EARTH DAY IS EVERYDAY, LETS END PLASTIC POLLUTION TOGETHER.
How can we make impactful changes from
home when recycling?
Why did I start caring?
This week I wanted to share something different but special to me. I am a beginner, and wouldn’t probably qualify as an enthusiast just yet. But I want to make a change.
I am a big believer that we all care about this, but sometime we find ourselves powerless on how to make an impact. We also live in a world of consumption which empowers companies to overproduce to meet demands. We are not aware of the situation we live in, some times, we get too distracted with this new thing called social media. However, social media can play a double-edge sword role.
My attention was caught by a young lady, called Lauren Singer. And it all started in Instagram. For that, I strongly believe call for actions are sometimes appreciated, because if you are not interested, you can swipe your finger to the next post. But if it catches your attention, it could have a tremendous impact.
Let me emphasize that Laura Singer motivated me to take action, but my boyfriend Robert was who initiated my interest on the subject, many years ago.
When you excel in sports or at your job and you become a world-leading figure you are capable to draw awareness to a broader fanbase. However, it is not true that only profesional athletes or successful business people are capable to help out.
Helping out is a broad term. The end goal is to try and make a change for the better. You can help out directly to individuals or to the main source, the world we live in.
Throughout my years as a pro golfer I have help numerous times directly to people in need or associate myself with non-profit organization. And I will continue to do so. However, I have learned that the best way to truly help the human specie is to target the origin of most of civilization’s tragedies: Earth.
Earth day is everyday,
End plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution is one of the most important environmental problems that we face today. It impacts the environment and our health and wellbeing. And the saddest thing is that we have all contributed to this problem — most of us unknowingly.
Few inventions in modern history have been as successful as plastic is nowadays. In the last half century we have become dependent to this synthetic material. We rely on it since wake up until we go to bed. We wrap stuff in its we store our foods in it, and even wear it.
According to an article in BBC, 9.1 billion US tons of plastic has been produced to date. From which only 9% of that waste has been recycled.Recycling became a thing only decades ago, and we must understand recycling only delays its final disposal into the oceans and landfills.
Recycling helps, no doubt about it. Even though it just delays its inevitable disposal, at least we are helping decrease the demand of mas production and hence, create less trash. And this is were I want to make a difference, and I think you can too!
To add onto the motivation to increase recycling and eliminate the purchase of plastic, a research team in University of Stanford found that bacteria in the guts of mealworms can break down plastic. According to Craig Criddle´s research team and student Anja Brandon `A small population of a thousand worms, might manage to devour 0.32 grams of polyethylene [plastic] in a day. That is still not lightning fast. But it is quicker than waiting for it to break down in a landfill?.
How about that?
Becoming another Lauren Singer, @trashisfortossers, is pretty hard. The commitment involved to change your lifestyle that drastically is unreachable for some of us. There is also the economic part of it, even though you might end up saving money in the long run; it could be a sensitive lifestyle to bring into a low income household.
Being the loyal environmental activist she is, Laura inspired all of us with her zero waste life campaign. In one of her TED talks she displayed the mount of trash she accumulated in her last 3 years, and it only came up to a simple jar.
Quitting plastic? How do you shift from having a fridge crowded with plastic to not produce waste?
My goal does not reach that far, and it is not my intention with this post. I am happy with becoming aware of the type of plastic I buy, the amount of trash I crate and how well I recycle to be able to feel like I am contributing to the cause.
With that being said, here are a couple of tips I am pledging myself to change in order create a positive impact.
TIPS:
Reduce packaged foods: buy fruits and vegetables from farmers market. This is easy to do and also aligns perfectly with my alkaline diet and eating more organic fresh food.
Buying recycled items to avoid cresting more waste into the waste cycle. This is probably one of the most powerful tools we can all use to make a big impact. Because the plastic already produced is imposible to deplete, but we can take a stance to avoid this maniac production of plastic in this world.
Reduce groceries plastic bags by buying the recycled ones and store it in your car.
Start using stainless steel bottle waters instead of buying plastic bottles. I love using Klean Kanteen, I like the style of their bottles and for over a year I dont use anything other than their line.
Water filters: This year I made the decision to buy a water filter to be able to drink alkaline water. However, most of the top brands of water filters are made out of plastic. I use Nikken water filter, which I love. And I understand I will be saving from buying water bottles while being at home and running errands.
Food storage: if you are aware, all the food storage recipe we use at home are made out of plastic. The idea is to substitute those into glass Tupperware or ceramic vases.
Eliminate drinking out of straws on restaurant and bars. Hey! That can actually help you eliminate sodas? Who am I kidding right?
Don’t ask for single use plastic utensils and cups when ordering to go meals.
HOW TO RECYLE: Learn what plastics are
recyclable.
Learning what plastics are recyclable is very important. There is a way to identify the type of plastic in everyday products. Plastic products have a number surrounded by a chasing arrows symbol often on the bottom.
