BY SHAY CULLEN
THE LAWS in some few places banning plastic bags in the market places is a positive change but is it enough to solve a gigantic problem?
It is hopeful that many more people are aware of the dangers of plastic but much more has to be done to undo this terrible mistake by mankind: manufacturing almost everything out of plastic. There are many alternative materials that are safe and even better at wrapping and storing and cooking food.
Wise and safety and health-conscious people are returning to using stainless steel containers and glass jars.
Another great alternative to plastic is food-grade platinum silicone. The main ingredient is natural sand. No chemicals are used in its manufacture and all kinds of products are made from it. We have to change away from plastic and this is a great alternative.
Everyone should ask for products made from platinum silicone. They are strong and anyone can cook food, boil water, bake bread and store food in products made from silicone.
Cooking utensils and products made from platinum silicone without any plastic fillers is the way to go. A plastic-free home with stainless steel and glass jars, ceramic plates and cups are for a cleaner, safer world.
This is something we can all do. There is much more to be done on a national and global scale of course. Right now, we are fighting the pandemic and if you ever got COVID-19 Delta or Omicron, you would never want it again. It is crippling and can have long-term effects on our health.
But the pandemic is causing another even deadlier problem. Hundreds of millions of discarded plastic syringes and masks are now polluting and damaging our immediate environment and the planet.
This is a new hazard that is added to an already drastic situation of plastic pollution. You will see discarded plastic on the beaches, rivers and the roadside. But plastic pellets and dust blowing in the wind are unseen hazards that cause deadlier damage to the human species. The pellets are found even in fish. Even whales die from ingesting plastic junk.
The river systems of the world disgorge millions of tons of plastic into the oceans every few months. The floating plastic garbage islands, some as big as France, release plastic particles into the oceans and are absorbed by marine life and lie on the ocean floor. Plastic is forever.
Even more so the plastic in our homes. Everything has plastic and the toxic chemicals that go into making or recycling plastic ends up once again in plastic wrapping, containers, in clothes, almost everything you buy has plastic. (To be continued)/PN
