Sustainably Maija

Hi everyone and welcome back to the blog! Today I will be talking about the impact that plastic bottles have on the planet and show you different alternatives for these bottles in any type of situation. Plastic bottles pollute our waterways, oceans, and our communities. Scientists say that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050. I started cleaning up at the beach a few years ago and recently started cleaning up in my neighborhood. As someone who has to pick up all those plastic water bottles and microplastics, that already looks like reality. Once I realized that, I knew I needed to start this blog to make others aware of the situation. Also, here’s your reminder that we live in a world that has adapted to relying on plastic for everything. Nobody is perfect, but we can always change our ways! Happy reading!

So I think we should start by talking about what I do to avoid single-use bottles at home. My family will sometimes buy drinks that come in plastic bottles, but we will usually buy them in a bigger size and always recycle them the way they say on the labels. We don’t need to buy the big pack of water bottles because we have a water dispenser out of our fridge and we don’t mind tap water either. I know that’s not ideal for a lot of households, so I have a few alternatives. Last post I gave two recommendations on how to avoid plastic bottles, which was to use reusable bottles or to buy your water and other drinks in a gallon size. Another alternative is to purchase a water cooler. You can even subscribe to delivery services to deliver and exchange the 5 gallon size bottles. You can also switch them out at your local grocery store if that’s available. One 5 gallon container can reduce about 38 individual water bottles. Not only does that decrease the amount of plastic bottles that you use, it can also save you some time and money in the end. I found a website that can help you find information on a water delivery service (how much water you need, which dispenser works best for you, etc.) and it’s linked right here!

An additional recommendation would be to buy a water filtration system. There are a few options that you could go for and a system can cost anywhere from $15 to $400, whether it’s one you store in the fridge, under your sink, or on your sink’s spout. My family and I lived in an apartment for a short period of time and we didn’t have a water dispenser in the fridge, so we had a Brita water filter (linked here)! We still have it to this day and it was really easy to manage, clean, and replace the filters when needed. I recommend getting a Brita water filter or one similar just because it doesn’t take up a lot of room in the fridge and it saves you money. I found a more sustainable option from a company called Hydros and their filters are made out of coconut shell carbon, so check them out (linked here)! On the other hand, getting a water filtration system attached to your sink is not a bad idea either, so here’s some information I linked right here if you’re interested.

The last alternative I will be talking about is how to purchase drinks on the go! I liked going to the gas station when my family went on road trips because I got to buy drinks and candy, but now that I’m more aware of the plastic crisis I will be thinking differently. Some companies are trying to be more sustainable and have started making their bottles out of aluminum and even have boxed water for sale too. I would recommend those options for when you need a drink on the go and if they aren’t available please make sure you recycle any type of bottle properly. If you use any of these alternatives, let me know!

Why are plastic bottles so bad?

Plastic bottles are made out of petroleum, which makes up almost half of the earth’s carbon emissions. I would have to say that they are the most common item that I find on my cleanups no matter where I am. Sometimes they get left behind or people get lazy and throw them out the car window! My dad made a good point to me a few weeks ago and I just thought I would share it. Think about this, when you’re at a sporting event or anywhere that would have single-use bottles for sale, what do you do when you accidentally leave it behind? Do you say “It’s not a big deal, somebody will probably pick it up”? I know that’s what I used to say, but what do you do when you leave your reusable bottle behind? I know that most people will go back and get it, or look for it in the lost and found the next day. The sad thing is that there is no lost and found for those single-use bottles. Those plastic bottles that occasionally get picked up are most likely placed in trash cans, not recycled, and sit in landfills till they decompose thousands of years later, but not all those bottles get picked up. I know people that say not to pick up trash because it’s gross, but by doing so we could save a lot of plastic from entering the ocean. When that plastic bottle leaves your possession it doesn’t disappear. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade, it just breaks down into smaller pieces creating microplastics.

I strongly recommend that you make the switch away from plastic bottles. Some companies are trying to make their bottles 100% recyclable, which is great, but we need to bring down the demand for these plastic bottles being made. Another thing to remember is that only a small percentage of those plastic bottles actually get recycled. It’s 2021, we should know better as a society that there’s a crisis going on. We can’t always avoid plastic, but it’s possible. Everywhere we look outside there’s some sort of litter on the ground. We are putting numerous species of animals at risk and even our own futures at risk by supporting the plastic bottle industry. Let’s make the world a better place. Thank you for reading!

Love, Maija.