Hi! Okta from Business Team is here! đđ˝ââď¸
We have all heard about the dangers of plastics. Single-use plastics have been discussed numerous times, and there are some organizations dedicated to eradicating plastics in Bali. We also hear about microplastics in the seas. Anyway, we have had enough of that, so I'd want to talk about something simpler.
Perhaps instead of focusing on how horrible they are, we can question, "How good are plastics?" Maybe then we will be able to discover a suitable replacement for these qualities. Apple, for example, has a substantially longer shelf life when wrapped in plastic. This reduces food waste while ensuring quality control.
Plastics are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. A lot of health-related activities require plastics. Syringes and gloves, for example, are not always reusable in medical situations. Plastic bottles, toothbrushes. We probably wouldn't be able to find a better polymer for everything we require.
Photo by Sam Moqadam on Unsplash
Plastics are durable, we need durable packaging everywhere. Even though bio-based plastics looked like a promising alternative e.g. cassava-based plastics, they are not particularly practical. Some of the bio-based plastics are compostable and require a special facility under very specific conditions which not a lot of people have. In the end, it became the biggest scam for claiming to be 'compostable' when in reality, the composting facility doesn't accessible for everyone.
Plastics are pretty, or at least keep things pretty. Related to the previous point, who wants to buy fruit with bruises and spots? Even if they are edible, people are trained to buy anything that looks nice. A pretty plastic packaging will do the trick. I got inspired to write this blog after watching this video, the number of plastics that a Japanese dinner creates.
Afterward, I read an article on Medium about it 7 Surprising Facts about Plastic in Japan by Robin Lewis from MyMizu, and realized that Japan does indeed produce a lot of plastic packaging. Indonesia is not so different, everytime we order food, we get layers and layers of plastic.
To be honest, I'm not sure what the solution is. I think reducing is always better than recycling, changing one's behavior is a better option. We must begin somewhere, even if it is a baby step. So, from whatever you bought today or last week, tell me about something that had a lot of plastic packaging which you think should be reduced?
I definitely think I do not need a separate plastic bag for food that I order, so I try to bring my container with me. Thanks for reading, see you next weekđđđž