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The average person tends to generate a significant amount of plastic waste, whether it be from the bottles their beverages come in, the bags they use to transport their groceries, or the packaging their other household items come in.
Plastic is essentially everywhere due to its extreme durability, versatility, availability, and cheapness. However, improper disposal of plastics has serious environmental impacts that need to be addressed.
When plastic accumulates in natural environments, it threatens wildlife, destroying ecosystems and contributing to large-scale pollution, which has a detrimental overall effect on our planet.
When plastics are not properly reused or recycled, they often end up in landfills. This is problematic because, unlike many other materials, they can take hundreds of years to degrade and can also interrupt the proper distribution of moisture as well as drainage in landfills.
In addition, when plastics are not reused or recycled, it contributes to a growing demand for the production of new plastics. This process, which involves extracting and refining petroleum or natural gas, generates a lot of pollution that is toxic to the planet.
One of the best ways to counter and limit these negative environmental impacts is to reduce our use of plastics as much as possible, and reuse and recycle the plastics that we do use.
Most people do not even realize the sheer amount of plastic that they use in their daily lives. However, the occasional straws, coffee cups, pre-packaged vegetables, and saran-wrapped sandwiches all add up, with most of this plastic falling into the category of single-use.
In fact, about 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced on an annual basis, and approximately 40% of that plastic is single-use.
The best way to solve our plastic pollution problems, preserve our planet’s finite resources, and limit the amount of plastics ending up in our landfills and oceans is by making changes at the core of the issue and cutting down on our plastic use.
We can do this in a number of ways if we put our minds to it and implement some of the following practices:
When you buy bigger items and products in bulk, there tends to be less packaging used versus buying multiple smaller items that are each individually packaged.
You can minimize the amount of plastic that you use by purchasing things in bulk more often, such as one larger bottle of shampoo or washing detergent, rather than two smaller bottles. The bonus is that you can usually also save money by purchasing things in this way!
Another great way to cut down your plastic waste is to invest in reusable plastic that you can use repeatedly and that will last for a long time. Rather than using single-use forks and knives when you pack a lunch, opt for a reusable cutlery set that you can use endlessly.
Likewise, instead of amplifying your plastic waste by continuously purchasing single-use water bottles, find a sturdy, reusable one that you can bring everywhere with you and refill as needed.
The same goes for shopping bags: rather than using and disposing of the cheap plastic ones each time you shop, buy reusable bags that you can bring with you to the store every time; this will also make a big difference.
Not only does investing in reusable items help save the planet, but it is also convenient, as it will ensure that you always have high-quality items whenever you need them.
One of the biggest contributors to plastic waste is pre-packaged food items, such as fruits, vegetables, pasta, nuts, and other dried goods.
You can eliminate the necessity for such packaging when you purchase from supermarkets or bulk food stores, where these products are stored loosely or in bins rather than in individual packages. That way, you can buy as much or as little as you want and avoid the necessity of plastic being part of the process.
While it is possible to reduce plastic use in various ways in your day-to-day life, it is inevitable that you will still need to use plastics occasionally. When you do, it is integral that you pay attention to proper reuse and recycling practices, such as the following:
If you have just finished off a tub of ice cream or have recently gotten some food delivered that came in a plastic container, rather than disposing of this plastic, you can repurpose it in a variety of ways.
Such containers can be used to help organize your drawers, are an effective way to store leftovers, and are perfect for transporting food home from the bulk store.
Although plastic bags from the store may seem flimsy, they are generally durable enough to be used repeatedly. These bags can also be used to line smaller trash cans around your house or to put your dirty laundry in.
One more great tip to put into practice for effective recycling is making sure that you take the time to wash off any plastics that need it before recycling them.
This is particularly important when you are recycling plastic containers or jars that hold food products. In such cases, you may need to do a little more scrubbing, but most of the time, just a quick rinse is sufficient.
In addition to reducing, reusing, and recycling your plastic, it is critical to properly manage the rest of your waste as well, as improper waste management can also have detrimental environmental impacts.
If you require a junk bin rental in Toronto, Scarborough, Beaches, Leaside, Pickering, or Ajax, Scarborough Disposal has you covered. We have all the types and sizes of junk bins that you could ever possibly require, from 4-yard to 40-yard bins. We also make it extremely easy to rent and use these bins for as long as you require them.
All you need to do is choose a bin size or type. The rest is a piece of cake, as you will only have to fill out a simple request form on our website or make a quick call to us if you prefer, and we will handle the rest, ensuring you get your bins in a timely fashion.
For more information about the details of our junk bin rental in Toronto, or to learn more about our junk bin rental pricing, call Scarborough Disposal Ltd. at +1 (416) 265-7979 or contact us here.
