Reusable Product Popularity
A popular trend that has risen in recent years is the move for people to use more reusable products and practice more sustainable habits. There are many reasons why people should use reusable products.
Why Use Reusable Products?
This is due to a growing awareness of how bad habits and non-reusable products negatively affect the environment. For instance, a plastic bag takes approximately 10 to 20 years to decompose. Likewise, a plastic, single-use water bottle takes 450 years on average to decompose. However, it’s not just the rate of decomposition that can negatively affect the earth. For example, fossil fuels, such as gasoline, need to be drilled for and this could lead to harmful spills. Also, factories that burn fossil fuels for energy omit dangerous amounts of carbon dioxide which causes air pollution. All of these negative effects of unsustainable habits take a toll on the earth and its inhabitants.
Useful Reusable Products
First off, by using reusable products, people can limit the amount of garbage that goes into landfills. Such products can include using reusable canvas bags instead of plastic bags when shopping. People can also drink water or other drinks from reusable water bottles or mugs instead of buying water in disposable plastic bottles or wax-coated paper coffee cups from restaurants. To add on, instead of using a paper towel to clean up a spill, a washable dishcloth would be the more sustainable option. Another cool reusable product would be rubber or metal straws that can be washed instead of being thrown out such as plastic straws. While on the topic of food containers, instead of using paper plates, ceramic plates and bowls should be used as a better alternative. The same goes for opting to use steel cutlery instead of plastic cutlery to eat food. Feel a sneeze coming on? Go grab a cloth handkerchief instead of a paper tissue.
Other Sustainable Habits
Another way to practice sustainable living is by reusing products that people already own. For example, instead of buying new clothes or furniture, people could purchase second-hand clothes and gently used furniture at a thrift store, antique store or second-hand store. As on the topic, people who have an excessive amount of old clothing, toys or furniture that they don’t need can donate their possessions instead of throwing them away. However, the old toys, furniture and clothes that people have decided that they don’t need anymore should only be donated if they are in good condition. If the old toys, clothes and furniture are not in good condition, such as being broken, then the better option would be to fix them up instead.
