Due to the rising plastic pollution in various parts of the world, people are moving towards trying alternative products. Companies are under pressure to produce substitutes for plastics but do you know that these materials can also be harmful to the environment? In this article, we will list down the different products that can harm the environment.
Many times companies end up producing many harmful products in the heat of developing something sustainable and eco-friendly. For example, industries are making tote bags to be used instead of single-use polythene bags. However, the alternatives can also lead to pollution, and our concern for the environment should be much beyond polythene bags only.
Are you trying to contribute to saving the environment as much as you can? If yes, then check out alternativi.fr, where you can shop some unique products that come in reusable containers and are perfectly healthy for our surroundings. The best part is that you can even buy them without their packaging.
THINGS THAT CAN BE EVEN MORE HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAN THE PLASTIC
Everybody cares for the environment but doesn’t know how they can contribute to it. Well, knowing what can cause pollution is the first step towards it. Let us study some products that can produce even more harm to our surroundings than plastic.
1. Biodegradable water bottles (single-use)
You will get shocked to learn that over half a trillion plastic bottles are purchased by people worldwide every year, but not more than 7% of them get recycled. That is why scientists have been struggling to find some alternative to these plastic bottles, and they came up with some plant-derived prototypes that can degrade in the natural environment.
However, the experts say that there are some problems with these substitutes. The first issue is that it requires highly controlled conditions in the atmosphere to degrade. These conditions include high heat and high moisture levels that can help the microbes break down the polymer. These bottles also contain some chemicals or plastic linings that are non-degradable.
People need to understand that if the product says it is biodegradable, they must also know about the conditions to break naturally. Without knowing the proper conditions and time to degrade it, you are not contributing to saving the earth. The best option is to buy reusable things.
2. Tote bags
Tote bags have been an excellent substitute for plastic bags these days but are they indeed eco-warriors? Well, let us break down this for you. Tote bags that are specially made up of cotton are required to be reused thousands of times, and then only it will have the same impact on our surroundings just as the single-use polythene bags.
Scientists have observed these tote bags and have found them harmful to our environment. It requires a large amount of water and emits a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). This large amount of carbon emission leads to the depletion of the ozone layer from the earth’s surface. Therefore, if you think that tote bags can solve the problems caused by polythene bags, then you are probably wrong.
3. Menstrual products
To maintain cleanliness, menstrual products like tampons, pads, etc., are usually wrapped in single-use plastic material. Apart from this, you will be shocked to know that even the pads you use are 90 percent made up of plastic. This is why they remain in the landfills for a very long period before its breaking down process starts.
Even the industries that make these menstrual products produce approximately two lakh tons of waste each year. This wastage consists mainly of the packing material and the applicators. You may find various alternative eco-friendly options for your periods, but the best option is to use a menstrual cup. Even if you buy only one menstrual cup, it will last for years to clean it easily and use it again.
4. Plastic roads
You might be aware of this new idea used by entrepreneurs to fight the rising plastic issues in the environment. Making roads with waste plastic materials can be a compelling idea but are they perfect for our surroundings? According to many environmental activists, it is not the best idea to use plastic waste as it also produces harm to our surroundings.
When these plastic roads get worn out, then it discharges fine plastic particles into our atmosphere. It is very harmful to human beings as well as animals. These microplastic particles accumulate in the air, water bodies, and also food products. A study has shown that, on average, a human being ingests about 70,000 microplastics in a year.
5. Teabags
Are you a tea lover? If yes, then you probably need to know these facts about your teabags. It will be hard for you to imagine that such small items can produce a very significant amount of wastage every day. It is observed that millions of tea bags contribute to the waste material each day around the world.
But how is that even a problem? If you are unaware, let us tell you that even these tea bags are made up of plastic or non-compostable products. Even the tea bags that claim to be biodegradable have very few chances to break down. That is why we recommend everyone to use loose tea rather than these tea bags if you are looking forward to decreasing the plastic waste in our environment.
TO SUM UP
We all are aware of the harmful impact of plastic products in our environment, leading to its various substitutes. However, we are hardly unaware that even these substitutes are not suitable for our surroundings. Having proper knowledge of these things can help us save our environment from the dangerous impact of these materials.