How to reduce plastic consumption –

We are all aware about climate change and the high level of pollution that planet Earth has been facing in the last few decades, but the unpleasant truth is that we are running out of time to do something about it. sAccording to António Guterres, secretary general of the UN (United Nations), we are at a “breaking point” for the climate. But what actions can we take to help save our planet? Reduce plastic consumption is one of them.

There is an island of accumulated plastic in the Pacific Ocean that is 16 times the size of Portugal and is nicknamed the “seventh continent”

Currently, there is a plastic island in the Pacific Ocean that is 16 times the size of Portugal and is nicknamed “seventh continent.” It kills thousands of marine animals annually between California and Hawaii. In addition to this alarming fact, we still have the disposal of more than 10 million tons of plastic in the oceans every year. In Brazil alone, more than 720 million disposable cups are consumed per day (the country is the 4th country in the world that generates the most plastic waste in the world, according to the NGO World Wide Fund for Nature).

Is it possible to eliminate plastic from our lives once and for all?

According to Nina Marcucci, director of content at Menos 1 Lixo, yes. “It’s difficult because you have to define what all consumption is, right? Each person has a different style of consumption, but I guarantee that it is possible to replace 99.9%, or at least the most basic ones: the trash bag, the street packaging, the food that you can buy in bulk, today you can’t consume industrialized cosmetic products. There are conditioners and solid shampoos… Soap without packaging, toothpaste you can make at home… And, whenever you start to consume consciously, you can get in touch with small producers to understand how products are made and how we may contribute to it not being delivered with packaging as well. It is a process, but with benefits for those who do it and for the planet.”

“It is possible to replace 99.9% of the plastic you use”

And that 0.01%? Although plastic is indeed one of the great villains of the environment, it is recyclable when disposed of correctly. Fernando Amaral, osmologist and CEO of the company WNF points out that the residue, when not recycled, can contaminate areas of agricultural land and harm the evolution of plants and biodiversity, causing diseases in the environment, including in the soil. In addition, fragments of plastic waste interact with wild ecosystems and animals suffer the consequences of ingestion and contact with these materials, which is the most serious point.

Refusing the market bag and selecting products that do not use plastic sends the message to large companies

And it may seem like a small thing to refuse the market bag and select products that do not use plastic, but this way we send the message to large companies that we do care about the environment. “This is important because, as much as our individual and ant effort is very important and rewarding, the changes in the ‘source’ are the ones that have the most impact. In a very practical example: if your sink faucet is running, your sink is overflowing water, your kitchen is all flooded, would you start cleaning the mess on the floor or would you turn off the faucet first?” encourages Lori Vargas, co-founder of MAPEEI, the first zero waste space in Brazil.

How to reduce plastic in everyday life and its difficulties

The greatest difficulty in giving up the use of plastic is linked to the production chain. “Today, the industry uses plastic in various stages of its chain: it can make packaging, lids, bottles, plastic to protect packaging and so on… to preserve food or when buying vegetables or meat. The entire design of modern life is based on plastic.” Comments Fernando Amaral.

Let’s face it, the use of plastic is something extremely practical and we don’t realize the huge dependence we have on it. Observe the environment where you are, how many products that use or are solely made of plastic can you count? It’s something that makes life a lot easier, mainly because the material is always there, available in markets at an affordable price, or even free (as in the case of plastic bags). Nina Marcucci agrees that this transition can be difficult at first, like any habit change, but that it is not a seven-headed animal.

It is important, first of all, to admit that there is indeed a problem with the way we consume plastic. And admitting a “mistake” is never easy. That’s why it’s really important to start with something simple and easy so that you don’t overwhelm yourself on the path to more sustainable habits. And it’s worth remembering that creating new habits isn’t easy for anyone, so go easy on yourself.

Start with the basics. Look at your house and divide it into parts: kitchen, laundry, bathroom, etc…
Ask yourself how much plastic in each area you consume
See the easiest alternatives that can be replaced. Below some examples:

Make newspaper bags for bathroom waste,
Replace shampoo and conditioner packs with the bar product
Swap that old plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one
Replace sink detergent with coconut soap and synthetic sponge with vegetable loofah.
You can also make your own cleaning products (eliminating the packaging we buy in the market) or make your own toothpaste
Opt for natural cosmetics (or cosmetics that do not use alternative packaging, such as babu).
And the most important thing is: It doesn’t matter where or how you start, what really matters is that you start somewhere!

And the pocket?

There is great doubt about how far sustainability is accessible. “It can sometimes seem like an ethical and sustainable lifestyle is more expensive, but when you stop to think about the true cost of cheap products, it’s not. When we consume products that we know were made to last longer, such a price difference ends up not existing. A very practical example that I like to talk about is shampoo. A plastic shampoo bottle of approximately 300ml, costs an average of 10 reais and lasts an average of 40 days. A solid shampoo of approximately 100g, costs an average of 35 reais and lasts for up to 120 days. If we make this calculation, the difference is only 5 reais. This is the real “extra cost” of sustaining an ethically and ecologically correct chain! ” Speaks Lori Vargas.

While a 300ml plastic bottle of shampoo costs, on average, 10 reais and lasts 40 days, a solid shampoo of approximately 100g, costs around 35 reais but lasts for up to 120 days

Fernando also believes that this thinking can spread throughout the family and large corporations. “It also has an impact on the production chain, because the more people consume 5l packages, the more the manufacturer will pay attention to this movement.”

Sustainable products to help the environment

Lemongrass Vegan Solid Shampoo, Mata Atlântica Express

Deep Moisturizing Solid Conditioner, BOB

Ecobag 100% Recycled Cotton Help Me

Large Reusable Eco Bag Kit for Fruit, Beegreen

Kit 3 Rainbow Stainless Steel Straws + Brush + Ecobag

Bamboo Toothbrush, Boni Natural

Espresso coffee strainer Filter Sieve Stainless Steel

Square Glass Jar with Bamboo Lid, OIKOS