Single use plastic
I think most reasonable people who are not climate change deniers would agree that single use plastic is bad for the climate and the planet. Plastic obviously has its positives, but it may also be one of the worst things we've ever done to this planet. There's plastic in the clouds, plastic in the Mariana Trench, the ocean is full of plastic, our bodies have microplastics in them. It's disgusting. It's been discussed throughout this site and I started an older thread about plastic in the environment here:
I still think it's a bit complicated when it comes to purchasing decisions, and I think much of this is intentional on the part of industry. For instance, I know that #1 plastic can be recycled in my city, and I trust that when I put it in the blue bin, it gets recycled. If this is actually true, then would I be better off buying orange juice in a plastic bottle or a paper carton? The #1 plastic bottle seems recyclable according to most sources, whereas the paper carton has a plastic liner that seems to complicate it's recycleability.
Or suppose someone wants a Coke, and their choice is the bottle that claims to be 100% recycled already vs. the aluminum can. We know the can is recycleable, but what about the energy and resources required to create it in the first place? How significant is that, and is it possible that the aluminum can could actually be the worse for the environment?
These types of dilemmas arise with many purchasing decisions, so it's often difficult for the consumer to choose. I personally don't always know the answer, hence the reason I think a thread like this would be useful for discussion and education.
I think it's easy to do simple things like taking reusable bags to the store. If I forget my bags at Target, they'll put my groceries in 15 different plastic bags. Sometimes individual bags for individual items, like the eggs and bread couldn't coexist. I'm surprised that's still commonplace in 2023, but here we are.
I'm interested in ideas to reduce plastic in other areas. One of our friends uses a business called a "refillery" that will refill common household items like detergent, dish soap, shampoo, etc into reusable containers. It seems like a great idea, but there isn't one in our city. Maybe Whole Foods does something similar? Central Market does not.