Plastic is one of the most useful products of the 20th and 21st centuries. Its flexibility and cost-efficiency expanded across different industries, but due to consumerism, now all we’re surrounded by is plastic. According to Our World in Data, about 350 million tonnes of plastic are generated yearly, and a considerable amount of it ends up in oceans, triggering a never-ending pollution of our health and environment.
The problem is that cheap plastic is everywhere, and its capability of being transformed has led to people not knowing they’re using it that much. This problem is juxtaposed with greenwashing, a practice that companies approach when they want a sustainable brand image, but their efforts are not even close to green initiatives. For example, Starbucks has been blamed for greenwashing regarding its compostable cups, which are made of Bio-PBS sugar cane liner that can be recycled, but that doesn’t mean it will be.
This is only one of the numerous examples of company greenwashing. But if we want to make a difference in identifying these situations, we must know what is plastic and what is not. Let’s uncover some of these mysteries. Furthermore, Waste Direct forecasts that by 2025, global plastic waste is projected to reach 460 million tonnes annually, driven by increased consumption and inadequate recycling efforts.
After: According to Our World in Data, about 350 million tonnes of plastic are generated yearly, and a considerable amount of it ends up in oceans, triggering a never-ending pollution of our health and environment.
Paper coffee cups
The switch from plastic cups to paper coffee cups was supposed to be revolutionary in terms of environmental impact, as paper decomposes pretty quickly. However, paper cups contain a certain amount of plastic that prevents the beverages from leaking, so they are not actually sustainable.
Besides plastic, polystyrene foam is also a popular choice for coffee cups, but Styrofoam can take up to a few hundred years to decompose. Luckily, Miltek compactors can manage waste by pressing them into compact blocks, turning the old polystyrene into potential new components.
Table salt
Considering how much plastic pollutes oceans, there’s no wonder our table salt contains microplastics. Studies have shown that many salt brands carry fragments, fibres, and even plastic pellets, which are produced during the manufacturing process and seawater extraction.
The study also revealed polyethene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyester in salt products, all of which come from clothing fibres or containers for meals and beverages. Unfortunately, these tiny plastic components can contribute to heart disease and fertility issues.
Tea bags
Most tea bag brands use plastic for sealing and maintaining their form while brewing. Unfortunately, even the products with less plastic contain microplastic particles or nylon that end up in your drink, so if you’re a tea lover, you might ingest a lot of plastic on a daily basis.
Some brands use PLA (polylactic acid), a biodegradable plastic substitute made from renewable plants that break down in a few months. However, it doesn’t break down in marine environments, and the landfill breakdown can take from a few hundred to a few thousand years.
Cigarette buts
While it’s believed cigarette butts are cotton or paper sourced, the truth is they’re actually made of plastic, making them one of the most consistent forms of plastic that pollutes the world. According to the latest studies, 4.5 trillion individual cigarette butts end up polluting our environment.
Cigarette butts are also detrimental to nature due to contributing to global deforestation and requiring intensive labour to get removed from shared spaces. Moreover, cigarette butts take up to ten years to break down, and they often leave behind arsenic, lead and nicotine.
Aluminium cans
Besides plastic in coffee, there’s plenty of it in aluminium cans as well. That’s because most companies use a thin plastic liner to protect the beverage from the metal and preserve the taste. While customers are still affected by ingesting microparticles, these cans are, luckily, recyclable.
If aluminium is recycled properly, it can be endlessly turned into new products, such as aeroplane parts, fences, baseball bats, and furniture. Of course, proper aluminium recycling must be done to avoid downgrading the material’s quality.
Chewing gum
While gum includes ingredients like resins, emulsifiers, and softeners, the presence of plastic is less known. Most gum manufacturers use a base made of plastic similar to that found in plastic bottles. Chewing gum does contain synthetic polymers that take some time to biodegrade.
Chewing gum also contains a considerable amount of sugar, so healthcare experts suggest consumers look for sugar-free gum to avoid consuming it, which contributes to plaque buildup. Xylitol-based chewing gum is considered the healthiest option on the market.
Menstrual pads and tampons
Menstrual-related plastic waste is less talked about, but it’s a massive contributor to plastic landfills. The majority of menstrual pads contain plastic, and even tampons have a small amount of it, but the component is also present in packaging, liners and tampon strings.
Lack of awareness about their disposal leads to sewage-related debris. At the same time, the law doesn’t require manufacturers to disclose the materials they use in these hygiene products, but some findings show they contain toxic chemicals like methylene chloride and xylene.
Bonus ― plastic found in human blood, air, and dust
The impact of plastic waste reached a worrying state, as studies found microplastics in human breast milk and pregnant women’s placentas, meaning generations have been contaminated with plastic before birth. The increasing amount of plastic in our blood leads to the development of severe health issues, from heart attacks to strokes, as the microplastic from the blood travels to organs.
But stopping this is close to impossible since microplastics are in the air we inhale from industrial emissions and vehicle tear wear. Airborne microplastics are also present in dust, coming from the synthetic fibres in our clothes and outdoor air pollution. Therefore, the plastic health crisis is more than serious.
Are you surprised to find plastic in these products?
Managing plastic waste is becoming more difficult than ever, considering the plastic surrounding us. At the same time, companies’ greenwashing confuses consumers who want to make a difference and use less plastic, which is why we find it in paper coffee cups and table salt. Plastic waste is so enormous that it’s in our blood and air, so it has become a health concern.
