Plastic Planet: What Can You Do About It?

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How much plastic is in your house? The latest film to hit Food Matters TV poses the question in the attempt to get people to look around and take a closer inspection at how much plastic is present in their lives. It seems these days that we can’t escape it, all of our food is wrapped in it, our fibers in our clothes are made from it and our body washes are laden with it! To get an eye-opening visual, we suggest tuning into the documentary, Plastic Planet on Food Matters TV and watch as 4 families with different economic statuses from across the globe lay out their home contents on their front lawn that contain plastic - the sight is truly eye-opening.

Yes, plastic is practical, but when is practical more important than our personal health and the effect on the environment? After watching the film, you’ll soon come to realize the true cost of this space-age product. Did you know? Plastic is made primarily of crude oil and stays in the ground and water for hundreds of years, slowly releasing chemicals (such as Bisphenol A) that may contribute to a myriad of health problems, ranging from cancer to heart disease to infertility. It doesn’t sound so great, does it?

3 Ways to Become More Conscious About Plastic We Consume

1. Everyday Plastic Use

Think about the disposable plastic you use on a daily basis, coffee cups, water bottles, straws, plastic bags, plastic fork & knife sets, single-use sauce containers: how essential are they to you? Swap the plastic bags for calico, hessian or fabric and keep one in your bag everytime you are out for those impromptu purchases. Invest in a glass or stainless steel water bottle and a reusable takeaway coffee cup, or if you have time sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee in the cafe. Ordering takeaway? Bring your own cutlery from home or invest in a light-weight wooden set that you can keep in your bag. Straws, the infamous straws! Before you order a drink, let the waiter know you don’t want one or if you can’t live without it invest in a stainless or bamboo one.

2. Food Packaging

Let’s be honest, if you’re not willing to cut certain food groups out of your diet it is nearly impossible to eat completely plastic-free. But for the everyday folk, there are a bunch of things you can do to seriously minimize the unnecessary use of plastic. First things first always bring reusable bags for your groceries, secondly find a grocer or fresh food market that sells the produce lose, that way you can avoid pre-packaged servings. Find a bulk food store and stock up on dry goods in paper bags or bring your own jars to fill. When it comes to meat, dairy and fish, if you do your research you can find places that will wrap your purchases solely in paper - if they don’t ask them or suggest the idea! The last thing is the question the importance of the packaged food in your diet? Can you live without it? Can you make it yourself? If you can’t justify it maybe you don’t really need it?

3. Presents and Toys

This isn’t an obvious suggestion, but probably one of the biggest offenders! We all love to spoil our children, nieces, family and loved ones but when has present giving turned into just a mountain of stuff to go into landfill? We need to be more conscious, be more selective and consider the reusability of the toy or gift, can it be handed down? Can it be purchased from a second-hand store? Will it just be another dust collector in the corner of the house?

There are many other ways plastics are impacting our lives, to get the complete download and learn about all the ways you can reduce this substance in your life - tune into Plastic Planet on Food Matters TV!

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