Small Change, Big Difference: Single Use Plastic Bottles, Straws, and Other Containers
Trash is a huge problem in Belize. People don't think twice about throwing trash on the ground or out the window or putting bags of trash in a pile near the sea. It drives me nuts. In their defense, trash disposal is horrid here. And plastic bottles are everywhere. To be sure, it's really hot here. Cold water is crucial. I keep a rotation of water bottles in the freezer at all times.
Where is this all coming from?!
Unfortunately, there's a bad combination. There are a lot of tourists who believe the water isn't clean, even though it is. Then there is an idea among locals that buying water makes you look wealthier. Sigh. Then, there's the cruise ships. We can add to their list of environmental crimes the drastic increase of plastic water bottle trash when they come around. I should maybe actually do a post just on cruise ships. This combination added to the God awful trash pick up (lack thereof) and the Belizean willingness to toss trash on the ground is the perfect shitstorm.
I have been coming here since 1996, and there was an attempt at education on not littering already going then, but it has never really taken hold. Honestly I don’t understand what it’s about. For whatever reason people don’t see it as a big deal. I don’t think they totally realize how stunningly beautiful this country is, nor do they understand how much damage trash can do, particularly in the ocean and rivers. There is also this really odd thing about doing whatever they want and not doing what they are told is best, particularly when those people are white. I totally get that part. More long term consequences of colonialism.
It’s not just Belize, though. It’s all over. Just because they more often get taken to the dump in other places doesn’t mean plastic bottles and plastic or styrofoam containers aren’t a nightmare nuisance. In the US, 35 billion plastic water bottles are thrown away every year. They take around 500 years to decompose! I know the water has lots of chlorine and fluoride, so buy a filter!
Some more scary facts
Here’s a fascinating bit of info. In the Pacific Ocean, there’s something called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It’s twice the size of Texas! In fact 40% of the ocean surface in the world is covered with garbage. Isn’t that astounding?! Of the floating stuff, 90% of it is plastic. Plastic accounts for 10% of our total waste.
Plastic isn’t just bad for the planet. It’s also bad for our bodies. The chemicals in plastic can be absorbed in the body. In fact some 93% of Americans over age 6 have some amount of BPA in their body. Some plastics are also known hormone disruptors.
Styrofoam is from the devil!!!
Styrofoam is a whole other can of worms! Of the three most common trash items I find on our beaches, plastic bottles and styrofoam are two of the three. I’ll tell you the third in my next post in the Small Change, Big Difference series. While styrofoam no longer contains CFCs, it is made from styrene, considered a likely carcinogen that also has effects on the respiratory system and the liver among other things. It also contains Benzene, a known carcinogen. Dioxins, yet another known carcinogen, are used in the creation of styrofoam. Of course styrofoam is most frequently used to keep hot things hot, and that heat will often cause the chemicals to leach into the food or drink. Of course all this also goes into our air, land, and water both during production and post use. And styrofoam is essentially eternal. Scientists believe it would take more than a million years for it to decompose. Holy cow.
When it does end up in the water, unlike many other plastics, it will eventually sink, and it also breaks into smaller bits. So of course it gets eaten. Sometimes those animals die either from the chemicals or from blockage as the styrofoam doesn’t move out of their systems. In other cases, those chemicals bioaccumulate in the flesh of the fish or shellfish and often end up getting eaten by humans, and the chemicals live on.
What to DO?!
How can you make a difference? These numbers are overwhelming, are they not? Of course recycling more would be wonderful. Currently only 5% of plastic is recycled. Increasing that number would be fabulous.
More importantly, though, we need to reduce the amount of plastic we use. Here are a few ideas on how to do that. Like I said, I drink a lot of water! It’s hot here, and I picked up this wonderful habit from my years of nursing babies. So, I have bought a few water bottles, and I just refill them, freeze them, and then use them throughout the day. You can also buy a reusable plastic, glass, or metal water bottle. Nearly any restaurant will allow you to refill your water bottle for free, and lots of places now have water refilling stations designed to accommodate water bottles so you can fill up and stay hydrated!
Pixabay
If at all possible, skip the straw! I’m aware some people with disabilities must use straws, and sometimes the disposable ones are easiest, but if you can, either skip the straw or buy a reusable one and keep it with you. Another great thing to keep in your car or purse (or man bag!)? Silverware! Think how much plastic ware you will not be using by keeping a fork and a spoon with you! You can also use them at potlucks, and for those, remember to bring your plate! Coffee shops are almost always happy to use your coffee mug from home. It saves them money as well as avoiding those plastic lids or plastic lined cups. If you don’t have something reusable, and you’re out, request a paper cup instead of a styrofoam one and simply refuse to patronize restaurants that use styrofoam for take-out for leftovers. Insist on renewable and biodegradable or recyclable containers.
Think also about what other single use plastics are in your life. Do you go through a lot of shampoo? Try the bar shampoo or blend up your own. Some health food stores also sell in bulk so you can bring in and fill your refillable container! What about laundry detergent? My Charlie’s detergent comes in a plastic ziplock bag which is much less packaging than the thick plastic containers, though we do reuse those containers to store our bulk items like sugar, beans, flour, and popcorn. Speaking of bulk, that’s a great way to cut down how much packaging, much of which is plastic, you consume. When you do have to buy something in plastic, try to buy the biggest container possible. You know, the surface area to volume ratio thing!
