6 Bad Habits That Harm Global Ecology
We have some habits that are very harmful to the ecology of the Earth. But if we get rid of them, we will significantly help our planet. Do you want to know more about them? Then continue reading below.
1. Use of Plastic Bags
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), more than 80% of all trash in the ocean gets there from the shore and 70% of it is plastic. To reduce the harm that plastic trash brings to nature, you should stop using plastic bags and replace them with natural paper bags.
Instead of thin bags of cellophane and cling film, you can purchase durable zip blocks that can be washed and reused (you can buy them, for example, in IKEA). If you want to completely give up the kitchen plastic, you should get reusable bags and special wax wipes, which consist of cotton and beeswax. They retain the freshness of products, and after the end of their use, they are utilized without harming the environment.
2. Use of Plastic Toothbrushes
The toothbrush is one of the most consumable items of personal hygiene. Therefore, it would be very good to replace them with variants made from natural materials, such as wood. Your family dentist can help you find the right natural brush for your teeth.
3. Driving a Car
Sulfur dioxide enters the air due from the exhausts of cars. Sulfur dioxide is a substance that negatively affects the functioning of the lungs. In 2016, 91% of the world's population lived in areas where the level of air pollution exceeded the values recommended by the World Health Organization.
If for some reason you can’t give up driving your car, then you should try to negotiate with colleagues who live near you and ride together. You will bring more benefits to ecology and your own health if you start to ride a bicycle.
4. Irrational Waste of Water
More than 40% of the world's population suffers from a lack of clean water. And this figure is growing rapidly. Therefore, it’s important not only to repair the faucets in time but also to turn them off while you are brushing your teeth or soaping something. By the way, your monthly water bill will be smaller too.
5. Use of Disposable Intimate Hygiene Products
In the 2010s, residents of London found that the old Victorian sewage system was unable to cope with its tasks. Fatbergs (huge formations of cooking oil, wet wipes, ladies' linings, and diapers) began to appear there and broke the mobility of tunnels. And the example of London shows that we shouldn’t flush disposable hygiene products into the toilet.
However, everything is not so simple with waste disposal. It’s important to remember that each lining and diaper takes several hundred years to decompose. For the manufacture of most disposable hygiene products, people use derivatives of oil and cellulose. Wet wipes contain microplastic and soak in substances that poison the ground and harm aquatic animals.
6. Use of Plastic Straws and Plastic Ear Sticks
In 2018, the European Commission drafted a bill banning the use of plastic straws for cocktails and plastic ear sticks. Such a ban is already in force in some US cities, such as St. Petersburg (Florida). Plastic straws for cocktails and plastic ear sticks take a long time to decompose. You can use paper or metal straws instead of plastic. Also, you can buy ear sticks made from wood, it will be a good replacement for plastic ear sticks.