It’s the last straw

Everything that God created was good. But sadly, humans have become clever at creating products that speed up our lives but are also bad for the environment and for our health.

Certain types of plastics are easily recycled and offer the possibility of being part of a circular economy – there is still a long way to go of course – but the possibility is there.

However, other types of plastic, single use plastic, thin plastic straws, Styrofoam, plastic cutlery etc are almost impossible to recycle and cause enormous damage to the environment, marine life, and human health

Styrofoam/polystyrene
The World Health Organisation considers Styrofoam a possible human carcinogen (cause of cancer) , with one particular risk when people reheat food in the microwave, the toxins can leach into the food. It is particularly risky for young children.

It is extremely difficult to recycle – firstly since it is foamed by gasses being pumped in, the volume per kilo makes it uneconomic to store and recycle. Usually it is used for food, and is not clean enough to recycle. Only 1.3 percent of total polystyrene was recycled in the USA in 2015.

Often used in large amounts in disposable packaging (e.g. electronic goods) it creates a huge amount of pollution on land and waterways. It slowly degrades into carcinogenic molecules. Tiny particles of Styrofoam are mistaken by birds and turtles for food (they look very like fish eggs), their stomachs fil up and they die of malnutrition.

If Styrofoam is burned for disposal, it releases poisonous gases.

We need to find alternatives such as compostable or paper plates, or better still, go back to washing dishes!!

Plastic cutlery

Maybe you think, “It’s just one fork,” but multiplied by millions upon millions, those plastic utensils are terrible for the environment. Some estimates put the number of individual plastic utensils wasted at 40 billion per year in the United States alone – imagine what the figure is globally! After just one single use, most of them are thrown out and end up in landfills and in our waterways.

Plastic cutlery is one of those items that won’t get recycled even when you put it in the recycling. It’s too contaminated. It’s too small. It’s too lightweight. So those 40 billion plastic utensils per year are a complete waste.

Say no to plastic cutlery – if you buy food, or order it, indicate that you do not want the cutlery!!