Now, tell me how you cut down your plastic usage, especially with single use plastics, and if you’re involved in any cleanup projects, I’d love to hear about that too. We clean up around here periodically, though not as much as we should!
Much love, y’all!
As always, all pics are mine or pixabay unless otherwise noted.
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Its hightime to ban those plastic containers esp in grocery stores. It will destroy nature and it will take thousands of years just to decompose it. Better to use or invent biodegradable container as a replacement of this plastics.
For sure! From what I've read they are hoping to come up with something non food based (for example the ones made from corn) because they feel it's a bad plan to use a food crop for something we use so much of. There's something promising in the fungal world apparently, but they don't have it down yet.
HAHAH. I laughed at the locals not listening to white people because of colonization.
#Alaskatopatagonia
It really is a shame about the trash. Do you walk around picking it up? I don't walk around picking up trash on the streets or while on walks, but when Im at the beach, I don't care who put it there, I clean it up. Its easy for me though, I have somewhere to put it when Im done. We have three trash cans all over the place here, landfill, recycle, and compost.
Yeah. It's really interesting some of the subtle effects of colonialism here. It was a different sort of a colony because so few brits actually lived here, mostly because the bugs are so bad. So the effects are a little different.
We do pick up trash on the beach. Our trash has to be taken to the dump, but it's not so horrible. I dont come close to keeping up with all the trash, though. There's always more washing up. It's overwhelming sometimes.
The trash can be overwhelming here too after storms. All sorts of different junk washes up, foreign trash, hypodermic needles, styrofoam, plastics bags, straws, and lots of tiny bead like plastics. If this is what washes up, makes me think of all the stuff that is still in the ocean.
We have a good system here though, after the rains, the word gets out and lots of community members show up with buckets and gloves, then all we have to do is dump the buckets. I don't know how willing to do that I would be if I had to take that stuff to the dump...
Yeah, you're in California, right? The edge of that Pacific trash is not so far from you. There's so much still in there, but some people have come up with some ingenious solutions like solar powered boat things that just eat trash. Going to the dump is definitely a pain, but we just try to do a bit here and there and know that it makes at least some difference.
Also, thanks for the sweet comment on Steemitmamas. Very appreciated!! Seems like we have quite a bit in common. I love the community I find on here.
It definitely is a worldwide problem and I agree about the tourism industry. It's the same here. We rely heavily on tourism and the excess trash during the summer months is horrendous.
There is hope though. The environmental exhibition that we have on display at the tourist office has encouraged most of the restaurants and bars here to stop using single use plastic and straws. The key to changing is certainly education.
Our local community gets together for regular beach cleans and today we are having an event making art from plastic and I'll be doing a demonstration about my alternative cleaning products. I'm super nervous aaghh.
I'll be doing a post on it later.
Thank you for highlighting this. Great post and I love that you are raising awareness about this. 💖
That's wonderful to hear! Education is definitely crucial. There's just a lot of rebelliousness here! It reminds me of living in the US south. So. Stubborn. I look forward to your post. I trust it went well. I had to do that kind of stuff when I had a cloth diaper service. It's definitely nerve wracking. Have you seen the flip flop art they're doing in Kenya? It's amazing!
Really important post @solarsupermama and we have much the same problems here in Thailand. We use our stainless steel bottles and get our drinking water delivered in recyclable glass, but it is an UPHILL battle. Love this post, you passion and your commitment.
So frustrating! Clean water is so important, but there are much better ways of tackling the problem. Thanks for your sweet words. We filled a bag today after the kids swam.
It is such a problem. Both the plastic and styrofoam production and wide use of as well as careless disposal of both. In South Africa it is as bad. People use and drop wherever they are walking or sitting. I often see rubbish thrown out car windows! It's really disgusting. They should be punished with jail time forget fines.
It drives me crazy, and education seems to go so slowly. If they jailed people here, the government would be bankrupt in a week. I think the only way is to teach the young ones. The adults seem unable or unwilling to change. Fines wouldn't work either because they just wouldn't pay them. So very frustrating.
Extremely frustrating!
Yeah. The videos of marine mammals just kill me.
This problem is everywhere!! Also... i need to come visit you 😂
No doubt!
And yes! Beaches and shit here! It's super sweet! I want to come to Guatemala too. Are you near Antigua?
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Hope people will be more aware with our environment. Awareness campaign and and apying rules should be implemented, for a better world and for the future. Its a wake up call and an eye opener. Thanks for raising this issue.
You are most welcome! Thanks for stopping by. Awareness and education is so important.
Oh, my dear! It is such an emotional article! Yes, it is really hard to see all of this plastic rubbish that lay and floats around and the effects it creates for the Planet! Yet, you are so right we can all make efforts to change it and your article is a great call for it! Much love as always!
Image Source
Indeed, it really is depressing. It's hard to look at day after day. But like you said, we just have to keep doing what we can to make a difference.
Education is the only key here, people should be told what this does to our planet from an early age and they should be told often, all the time in schools. Thank you for bringing awareness to this 💚
I agree. I think if they showed kids videos of the turtles trapped in plastic, things would change.