2, 4 and 5 are OK for limited use
AVOID 1, 3, 6, and 7 (polycarbonate)
The importance to get out of this is to become more conscious about the types of plastics we buy when grocery shopping and buying beauty and kitchen supplies.
Esta semana quería hablaros de algo diferente, pero que ha empezado a ser muy importante para mi. Siendo honesta, no me considero todavía obsesionada con el tema del reciclaje y de evitar la compra de productos plásticos. Y tampoco puedo considerar que haga un buen trabajo. Lo único que quiero resaltar esta semana es que, estoy siendo muy consciente sobre este tema, me esta afectando moralmente, leo muchísimos artículos sobre los efectos negativos que tiene la producción masiva de plástica y el poco uso de las basuras de reciclaje… Y me frusto. Quiero cambiar, aunque sea un cambio pequeño, pero consistente.
Estoy muy confiada de que a todos os importa este tema, y que quisiérais ayudar al medio ambiente. Pero muchas veces os sentís atascados, porque pensáis que podéis hacer poco para causar una mejora en la Tierra. Estamos acostumbrados a vivir en un mundo consumista, donde en los últimos años, el ser humano se ha visto totalmente dependiente de este material sintético.
Pero creo en el poder de las redes sociales, por que al final, como todo en esta vida; empieza por ver a alguien motivado a cambiar para copiarle. Eso me paso a mí con Laura Singer. Laura es una activista del medio ambiente que nada mas salir de la Universidad decidió cambiar su estilo de vida para no producir basura en el medio ambiente.
Escuchando una de sus charlas en TED Talks, Laura enseñó al publico el cúmulo de basura que había hecho en sus últimos tres años. Toda la basura que Laura había acumulado cabía en una jarra de cristal!
No es mi intención cambiar mi estilo de vida tan drásticamente, pero mentiría si no os dijera que me dio envidia ver como Laura se comprometió a actuar sobre el tema. Laura me abrió los ojos y me hizo entender que la intención es lo que cuenta.
Yo no voy a cambiar mi estilo de vida de manera tan drástica, pero si quiero sentirme útil en esta causa. Pienso que con cambiar ciertas cosas, y si consigo enviar el mensaje correcto, juntos podemos ayudar al mundo en el que vivimos.
En un artículo de BBC, leí que hemos creado hasta ahora 9.1 billones de toneladas de plástico. De esa cantidad, solo el 9% ha sido o esta siendo reciclada. Lo demás acababa en medio de los océanos, tirado por las calles o reunidos en llanuras planas destinas a la acumulación de plástico. Estas cifras cuentan solo con el plástico ya producido, pero tenemos que prestar atención a los 6 billones de toneladas que van a ser producidas por las compañías de plástico.
El plástico producido ya es cosa del pasado y no hay mucho que hacer por el, ya que el acto de reciclar, al final lo único que hace es retrasar el arrojo del plástico a la naturaleza. Pero si podemos esforzarnos en conseguir disminuir la basura acumulada comprando menos plástico y ayudando a no contribuir a la demanda de plástico futura.
Con ello, quiero compartir algunos de los tips que me van a ayudar con la causa:
TIPS :
Reducir la compra de productos de comida envasados. Podemos empezar con comprar la verdura y la fruta en mercados orgánicos.
Comprar productos reciclados para evitar seguir añadiendo plástico nuevo al medio ambiente.
Comprar bolsas de supermercado reusables que las puedes dejar en el maletero del coche para evitar usar bolsas de plástico el super.
Substituir las botellas de agua de plástico por termos de aluminio.
Filtros de agua: Desde Enero de este año, consumo agua de un filtro. Mi filtro es de una marca japonesa buenísimo, Nikken. Pero lastimosamente, como muchos otros filtros de agua, utilizan plástico en algunas de sus piezas. A la larga, se que con el filtro estoy consumiendo menos plástico que si comprase botellas de agua.
Substituir los recipientes de conserva de alimentos en tu dispensa y nevera por vidrio o cerámica.
Dejas de usar pajitas en los restaurantes o bares
No pedir utensilios de plástico ni vasos de plástico cuando pidas comida a domicilio.
Estos cambios son insignificantes en nuestra vida, solo hay que tener ganas de querer cambiar y estar mas consciente sobre ello.
¿COMO RECICLAR?
Es muy importante aprender a reciclar y entender los tipos de plásticos que hay en el mercado hoy en día. Casi todas las fábricas sellan sus productos de plástico con un numero que se encuentra grabado en la parte de abajo, dentro de unas flechas actuando como circunferencia.
2, 4 y 5 OK para uso limitado.
EVITAR 1, 3, 6, y 7.
Lo importante es que ojalá empecemos a ser mas conscientes a la hora de comprar productos de belleza, envases de comida, y refrigerios. Con un poco de esfuerzo podemos conseguir grandes cambios.