Global citizens are celebrating World Environment Day today, which was founded by the United Nation for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. The World Environment Day, which is commemorated every year on 5 June, revolves around spreading awareness about the environmental challenges the world is facing and measures to ensure saving the environment from further damage. Each year the World Environment Day is focused around a theme that draws attention on a particular environmental concern. This year the theme is on beating plastic pollution.
Plastic has long been a threat to environment, human health and animal lives. BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical used to make plastic products. Heating foods in these products increases the amount of BPA that gets into our food, resulting in many health issues. When thrown out, plastic can ruin the soil quality, further hampering the environment. Basically, plastic can wreak havoc in our lives. We all use plastic in one way or the other; but most commonly we use it in our kitchens. From plastic bags to plastic water bottles and plastic tiffin boxes, we are harming our health and the environment.
Here's how we can begin to stop using plastic, starting from one of the most common places in the house, our kitchens:
1. Toss the plastic water bottles
We all love our fancy plastic water bottles lined up in the refrigerator; however, what we don't understand are the harmful effects that might lead to health issues in the longer run. These plastic bottles contain harmful chemicals that interfere with the hormones in the body. Chemicals in the plastic can leach into the bottle, especially when exposed to heat or become too old to use.
2. Do not use plastic tiffin-boxes and containers
We generally store most of our leftover food in plastic containers, or even use to store masalas in them. On the other hand, we tend to pack lunch for kids in plastic tiffin boxes. Chemicals that are used to make plastic containers harm our body and cause certain health problems.
3. Kick the plastic straws out
One of the main reasons to drop the straw is the presence of many chemicals like polypropylene and bisphenol A, which are harmful for human health. Other than that, while sipping beverages using a straw, the movement of the mouth area may encourage the breakdown of collagen and elasticity more quickly and easily, causing fine lines and wrinkles.
4. Do not buy plastic plates or cutlery
Eating hot food using plastic plates and cutleries is said to increase the risk of kidney stones. The melamine exposures are said to lead to harmful effects in the body. Higher temperatures or more acidic foods may encourage melamine to contaminate food, especially if these are low-quality plates and cutleries.
5. Do not collect plastic bags
Indians have a habit to store plastic bags to use it for other purposes. However, plastic bags, when thrown away are said to disrupt the environment in a serious way. They get into the soil and slowly release toxic chemicals. They eventually break down in to the soil, with the result being that animals consume them and often choke and die. A plastic bag takes about 450 years to recycle.
This World Environment Day 2018, let's pledge to not use anything plastic, starting today. In fact, let's make people aware about the environmental problems and make our surroundings cleaner before it gets too late.