Until this week, I never really realized how much plastic is involved in my life. It's nearly everywhere and its inescapable, from shampoo bottles to receipts, baby wipes to food containers, plastic is something we can't avoid. Microplastics accumulate at alarming rates in our oceans and our landfills, they even begin to disperse through the air. We must slow down our plastic consumption and optimize our recycling methods to work towards a cleaner environment and greener planet!
Given that the everyday consumer isn't going to slow down their consumption rates, going plastic-free is a big ask and in reality is very difficult to do. I envision a world where plastic use isn't a burden put upon the individual but rather mitigated by the systems that sell us these products. Banning single-use plastics (i.e shopping bags, straws, etc) is a start but large companies such as Johnson and Johnson should rethink the way they manufacture their products and have an alternative for the plastics they use. The beauty industry generates incredible amounts of plastic waste with their packaging as well, making the simple switch to biodegradable paper boxes or glass pots for makeup rather than plastic tubes can make a huge difference.