How to really reduce plastic use, and why a total ban may not be the real solution

Survey shows Moms agree to ban only plastics with existing alternatives

Plastic pollution is a problem we can’t ignore any longer. Every year, 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans, killing marine life and harming the environment.

The good news is people are beginning to be aware of the harmful effects of plastic pollution. A recent theAsianparent PH 600 moms found that 51% of them support banning plastics with available replacements, such as disposable cutlery, straws, cups, and plates. Ready to cut down on plastic? To start, here are five simple things you can do to reduce your plastic carbon footprint.

1. Reframe caffeine fix. Upgrade your barista’s creation by using your own insulated tumbler! Coffee cups aren’t that easy to recycle: The outside is paper, with a thin layer of plastic inside. Reprocessing a cup means having to separate the two, making the recycling process a difficult one.
2. BYOB. And we mean bag. Single-use plastics–like the one’s groceries use to bag produce, or what tiangges place your recent finds in–account for 40% of plastics produced every year. These plastics have a lifespan of minutes to hours in your hands yet linger in the environment for hundreds of years. Make it a habit to pack reusable shopping bags and washable produce net bags the next time you head out.
3. Break up with plastic you can live without. Disposable cutlery, straws, and condiment packets–do we really need them? In the US alone, 500 million plastic straws are tossed out daily, with each straw having to take up to 200 years to decompose. The next time you order take-out or have food delivered, ask to skip the plastic cutlery, plates, and packets of ketchup. Doing this can personally save up to 466 items of unnecessary plastic a year!
4. Rethink diapers and period products. Make the switch to cloth diapers (they come in adorable designs,) which can cut down on disposable diaper costs and help speed up potty training. As for our monthly visitor? Consider using a menstrual cup, a cloth napkin or pasador or investing in a few pairs of period panties, which have a special layer that helps prevent blood from seeping through.
5. Start the recycling process at home. Plastic has gotten a bad rap recently but the truth is, plastic per se is not the issue. It’s how we dispose of it. We can live with plastic. Most food products require plastic to keep the food fresh, safe from insects and infestation, and allow it to travel well — very important for an archipelago like ours. Banning plastic packaging for food would mean higher risk of contamination, a shorter shelf life, and an increase of up to 30% in food prices.

In the same survey among theAsianparent Moms, 59% don’t know that a plastic ban includes banning of food packaging. This means that while moms do agree to ban plastic for the sake of the environment, they are not aware that the proposal includes packaging for food. This will be challenging for moms since most day-to-day basic food items come in plastic packaging to keep them affordable like noodles, bread, and the like. In addition, no material has been developed that has the affordability and safety that plastic has — this might come in the future but for now there are just no replacements yet for plastic food packaging.

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So, when it comes to plastic use, start the recycling and segregation at home. For instance: any plastic material with food residue cannot be recycled because we lack segregation and processing facilities in the country. So do your part and wash plastic packaging before throwing in a bin specifically for plastics. — Asianparent PH