To many, precious gifts come in the form of designer bags, covered in whipped cream or caramel drizzle or brightly wrapped packages. However, this isn’t the only precious gift known to man, there’s also one more very important one…THE PLANET! Earth Day was April 22, so there’s no better time to start caring for Mother Earth than right now!
Now, would you treat your new Kate Spade like a useless piece of garbage? Doubtful. You’d probably treat it with the utmost respect, the respect that a bag of that quality deserves. So why treat the planet any differently?
Would you put all of your trash that you have collected throughout the week in your Kate Spade bag? Most likely not. However, that’s what happens to Mother Earth every single day of her life. We’ve taken something so precious and polluted it. We’ve destroyed much of her original beauty and all for what, a more convenient way to drink water or an easier method to hold a few chips? All of these more “convenient” ways of doing things have unfortunately caused more harm than good. The plastic and Styrofoam packing, fabric waste from unused clothing, the countless number of items that should end up in a recycling bin, but have instead ended up in a landfill, are all reasons as to why we need to reevaluate our consumption.
The next time you enter a grocery store, look around. How many items are in packaging that is not plastic?
Much of what we consume, whether that be clothing, a Styrofoam cup full of coffee, a plastic water bottle or even mundane things like stickers and pencils, end up in a landfill, around communities or in bodies of water. Many do not see a problem with this; however, it has caused toxins to enter the environment and has brought harm to much of the life in different ecosystems.
If you’re curious about our consumption as a whole (And you must be if you’re still reading this article!), here are some statistics for you:
“Approximately 299 million tons of plastic were produced in 2013, with 10-20 million tons of that plastic ending up in the ocean.” (Global Plastic)
“3.8 billion lbs. of textile waste reaches America’s landfills every year. A sad statistic considering 95% of textiles are recyclable.” (Textile Waste)
Some (not) fun facts about consumption:
- Nearly every piece of plastic that has been created still exists today
- A plastic milk jug takes nearly 1 million years to decompose
- Plastic garbage in the ocean kills nearly 1 million sea creatures per year
- A plastic cup takes 50-80 years to decompose
- Americans generate 10.5 million tons of plastic per year, but only recycle about 2% of it
However, don’t let these statistics get you down (I know I don’t), because we have the power to change our current habits by being more conscious consumers! It all starts with a small decision to put a plastic item in a recycling bin or opting for an item that will produce less waste!
Some fun facts about recycling/consumption reduction:
- Recycled plastic can be used to make trash cans, park benches, playground equipment and kayaks
- Recycled plastic can be used to make fleece-like fabrics used in clothes and blankets
- Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator
- Recycled plastic bottles can be made into clothing, carpeting, detergent bottles and lumber for outdoor decking
- By making your own items (Food products, shampoo, laundry detergent, etc.), you will be able to reduce more than half of your plastic consumption annually.
So, the next time you find yourself admiring your Kate Spade, think back to this article; remember that the world may be full of precious gifts like your designer purse, but there’s only one world. A world that we must take care of.