Isabella Escamilla, Zero Waste Humboldt Intern
Many individuals often buy new plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum products without thinking about the negative impacts that they have on the environment. Buying new single use materials results in more waste going to trash and recycling landfills, thus leading to higher methane emissions. This could all be avoided if more people reused! Reusing products, opposed to buying new, results in less waste being generated.
Plastic water bottles are used by many Americans because they are viewed as being convenient and affordable. However, it takes at least as much water to make a plastic water bottle as the drinking water it holds. According to watercalculator.org, about 1.5 gallons of water are used to manufacture a single plastic bottle. A reusable water bottle not made from plastic is not only more affordable, but it is also a much more sustainable option since it can be reused for many years.
Americans use approximately 100 billion plastic bags every single year. All of these plastic bags take 12 million barrels of oil to produce, as shown by theworldcounts.com. Not to mention that an estimated 300 million plastic bags every year end up in the Atlantic Ocean alone. Instead of buying a new plastic bag, which takes up to 1,000 years to break down, it is much more environmentally friendly to buy reusable bags. On the subject of plastic bags, buying new paper bags isn’t much better. According to factstatistics.com, chopping down a single tree, that has been standing for many years, produces only about 700 paper bags. Bags that are not plastic or paper, such as cotton, mesh, yarn, or polyester bags, are often very sturdy and usually not made from materials that take many resources to produce. This makes reusable bags a better alternative to new plastic and paper bags.
When it comes to glass and aluminum, it is advisable to reuse these products instead of buying new ones. New glass and aluminum products are made out of natural resources, which need to be extracted. This can disrupt the lives of local species and pollute the atmosphere with harmful gasses. The upside to glass is that it is much more reusable and durable than paper and plastic. In addition, aluminum can be recycled indefinitely! Reusing mason jars and eating utensils is a great way to lower one’s carbon footprint and generate less waste.
By reusing, less methane and CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere and less energy is spent on transportation. By lowering the need for manufacturers to extract new materials from the Earth, overall energy expenditures are lowered. Instead of buying new plastic, glass, and aluminum products, it is best to reuse and start practicing a more zero waste lifestyle! Less waste leads to a healthier environment for animals, plants, and humans alike.