The Green Alternative to Plastic
Plastic has become one of the most harmful materials to our oceans and environment. It is filling up landfills, harming wildlife, posing risks to our health, and furthermore not disappearing. In addition to this, plastic production and distribution have a huge carbon footprint. About half the plastic produced every year is destined for single-use products. Plastic toothbrushes – just like drinking straws and other types of single-use plastics – are extremely difficult to recycle and don’t break down in the environment. In fact, less than 10% of single-use plastic gets recycled.
The modern obsession of convenience has come at a high price. A 2015 study estimated that 90% of the world’s seabirds and 25% of fish contain plastic in their stomachs. By 2050 we expect to see more plastic in our oceans than fish.
The best way to combat single-use plastic pollution is by reducing plastic consumption and by changing the resources we use. Thankfully, a number of good alternative materials, like bamboo, are emerging and gaining popularity. Bamboo is one of the most sustainable materials in the world, prized for being easy to cultivate, fast growing and renewable. Bamboo has one of the lowest carbon footprints over its life cycle compared to most other materials, including regular wood. It is one of the most promising solutions in the required shift to a more sustainable, bio-based economy because of the high yield, annual harvesting, reforestation on degraded land and short establishment rate qualities.
Bamboo has a negative carbon footprint over its full life cycle, which means that it outweighs the emissions caused by production and transportation. How do products made from bamboo compare with products made from plastics? You do not have to give up the high-quality performance of everyday products when choosing environmentally friendly options. Most products that are made from renewable materials, like toothbrushes made from bamboo, will give you comparable results to the corresponding plastic alternative.
Let’s face it: we can all make small changes in our lifestyle to reduce the amount of plastics in our lives. Choosing to have fewer products that are made from renewable materials, higher quality and that are safe – rather than filling our lives with cheap, disposable, low-quality products made from non-renewable toxic materials – is better for our health, and better for the planet.
We can all make a difference. There is no planet B.
References
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/08/27/1502108112
The Humble Co. was founded to create products that are good for you and kind to our planet. When we are lucky enough to be born in an affluent part of the world it should be our duty to take care of the less fortunate. Many children will never own any oral care products and we are depleting natural resources and filling up the oceans with used products. Every Humble purchase goes towards funding projects for the benefit of children in need. Join the movement. Make the switch. Go Humble. Find out more on their website at www.TheHumble.Co.
