Every day, we use disposable wipes, drink coffee capsule coffee machines
and facing a lot of quite ordinary items of domestic use. Thus hardly
anyone of us had thought about the dangers of these things for health or
the environment. Let’s see what everyday objects better stop using
today.
Coffee capsules
Coffee capsules — a source of delicious coffee at home in a relatively small amount of money and in the absence of mud. Not surprisingly, the capsule-type coffee machines have become so popular: according to the National Coffee Association of the USA, they have 29% of US households. But in the rest of the capsules have to pay much more expensive, since plastic and aluminum capsules are difficult to recycle. Every year billions of spent coffee capsules finish its way to the dump. Former CEO of Nespresso Jean-Paul Gaillard said that they contribute to environmental catastrophe, although the company says it has been a matter of environmentally friendly production and processing of capsules. Recently, the German city of Hamburg introduced a ban on the use of coffee capsules in public institutions. It seems that the battle for the coffee capsules are just beginning.
Cosmetic plastic microbeads
Many manufacturers of toothpaste added to their products Plastic microgranules. This is one of the largest sources of plastic, which falls annually in the oceans in quantities reaching 8 million tons. Contact with plastic pellets into the ocean has terrible consequences for wildlife and the marine environment. They are not biodegradable and are too small to be trapped by the filter devices, and as they move they attract toxic chemicals. These microscopic pests are also found in various shower gels and scrubs. It is hoped that it will soon be over. Former US President Barack Obama has banned the use of plastic in the manufacture of the microgranules of cosmetics and household products, and many European countries follow suit.
Disposable chopsticks
Chinese chopsticks disposable leave Asia without scaffolding. According to Greenpeace, every year nearly 4 million trees sacrificed to produce 57 billion pairs of chopsticks. Furthermore, sticks treated with chemicals capable of causing respiratory disease. Disposable chopsticks — it is also a human rights issue, as sometimes they are produced in forced labor camps, according to human rights organization Amnesty International.
Disposable wipes
Disposable wipes are gaining popularity as a means of personal hygiene and tools for cleaning. Often, they should indicate that they can be flushed down the toilet, but in wet wipes contain plastic, and they do not dissolve as well as paper. When they are washed down the drain, they can cause clogging sewage plants and in large numbers brought to the public beaches on the coast.
Plastic bags
Plastic bags — one of the most harmful of daily sources of pollution. According to some estimates, every year is thrown to one trillion of non-degradable packages, and they are in the reservoirs, fill landfills and emit toxic chemicals when burned. Initiatives to control the proliferation of plastic bags, such as entry fees for them in supermarkets, are beginning to have a positive effect.
Disposable batteries
Batteries usually contain toxic cocktail of harmful environmental elements, including cadmium, lead and mercury, which seep into the soil and underground water sources and cause dangerous pollution. If they burn heavy metals into the air, and this can adversely affect the health of people. Battery recycling centers are gaining in popularity, but it is better to use rechargeable batteries.
Tea bags
Traditional paper tea bags contain plastic parts, but manufacturers are increasingly using new formulas based on nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is believed that plastic tea bags welding quality is better, but they are not biodegradable, and it is feared that they release into the soil dangerous toxins.
Soap with triclosan
Many brands of hand soap containing triclosan dubious component, which is associated with some serious diseases. It is also known that it causes cancer in mice. Furthermore, triclosan extremely stable and may not dissolve in water sanitization. This means that he enters the ocean and destroys bacteria underlying food chain. The movement to ban triclosan is gaining momentum, but is best to carefully read the composition on the label.
Remains of hormonal contraceptives
There is growing evidence that hormonal contraceptives have an impact on the population of fish in the ocean. How is this possible? According to studies, some species have lost the ability to reproduce because of the endocrine destructors, which affected the population and the food chain as a whole. Stop using contraception, of course, it is not necessary, however, if you need to throw them away, do not drain them, please, to the sewer.
Packaging materials from polystyrene
Disposable packaging is difficult to imagine without the materials based on polystyrene, but it can not be biodegradable and difficult to recycle. As a result, it is in the dumps, littering the forest and poison small animal species. Several US cities have banned the use of this material. Fortunately, now available various alternatives such packaging.
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