Throughout the years, plastic has made a massive appearance in household products. Almost all modern packaging items are made up of single-use plastic; this is a type of plastic that can only be used once and is intended to be thrown away afterward. This type of plastic not only appears in packaging but also in easy-to-grab utensils such as forks, spoons, knives, and straws. 

What is Single-Use Plastic and Why is it Bad?

Single-use plastic is a disposable plastic that is used once and then thrown away or recycled. Items that are made from single-use plastic include plastic straws, plastic utensils, almost all packaging materials, and water and soda bottles. Unfortunately, it has almost become a necessity for the human race because we use it for packaging, and quick on the go use. But it extremely harms wildlife. For example, marine and land animals mistake plastic products for food. This can cause the animal to choke and the dangerous toxins in plastic, like BPA, can make animals fatally ill.

Other forms of plastic put animals at many different risks, including plastic bags, zip-ties, and plastic soda rings (also known as six-pack rings); there have been countless findings of animals tied up in these forms of plastic. These animals end up trapped in these plastic remains and can experience serious injuries, like paralysis or even death.

When animals ingest plastic, it makes its way back to us. Plastic is being consumed by animals and is then consumed by humans, leading its way back to the human population. Although it is concerning that plastic is slowly making its way back to us, it is not even as big of a concern as the plastic never biodegrading.

Plastic will never biodegrade and only breaks down into microplastics; microplastics are pulverized pieces of plastic that contaminate the world. They are another awful factor in the world because they never go away. They just keep on breaking into smaller pieces.

How Can You Help to Reduce Plastic Consumption?

Although plastic is already taking over the environment, it hasn’t fully dominated the Earth. You can still help. Start by reducing your use of plastic. You can buy a reusable bag to help diminish the collection of grocery bags in your house and in the world. But, if you have those plastic bags already, do not throw them away. Bring them back to the store and reuse the bags. This small step can make a monumental difference!

 If you want to help even more, buying a metal straw or even rejecting straws when given one will also be of service to the ecosystem. Straw and other plastics really harm marine life, so taking a step to lessen the number of plastic straws can save an animal. Another way to minimize the use of single plastics is to avoid using unnecessary utensils or packaging when buying items. Because we have begun to spread awareness about this issue, many places now offer the ability to buy reusable items. Starbucks now allows customers the option to use reusable mugs for their beverages. Additionally, the Package Free Shop is a great eco-friendly store because they ship and sell every item without the use of any plastic; this store sells essential items that you can reuse and it all comes plastic-free! This site gives users ideas to help them replace plastic in everyday life. 

Avoiding plastic is hard, especially when it is all around you just waiting to be used. Although it is easier to use a plastic straw than bring a metal one, think of how much you can help the environment by refusing that straw. Even if you do end up using a single-use plastic item, do not get discouraged! Everyone slips up once in a while. Plastic is an everyday obstacle that billions face but if we give in to the easy way out, we will end up with an irreversible problem.