
11 Ways to Eat Less Plastic—Because, Yes, It’s in Your Food and More
August 12, 2024 | Source: Well+Good | by Christina Manian
It’s no secret that we have a serious plastic problem, with microplastics overwhelming our everyday environment (like our food, our drinking water, and even the clouds in the sky).This unfortunate reality impacts natural landscapes, wildlife, and our own bodies.
It’s not all grim: There are so many actions that we can take to not only reduce our reliance on plastic but to cut down on our literal consumption of the material. Read on to get a deeper insight into the current state of plastic pollution, how microplastics impact the body, and ways you can eat less plastic (because yes, we’re all eating plastic).
The Plastic Problem
Whether you’re privy to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or have seen massive piles of plastic waste at your local dump or recycling facility, we’ve all been exposed to some piece of the plastic pollution problem.
This ubiquitous material is typically made from fossil fuels like natural gas and oil that are then refined, treated, and eventually turned into plastic.
“More than 10 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced globally to date, and plastic production has increased by more than 18,300 percent in the last 65 years alone,” says Erica Cirino, communications manager of Plastic Pollution Coalition and author of Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis. Over 430 million metric tons of new plastic is produced every year globally and this number increases year after year, Cirino adds.