. When it comes to food you can start composting. A lot of people now have a compost bin in their kitchen.

In the bathroom Maybe try to switch toothpaste with tooth tablets which come in a biodegrade package rather than a plastic tube that can’t even be recycled. When it comes to the shower or bath you can always use a bar of soap for your body, but you can also use shampoo and conditioner bars too. Instead of using those plastic things that say they are “loofahs” you could get a real loofa which is a dried fruit or use a sponge. When doing laundry there are a lot of swaps you could do. Rather than using liquid laundry soap that comes in plastic you can use a laundry tablet which also comes in biodegradable packing which can be put in a reusable tin can. You can also get wool balls that gather all the static electricity and can be reused instead of using plastic sheets that can be used once and then go straight to a landfill, for the task.

When you want to make eco-friendly changes in your bedroom you could always get a bed frame made out of recycled materials. When you get a mattress try and steer away from things like nylon and maybe go for cotton. Use your clothes for as long as possible instead of buying new ones whenever, you could also try getting your clothes from thrift stores. When it comes to clothes in your bedroom closet many of your shirts or pants will most likely be made out of nylon or polyester, which is what most microplastics in the ocean come from. If you do have some clothes made of those materials don’t just throw them out get a guppy friend washing bag which makes it easy to dispose of the microplastics and microfibers properly.

That is how you can help make a positive impact on the planet. Because “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” always remember the impact that you can make, and make it a good one.

Great places for you start your eco friendly journey that i recommend

•https://www.bostongeneralstore.com/collections/eco-shopping?page=1

•https://www.grove.co/catalog/?category=household

•https://guppyfriend.us/pages/guides

•https://www.blueland.com/collections/all

•https://oceanhero.today/

•https://greenecotopia.com/collections/personal-care

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