Reducing or recycling plastics - Which one is better?
One group of people keeps saying that plastics shouldn't exist or, at the very least, should opt for greener alternatives, such as bioplastics or biodegradable materials. Another group of people says that plastics are not the problem, but rather the issue is that people don't dispose of them properly or recycle them properly. We often end up in confusion as to which one is correct.
In my humble opinion, we know that there are so many harmful factors in plastics, and we would have read a lot about the harmful aspects of microplastics. In spite of knowing all those things, how will that be good to continue using plastics? Today, we see a lot of diseases that are affecting humans for many unknown reasons, and there have been no study yet that confirms microplastics are safe for human beings but there are studies that say that microplastics are harmful and they have cancer causing agents in them.
When we know these things for sure, why prefer going for plastics even though we have so many alternatives available today? There are many alternative items available that are eco-friendly. Plastic covers are being replaced by biodegradable covers that look like plastic, but they are not plastic. Consumers should switch to these plastic alternatives. Some of these plastic alternatives are still not highly affordable for a common man. I know for a fact that we are very much used for plastics and people go to it as the first option.
There are a few things that has a huge dependency on plastics, and I'm able to understand that we cannot go for alternatives. Maybe those can be exclusions, but otherwise, people should transition more towards using non-plastic products so that both our generation and the next generation can lead a life without any illness or health issues.
Some of the developed nations have better mechanisms to recycle plastics. Even though they use plastics a lot, they don't have the problem of pollution. But even those countries have started switching to alternatives because it is very easy for them to switch first. Some countries, like Nigeria, are looking for business opportunities where they create wealth from waste. The discarded plastics are being used to create paver blocks, which are used in construction. There are also some brick materials created that are made from discarded plastics.
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i also think we should just reduce and avoid as much as possible plastic rather than just concentrate on simply recycle but keep producing tons of it
I think the reduction of plastic production would be best, but for that to happen the government really needs to enforce such a law
This is such an important topic, plastics are harming both health and the planet. I agree that moving towards eco-friendly options is the best way forward. We really need to think about future generations when making these choices
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I feel plastics are useful, but the dangers of microplastics bothers me. Recycling helps, but I think it’s better to switch to eco-friendly options and only use plastics where there’s no good alternative.
Yep, It's a complex issue. I re-use a lot of mine.
I remember watching on the news how companies in Nigeria are investing into plastic recycling. It is just best that it is completely reduced and better alternatives are encouraged by making them just as available too. Hopefully, the government can invest into that for the safety of everyone.
!PIMP
@hopestylist here!
Reduce because recycling hardly any of it actually gets recycled and instead just gets shipped to other countries that burn it.
It is better to get rid of this thing because it starts to deteriorate the health of all of us, but if that is not possible, then it should be discarded so that it cannot be reused.
We should stop using and producing plastics and find affordable alternatives for everything that is covered in plastic or made from plastic now. It's threatening so much more than we know or can see right now.
I believe reducing plastic use wherever possible is the smarter choice. With so many eco-friendly alternatives now available, like biodegradable covers and reusable materials, shifting habits can make a real difference.
That note about Nigeria turning discarded plastic into paver blocks really stands out. For the stuff we can't cut yet, channeling it into long lived uses beats bins and burns. Cost is still a wall for many since the greener picks are not afffordable, so public buyers choosing them first can move the market. Small wins add up, othrewise your right that reduction should lead and recycling can play support.
I believe we should incorporate the recycling of plastic because it will go a long way actually