There are products that we use for Certain products that we use for certain needs, like the need to sanitize our homes, have good skin, add flavors to food, charge our phones, carry our groceries, and more. But from the air conditioning that we do or even lotion that we apply to our skin or to every piece of paper that we crumple or write on, represents the nature’s resources that cost and will cost to have that lotion on your skin, to have an air-conditioned room, to have papers on your table, etc. We don’t know if some of the products we use could have an impact on our environment. We had better watch out for these products and consider the limits of their use. Single-Use plastics Plastic cutleries, plastic cups, plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic draw plastic everywhere. We are sometimes used to using plastics due to their versatility and durability.

One of the frustrating things about plastics is that it takes about 200 to 450 before they decompose. Given that 300 million tons of single-use plastics are produced worldwide each year, And the alarming part is that most of the plastic, besides being piled up in a landfill or scattered in streets and parks, might end up in our waters, such as rivers and oceans. Plastics are a threat, especially to creatures living in our bodies as they can swallow them. Plastics contain a lot of toxic materials that might lead to health threats to creatures in our water. Consider limiting the use of plastics and learning to do the proper disposal of them, as it could be a big help in managing plastic waste problems. Makeup wipes Make-up is quite a struggle to remove. Washing with water is not enough for it to be done. That is why makeup wipes or wet wipes are made, specializing in makeup removal. However, as with the plastic issue, it can take up to 100 years for them to decompose because these wipes are also made of plastic and cannot be recycled after use. About 7.6 billion pounds of wipes end up in a landfill each year. And also alarming is that about 9.3 million wet wipes are being flushed down the loo. These wipes end up in our waterways, adding to our plastic problems.

The best way is to limit the use of wet wipes, and there are now other eco-friendly alternatives, such as washable makeup remover pads. Sunscreen In the summer, the sun sure has brutal ways of raining down its heat and could have terrible effects on our skin. That is why sunscreen exists to protect our skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays. However, the ingredients in sunscreen may be harmful to our… yes, our waters. Sunscreen contains chemicals like Nano zinc oxide, oxy benzoin, and more, which can harm the aquatic ecosystem and could cause coral bleaching. But there are certain brands of sunscreen coming out that are aquatic wildlife safe that you can look up to so that you can have protection from sunlight this summer guilt-free. Aerosol Sprays Aerosol sprays are a common way to make the air less nasty. But we don’t know that because the chemicals infused with these sprays can make air pollution worse. Aerosol sprays have a volatile organic compound and utilize CFCs, which makes our Earth get hotter and hotter. Air pollution is one of the most complex issues to manage and eradicate, so we’d better restrain ourselves from these kinds of products. We only have one home. We must be knowledgeable about the products that we buy off the shelf and make sure that these products don’t have adverse effects on our beautiful planet.

May 15, 2022 — Jen Cold