Let’s face it, plastic, in one form or another, is everywhere. It makes cutting down on plastic a very, very challenging task. I’ve been trying to cut down on plastic for years, and I know how hard it can be at times, especially when you live in a highly developed country that loves plastic packaging so much that puts individual cucumbers in a plastic foil.
Since it is omnipotent in our lives, it’s really tough to explain to children, born into the world of plastic that it isn’t too great, and rather very unkind to Mother Earth.
If you are like me and need to get creative while trying to explain important issues such as plastic to your kids, below you will find a list of few facts about plastic that are rarely talked about but can make a huge difference in children’s understanding of where it can be found.
1907 — Bakelite a first synthetic plastic made from oil is created
1941– the first polyester fiber, called Terylene is used but kept in secret because of the WWII
1958– Plastic Lego bricks are invented
1976 — Plastic becomes one of the most used materials in the world.
2004 — The term microplastic is first used to describe tiny plastic particles that pollute the environment.
2015 — Oceanographer films a turtle with a straw up its nose
2018 — A dead whale was found in Indonesia with over a thousand pieces of plastic in its stomach, including:
115 plastic cups
4 plastic bottles
25 plastic bags
2 flip-flops
1 nylon sack
Surprising plastic:
Teabags often have plastic in them.
Crisp packets are made from them.
Most nappies are made from plastic.
What can go down the toilet?
Pee
Poo
Puke
Paper
What cannot go down the toilet?
-Nappies
– Pads
– Wet wipes
– Cotton-bud sticks
– Glitter
– Women’s hygiene products
– Microbeads
– Plastic bags
– Plasters
Plastic at the party.
Party poppers
Balloons
Glitter — when it goes down the drain it becomes microplastic that goes all the way to the sea.
Party bags — avoid plastic party bags, plastic toys, individual sweets and snacks.
Plastic plates and cutlery –plastic plates, knives, forks and spoons might be recyclable but it’s better to avoid that. You can replace all that plastic by wooden alternatives.
Straws: even at Tesco’s you can find alternatives to plastic straws.
Let’s face it, plastic, in one form or another, is everywhere. It makes cutting down on plastic a very, very challenging task. I’ve been trying to cut down on plastic for years, and I know how hard it can be at times, especially when you live in a highly developed country that loves plastic packaging so much that puts individual cucumbers in a plastic foil.
Since it is omnipotent in our lives, it’s really tough to explain to children, born into the world of plastic that it isn’t too great, and rather very unkind to Mother Earth.
If you are like me and need to get creative while trying to explain important issues such as plastic to your kids, below you will find a list of few facts about plastic that are rarely talked about but can make a huge difference in children’s understanding of where it can be found.
1907 — Bakelite a first synthetic plastic made from oil is created
1941– the first polyester fiber, called Terylene is used but kept in secret because of the WWII
1958– Plastic Lego bricks are invented
1976 — Plastic becomes one of the most used materials in the world.
2004 — The term microplastic is first used to describe tiny plastic particles that pollute the environment.
2015 — Oceanographer films a turtle with a straw up its nose
2018 — A dead whale was found in Indonesia with over a thousand pieces of plastic in its stomach, including:
Surprising plastic:
What can go down the toilet?
What cannot go down the toilet?
-Nappies
– Pads
– Wet wipes
– Cotton-bud sticks
– Glitter
– Women’s hygiene products
– Microbeads
– Plastic bags
– Plasters
Plastic at the party.