One of the biggest oil towns in the country was slammed by a storm dropping more rain than any other in history. Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and surrounding towns in Texas. Hurricane Irma is right behind it already making history as the fiercest hurricane on record and Jose’ is traveling right behind that!
Personally I think Planet Earth is pissed!
Go ahead you naysayers, tell me hurricanes happen every year and there’s nothing new about them. You’re right. These “natural” disasters aren’t new, but it’s the intensity of them we need to acknowledge.
Harvey dropped 49.2 inches of rain. That’s enough to fill the city of Cleveland and more than any other storm to date. As I write this, Hurricane Irma is decimating islands in the Caribbean as a category 5 hurricane, one they’re calling the storm of the century.
I’m a firm believer all the plastic we use is a big reason for the increase in the intensity of these storms.
Our oceans are hotter than ever. We can thank BP for dumping 200 MILLION gallons of crude oil into the Gulf (I can’t believe they are still allowed to drill there!) but plastic waste contributes greatly to pollution and the changes in water temperature.
Not convinced? Maybe these facts can help you:
There are over five trillion pieces of plastic, weighing more than 250,000 tons, floating in our oceans. That’s more than 700 pieces of plastic per person.
Scientists have collected up to 750,000 bits of microplastic in one square kilometer of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch; about 1.9 million bits per square mile. Most comes from plastic bags, bottle caps, plastic water bottles, and Styrofoam cups.
On average, a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of lunch waste per school year (40,000 pounds of lunch waste per middle school).
Americans discard 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
40 billion plastic utensils are used every year in the U.S.
Americans use 500 million plastic straws every day, which could fill over 127 school buses every day, or more than 46,400 school buses every year.
About 25 billion single-use coffee cups end up in landfills every year. If you buy just one cup of coffee or tea in a disposable cup every day, you’ll end up creating about 23 pounds of waste in one year.
Worldwide more than one million plastic bags are used every minute.
(Thanks for the facts, U-KONSERVE! We love your plastic-free products!)
Am I the only one freaked out by this?
We can’t continue using products that pollute our planet and supporting companies that don’t care.
Yeah, I know it can feel impossible to push back against big polluters but there are little things we can all do EVERYDAY that can make a big difference.
5 ways to reduce your personal plastic pollution:
1. Stop using plastic for food storage.
Invest in re-usable stainless steel or glass containers to store meals and leftovers.
I love Pyrex, a company that’s been around forever and still going strong. They make stackable glass storage containers that come in a big variety of shapes, sizes and colors. They go from freezer to microwave and are sized from tiny to big storing anything from fresh fruits and veggies to casseroles (lasagna anyone?) Easy!
2. Part with plastic straws.
Did you know over 500,000,000 straws are used each year only to end up in a landfill?
There they will hang around for an estimated 400 years leaching chemicals into the ground and water or incinerated releasing toxic chemicals into our air.
A straw is merely cosmetic. Yes, they do make adorable printed paper straws now which are a step above plastic, but even those create unnecessary waste.
Tell your bartender or server when ordering any drink, “NO Straw please!” If you must have one, get a metal reusable straw… I love these! Not only do they help our environment, but they look good in any drink. Check them out from Life Without Plastic.
3. Use compostable utensils.
How many times have you gone to or hosted an event with plastic forks, knives and spoons? Red solo cups and plastic plates? Probably EVERY special event or Holiday where quick easy post-party cleanup is crucial.
At MAJAMAS Showroom we use compostable plates, cups, napkins and utensils that can go directly into your compost without getting rinsed off. Aside from looking oh-so-eco-chic at our events, cleanup is a breeze. Uncover USA MADE compostable cutlery and sustainable household products at Let’s Go Green.
4. Back away from plastic baggies.
When I had to pack lunches for my girls, I hated having to use plastic baggies and cling wraps. Most are used once then tossed into the trash where they find their way into our water supply and oceans wreaking havoc on marine life.
Instead use Beeswrap, a washable, reusable alternative to plastic lunch baggies, plastic wraps and bowls. It’s super adorable and comes in a variety of sizes too. See what all the buzz is about at Beeswrap.
5. Support eco-conscious companies.
We’re doing our part at MAJAMAS to cut down on plastic too. That’s why we send every order wrapped in one of our fabric boutique bags (made from our recycled excess fabrics). They’re great for using as grocery bags, carrying workout gear or wrapping up a unique gift.
We also ship our orders using re-usable EcoEnclose packaging. This company is great for any small business (they make tons of great eco-friendly shipping products) and they even make compostable envelopes for the everyday consumer. See everything they offer at EcoEnclose.
Personally, I’d like to think we can cut down on the intensity of these storms by cutting out our plastic use. If we all do what we can to cut out plastic in our lives, we just may leave a cleaner ocean and healthier Earth to future generations. Let’s all aim for zero-waste living, one little bit at a time.
– Germaine Caprio, Company Owner & Designer
P.S. Check out a film called Plastic Oceans. It will change your life!
BUY ONE GIVE ONE
Now – November
for every garment purchased on
www.majamas.com
MAJAMAS will donate a new garment
to Hurricane Harvey victims!
WE LOVE
TO HEAR FROM YOU
How do YOU cut down on plastic?
Please share your own thoughts with us – let’s get a conversation started in the comments below! Your comment may even win you a free MAJAMAS garment this week!
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