Hey earth muffins! It is crazy to think that Plastic Free July is almost over. The first half of this month was busy with my move, but the rest of it just flew by too. While Life of an Earth Muffin isn’t pro-plastics, this doesn’t mean I am against all forms of it. Meet the “Good Plastics” (and no, I’m not talking about Gretchen Wieners or Regina George)! 😂 Certain plastics, aka single-use ones, are “bad”… But there are actually plastics out there that are good for our civilization as a whole. For today’s post, I wanted to share a short list of these essential plastics; let’s jump right into it!
Plastics You Already Have Around the House
When you start caring about the environment and make the decision to go on an eco journey, you might be tempted to toss all plastics in the trash. But, I strongly discourage that! Odds are you have accumulated a ton of plastic in your lifetime. From plastic Tupperware in the kitchen to toys for your kids, there is a reason plastic is starting to be a problem – it is everywhere! I categorize plastics you already have into this “good” category because you can reuse it for as long as it lasts. Which, if taken care of properly, can be many years. There is no point in tossing plastics just because they are made of a certain material. The basis of an eco lifestyle is to use what you have and reduce your consumption – both can be achieved by using up the plastics already in your home. For more ideas on how to use plastics you already have, check out this guide!
Plastics Used in Health Services
I think it is safe to say this pandemic gave me a new appreciation for health care workers! It also made me think about plastics used in the healthcare industry. As I mentioned in my Will the COVID Pandemic Stop the Sustainability Movement? post, we have seen things like disposable masks littering the ground. But on the flip side, there has been a ton of plastic created during the distribution of vaccines – which I think is totally fine! A lot of plastics get tossed each day in healthcare, but this allows for sterilized instruments and literally lifesaving procedures to be performed. If that isn’t “good”, I don’t know what is!
Plastic Water Bottles for Areas that Need It!
If you have access to clean drinking water, there is no need for bottled water. I suggest buying yourself a stainless steel reusable water bottle and getting in the habit of carrying it everywhere. By doing this you can avoid using plastic water bottles for no reason. On the flip side, bottled water is amazing for areas that don’t have clean water! Take an example close to my home, the Flint water crisis. Without bottled water bottles, thousands of people would have absolutely no access to any clean water. This rings true for countries all over the world as well. While plastic water bottles get a bad rep, they have a good side too!
Concluding Words about “Good” Plastics
Just like with anything, there are good times and bad times to use plastic. For an eco-minded earth muffin, I recommend avoiding plastics as much as possible… But don’t totally condemn them! There are many places where they are truly instrumental in providing clean water, non-contaminated food, and healthcare to folks around the world. Plus, you should use (and then reuse) all of the plastics you already have in your home. Mother Earth will thank you for that as we come to the conclustion of Plastic Free July. What other “good” plastics do you use in your daily life?
Love,
Jenna ♥
I love this. You really have such a balanced and realistic approach to living an eco friendly life. You are so right…there are certain times where plastic is needed and certain times where existing plastic materials can continue to be used. <3
Good points! Among my “good” plastic items are the plastic lids for my Pyrex food storage/baking dishes. They fit just right, much better than a non-flexible lid, and can be used hundreds of times before they wear out and start cracking at the edges–although they don’t last as long as the dishes themselves.
I’ve been telling people that one of the reasons to avoid *unnecessary* single-use plastic is so that we’ll continue to have enough plastic available for necessary purposes like certain medical care. For instance, what other material would make good IV tubing??
But as regards COVID-19 vaccine, the vials that hold the vaccine must be made of borosilicate glass, also used for many other medications that could react to a plastic container–plastic is NOT the best material for that application. However, you’re right that there’s a lot of single-use plastic involved in the syringes and their packaging, and although that’s more for convenience than safety, convenience is crucial when vaccinating people as fast as possible!