There are some myths currently floating around that could be harmful to the environment so I’m here to help with some mythbusting facts.
Myth #1
If I recycle my plastic waste I’m not harming the environment.
Fact: Many types of plastic cannot be recycled. Additionally, if non-recyclable items contaminate a bunch of recyclable products all of the recyclable items will be sent to a landfill.
This is why I can’t stress enough that COFFEE CUPS SHOULD NEVER BE PLACED IN A RECYCLING BIN.
Coffee cups are in no way recyclable. If these non-recyclable products contaminate the products being sent recycling, all of that recycling goes straight to the tip.
What you can do: Reduce use of all plastics. Bring your own coffee cup on your coffee run. Use canvas tote bags for all of your shopping and produce. Stop buying plastic toothbrushes (go for bamboo). Take advantage of this code for 15% off all purchases at Sand Cloud: VICK_Y15. Sandcloud.com has a selection of glass water bottles, metal straws and environmentally friendly organic sunscreen (packaged in a tin instead of plastic). You can feel really good about saving the planet with your next session of retail therapy.
Myth #2
Plastic pollution in the ocean isn’t harming humans.
Fact: Leaching of chemicals from plastics into our waterways not only affects our water but our food too. Large pieces of plastic break down into smaller pieces called microplastics. These microplastics are mistaken as food by sea creatures and are frequently ingested. The smaller fish that consume these plastics are consumed by larger fish until it gets to the top of the food chain, you and me! Do you really want to be eating food that is potentially contaminated with harmful chemicals?
Myth #3
Ocean plastic pollution mainly originates from dumping rubbish in the ocean
Fact: Plastics from all over the land can end up in the ocean, no matter where it was dumped. Most of the plastics that are now in the ocean originated from every day items that you and I use frequently – bags, bottles, caps, food containers. If we begin limiting the use of plastic in our lives we can make an impact on the reduction of plastic in the ocean.
Share your plastic reduction tips in the comments. My latest effort in waste reduction involves the use of beeswax food wraps and reusable ziplock bags to store my lunches for work! What’s yours?
The Full Cup Wellness 
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For Myth #2, there’s also the fact that although humans aren’t getting *physically* affected, we’re getting affected in other ways. Morally, for one. That plastic wasn’t dumped out there by an arrogant shark, or a crabby old hermit crab. It’s used, it’s dumped by humans into other creatures’ habitat, and it’s *killing* them.
I believe humans aren’t so far gone (yet) that this fact won’t affect them. I try to link videos of animals suffering when I talk about the subject, because I think actually showing them the effect would have a much bigger impact than my words. If you want to link videos, The Dodo and BBC UK had some great ones. I included a few of them in some older blog posts – you can use those if you don’t feel like hunting for them.
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Thank you so much for this information, I appreciate it.
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