The problem of littering, particularly the use of plastic products, is one of today’s biggest global issues. Look at the plastic bottles floating on shorelines or the microplastics that have infiltrated our food chain; there are many harmful effects of plastic. Although plastic seems convenient to use and is seen in every corner, its long-term impact on the environment is a major concern. In this blog, we will be discussing 10 practical strategies for eradicating the use of plastics and the role played by plastic recycling plant.

The Environmental Impact of Plastic Waste

 Littering is a major problem because plastics take hundreds of years to degrade. Meanwhile, it disintegrates into microplastics that contaminate the soil, the air, and the water. It also physiologically impacts marine life, wildlife, and the human population through the food chain.

Here are 10 measures that can be adopted to address the problem of plastic.

1. Use Reusable Shopping Bags

The first way to help minimise the wastage of plastics is by avoiding the use of plastic bags for shopping and instead using reusable shopping bags. It is estimated that a large number of plastic bags are dumped into the environment every year, which increases landfill levels and pollution. As you know, there are alternatives to plastic bags, such as cloth or durable reusable bags, and adopting them is likely to reduce the impact of plastic on the environment. Such a small modification makes a big difference in limiting the use of plastics and promoting the use of eco-friendly products.

2. Buy in Bulk

Other effective mechanisms to help minimise plastics include buying in bulk. Small portions of food, cosmetics, or other household products in single-use packaging is another unconstructive use of plastic. When buying goods in bulk or higher quantities than usual, one can limit many purchases and use of plastics for packaging materials. Choose items that are packed in biodegradable material or reusable packaging wherever possible.

3. Choose Glass or Metal Containers

Be mindful while shopping, and avoid products that are packed in plastic containers. Choose glass or metal ones instead.  Glass and metal are easier to recycle in the process, and they can be repeated several times without any compromise on the quality. These materials are ideal substitutes for plastic and can possibly decrease the usage of single-use plastic packaging. A number of plastic recycling plants have adopted and incorporated more eco-friendly materials into their recycling processes. Still, it is more beneficial to select non-plastic options as a way of mitigating the problem.

4. Avoid Single-Use Plastics

Some of the common items that need to be avoided include straws, plastic cuts, and water bottles that are used once. Although it is difficult to avoid these due to the convenience they offer, the problem is that they are costly to the environment. More consumers are rejecting single-use plastic and shifting towards eco-friendly products such as metal or bamboo straws, and reusable water bottles. If you minimize the usage of single-use plastics, you are also minimizing the need for these destructive items.

5. Support Plastic Bans

Increasing numbers of regions are adopting measures to prohibit certain kinds of plastic products, such as bags and straws. By being involved in such causes and advocating for the enhancement of the rules, the general public can help cut down on the use of plastics on various occasions. For instance, a more progressive city like Hyderabad is taking steps by collaborating with plastic recycling plants to improve waste management.

6. Recycle Properly

Recycling is important in reducing the flow of plastic to the environment, but it must be done efficiently. Not all the plastics are recyclable, and some are difficult to recycle. Certain plastics that can be reused include PET and HDPE. They are cleaned and sorted before disposal by the plastic recycling plant. Hence, your effort in recycling can contribute to the enhancement of recycling efficiency by opting for recyclable plastics.

7. Participate in Clean-Up Initiatives

The two common steps are to organise or actively engage in clean-up drives of communities with an emphasis on minimising the use of plastics. Events such as a beach cleaning drive or a neighbourhood cleaning drive lead to a collection of plastic waste and the spread of awareness about proper plastic disposal. Thus, by engaging local plastic recycling plants, you can be sure that the plastics collected are properly recycled.

8. DIY Reusable Products

A  more creative approach to reducing plastic waste is to reuse them by creating your own DIY bags, beeswax food wraps, or containers. Such useful products not only serve to minimise the consumption of plastics that are used once and then discarded but also encourage other individuals to live eco-friendly lives. The use of less disposable plastics allows specialised plastic recycling plants to increase recycling efforts while streamlining the procedure of recycling.

9. Educate and Advocate for Change

To address the problem of plastic waste, increased public awareness of the problem is essential. Therefore, educate your friends, family, and the community on the effects of plastic pollution and the importance of recycling. In this way, people can be encouraged to recycle properly, and the local plastic recycling plants can be supported. These steps can bring about change beyond what is possible for an individual.

10. Support Sustainable Businesses

Buy only goods and services from environmentally conscious organisations. Search for the companies that include recycled products in their product or the companies that have policies towards the reduction of plastic use. Most companies are now outsourcing their wastes to plastic recycling plants to help make environmentally friendly products. By contributing to these firms, you will be encouraging firms that are embracing a sustainable economy by recycling plastics for reuse.

Moving Toward a Plastic-Free Future with Banyan Nation

By replacing certain habits and supporting plastic-free initiatives, it is possible to minimise the amount of plastic products used. This results in making the work of plastic recycling plants easy while at the same time enhancing a sustainable environment.

Banyan Nation, located in Hyderabad, is one of the leaders in the Indian FMCG bottle-to-bottle recycling market.  Banyan Nation has moved dozens of global brands from using virgin plastic to incorporating recycled plastic and is setting a new standard in plastic recycling. In conclusion, both the consumer-led approach and corporate social responsibility can address the global problem of plastic pollution and work towards a plastic-free world.

Read also this Article by Banyan Nation on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Plastic Credits: A Critical Overview