Rethinking Plastics for Earth Day
It’s Earth Day in April, which means we should take some time to talk about our planet. The things that we use and then throw away are called waste. Plastic is one of the things that we waste the most.
With a close relationship with the land, learning about the ways that we may be hurting the land is a way that we can show respect. It is a chance to learn and teach your kids about following the principle of Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq.
Not all plastic is bad, and some things made with plastic can save lives, such as bike helmets and plastic water bottles with clean drinking water for people who don’t have it. Plastics help to protect our food from dirt and germs, but they also create a lot of trash in the environment.
The problem is many of us use and then toss away more plastic than we need. The kind of plastic that’s used only once before being thrown away is called “single-use plastic” and it is a big part of the plastic we throw away.
A lot of the plastic we throw away comes from the plastic that is used for food, such as plastic straws and plastic bags. Even when we throw them away, these plastics stay around for a long time and do not break down.
Many people buy ready-to-eat foods, like snack foods and frozen and microwave meals, which need a lot of plastic. This can be bad for our health and the environment because plastics can add harmful chemicals into our food, water, and land.
We’ve talked about food having a big impact on our health, but it also has a big impact on the health of the planet. It is important to think about using reusable things, which are things that you can wash and use over and over again. Here are some things that you can do to use less plastic and help to keep the earth clean.
- Say No to Plastic Straws
Plastic straws are all around us, you may see them used when you go out to eat, or you can buy them at the store. Animals can get sick because if straws are on the ground, or in the water, they might think that it’s food. Instead, you can carry around your own paper straw, or you can use a reusable straw that is made of metal or glass. - Use a Reusable Water Bottle
If you have clean water, you can fill up a reusable water bottle for you and your kids. Doing this, you can fill it up as many times as you would like. - Buy in Bulk
If you’re able to, think about shopping in the bulk section of the grocery store for things like nuts, cereal, or pasta. You can store it all in reusable containers or bags, such as glass jars. If you are not able to buy reusable containers, you can wash and reuse containers and jars from other food when you finish it, like sour cream containers. - Snack on Fruits & Vegetables
Instead of packing snack packs for you or your kids, try packing fruits or vegetables like apples, bananas, or carrot sticks. Fruit and vegetables can fill you up in a healthy way and there’s no extra packaging. - Never Litter & Pick Up What You Can
Sometimes you have to use plastic, and that’s okay! It is very important that you don’t throw your trash on the ground. Trash on the ground can hurt animals and make its way into the water. You can even grab your kids and walk around where you live and see if you can pick up any trash that you see. This is a great lesson for your kids to learn.
Let’s help the planet together. Take some time to think about how much plastic you use and what you can do to use less.