AD| Plastics are causing a multitude of issues in our oceans and natural environments, ultimately contributing to health problems in humans and animals. They can last around in the environment for such a long time; with specific plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose - causing problems with threatening wildlife, spreading toxins, and contributes to factors such as global warming.
Becoming more eco friendly at home, living a more sustainable life and helping preserve the environment may seem like it can be a lot of work, but by changing a few parts of your daily routine can make such a big impact. Whether you start to recycle paper, glass and plastics, purchase loose fruit and vegetables on your weekly shop or even use sustainable coffee pods, all these small changes really add up in the long run.
An easy switch for many of us coffee lovers would be being more careful with the type of plastic coffee pods we purchase for our coffee machines. Just by spending a few minutes researching about the materials used in an everyday items like coffee pods, and making sure they are biodegradable and sustainable will help protect the environment.
Switching to a brand like Halo coffee pods is a small change with a big impact. They sell their products with the claim - "The world's best coffees, in a way that's best for the world". The founders of Halo are on a mission to not only make great coffee but also to rid the world of discarded plastic and aluminium coffee capsules. With its fully recyclable range of coffee capsules made from waste sugarcane, these coffee pods are super eco-friendly, will degrade in as little as four weeks and you'll still end up with a greatest tasting cup of coffee.
Single use plastic pollution is probably the most widespread problem in our current ocean and marine ecosystem. Marine species such as turtles, birds and fish are ingesting/entangled by plastic debris such as straws and food/drink containers, which causes severe injuries and can lead to a significant amount of deaths. Not only does this affect ocean health, this type of pollution can also affect food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change.
As well as single use plastics, microplastics also have such damaging effects on people, animals and the environment. Microplastics affects our food chain, including the soils where we grow food, in the water we drink and the air we breathe. Ingested microplastic particles can physically damage organs and expose hazardous chemicals, leading to health and environmental problems.
As a whole, I think it's important that we act differently, efficiently and be more knowledgeable around environmental issues in the world and how we can be more eco friendly at home. By changing small parts of our routines, research into new products or adapting the way we shop, these little steps can have a big impact on the world around us and help to change the way we deal with products/materials in the environment.
What changes have you made to be more eco-friendly and to help the environment?
