Seeking ways to reduce the consumption of micro and nanoplastics.

Sadly, I’ve become part of the problem by buying heavily packaged single serving foods, frozen foods, etc…

I still believe that my carbon footprint is smaller than most by limiting the size and number of vehicles, air travel, home size, etc…

My problem with our approach to solving pollution, global warming, the energy crisis is all based on producing and buying more stuff.

Probably the less we buy the better off we’ll be.

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It isn't just about grocery bags, it's about packaging in general and how poorly trash disposal and recycling is managed (by nation-wide services).

Quite a bit of plastic went into making your car. Hospitals, surgical centers, and doctor's offices use tons of disposable, one-use plastic items every day; items that used to be sanitized in an autoclave can now be tossed into trash and biohazard bins. Power tools, everyday tools, appliances large and small, lawn mowers and leaf-blowers, toys, furniture, shoes and hats; they all have plastic parts. So does your house, and your local grocery and retail stores and restaurants.

The solution, imo, has to come from people demanding state and federal elected officials restrict the overuse of plastics in manufacturing, and make researching safer alternatives a priority.
 
Here's some guys saving seals from deadly trash entanglements:



Most of this trash comes from boats, recreational and commercial, but some of it drifts over from coastal cities.

And they mostly save pups because the adults are too fast, and the mature males are particularly powerful and bitey. They do manage to save some of them, though.
 
Murrmurr said:
The solution, imo, has to come from people demanding state and federal elected officials restrict the overuse of plastics in manufacturing, and make researching safer alternatives a priority.
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Or make the manufacturers and sellers pay for over packaging. Costco is a prime example of a business has their items wrapped in very heavy plastic, especially for small items.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Dave: I love your sense of humor!!



AND @bobcat: I love YOUR early morning new threads.
Question: Do you think these up before or after you are vertical for the day?
Imagining you just lay under the warm comfy blankets, thinking up these philosophical gems OR the caffeine in the coffee does the trick? Inquiring minds need to know.
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Ha ha. I suppose I should blame it on the coffee, but that wouldn't really be fair.
I'm afraid I'll have to go with pleading insanity.
If required, I'm fairly sure I could produce a fair number of individuals who will back me on that.
 
Jules said:
Or make the manufacturers and sellers pay for over packaging. Costco is a prime example of a business has their items wrapped in very heavy plastic, especially for small items.
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If the money went into funding research for alternatives and/or reforming the recycling business, then all over-users should be required to pay a tax or whatever.

But I have zero faith that's what would happen. I bet 97% of that money would wind up in the pockets of directors, regulators, and coordinators of at least one newly formed anti-plastics agency....per state. And one at the federal level.

I think new laws would work better.
 
I’m afraid that there is not much that we can do as individuals and that we would resist any form of tough love imposed on us by our government.

We can impose penalties on corporations and those costs will be passed on to consumers.

We can take pride in buying fresh unwrapped produce until we take a peek in the back room of the store and see the piles of packaging or consider the impact of shipping and spoilage associated with shipping items around the world to maintain an attractive fresh supply.

We can reduce consumption or try to live locally but if done in large numbers it could stall the economy.

We’ve created an extremely complex world and I’m afraid that most of the possible solutions are far beyond our pay grade. 😢🌎😢
 
bobcat said:
The world produces over a million tons of plastic every day, and they take a very long time to go away (If ever).
They are everywhere in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, the water we drink, in packaging, and in our bodies.

I have come to the conclusion that there is no avoiding them, so we just need to find ways of reducing the exposure. Got any ideas?
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You sir, are at the crossroads.

Consuming micro plastics isn't good, if nothing else, it's unnecessary. However, the issue is beyond your ability to do anything about it. I love eating fish. All kinds of fish. But I can't address micro plastic. Which is why, as a community, as a society, we need to tackle the issue.
 
I did a bit of research on microplastic pollution (I asked ChatGPT), and this is what it gave me...

Most microplastics in the environment come from sources other than microwave cooking or storing food in plastic containers. While these activities can release small amounts of microplastics, the largest contributors are:

1. Tire Wear and Tear​

  • Source: Particles from tire abrasion during driving.
  • Impact: These microplastics wash into waterways via runoff and are a major contributor to microplastic pollution.

2. Synthetic Textiles​

  • Source: Washing synthetic fabrics (like polyester, nylon, and acrylic) releases microfibers into wastewater.
  • Impact: Microfibers often bypass wastewater treatment plants and end up in rivers and oceans.

3. Plastic Packaging and Litter​

  • Source: Breakdown of larger plastic items (e.g., bags, bottles, and other packaging materials) due to UV exposure and physical forces.
  • Impact: Fragmented plastics release microplastics into soil, waterways, and oceans.

4. Personal Care Products​

  • Source: Microbeads in exfoliants, toothpaste, and cosmetics.
  • Impact: Although many countries have banned microbeads, they are still a source of microplastic pollution in regions without regulations.

5. Industrial Emissions​

  • Source: Dust from plastic production, processing, and transport.
  • Impact: These particles can enter both air and water systems.

6. Fishing and Maritime Activities​

  • Source: Degradation of fishing gear, ropes, and paint on ships.
  • Impact: Significant contributor to oceanic microplastic pollution.

Microwave Cooking and Food Storage​

  • Source: Heating plastics can release microplastics and chemical additives, particularly when using old or damaged containers.
  • Impact: The amount of microplastics released is relatively small compared to the major sources listed above. However, there may be health implications if consumed over time.
 
VaughanJB said:
You sir, are at the crossroads.

Consuming micro plastics isn't good, if nothing else, it's unnecessary. However, the issue is beyond your ability to do anything about it. I love eating fish. All kinds of fish. But I can't address micro plastic. Which is why, as a community, as a society, we need to tackle the issue.
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Yes, it seems that the plastics that we put into the environment end up back on our plate.
Oh well, pass the gravy. If I'm having plastic for dinner, might as well make it taste good.
 
About 40 years ago we moved go LL Bean canvas bags, medium size, long handles. The same size as paper grocery bags and I can all g a full bag on a shoulder. The zippered ones are great for international flights or bad weather. Yes, they go into the washer. Plastic was replaced eons ago by glass and the occasional clean up tragedy. You can machine wash Burberry suits. I will not give up the occasional zip bag or bottled water for contractors!!!
 
HermitHogan said:
...
[/LIST]

2. Synthetic Textiles​

  • Source: Washing synthetic fabrics (like polyester, nylon, and acrylic) releases microfibers into wastewater.
  • Impact: Microfibers often bypass wastewater treatment plants and end up in rivers and oceans. ...
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I read somewhere that the skintight designer yoga pants are a major contributor.
 
Twostep said:
About 40 years ago we moved go LL Bean canvas bags, medium size, long handles. The same size as paper grocery bags and I can all g a full bag on a shoulder. The zippered ones are great for international flights or bad weather. Yes, they go into the washer. Plastic was replaced eons ago by glass and the occasional clean up tragedy. You can machine wash Burberry suits. I will not give up the occasional zip bag or bottled water for contractors!!!
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Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?
 
Some policies and rules on the use of plastics in marketing and food storage may never change unless public behavior does. I think most companies operate on the "Innocent till proven guilty" scenario, and that is a very steep hill to climb. We don't ingest just one type of anything. It's more of a soup with hundred, if not thousands of ingredients. Trying to prove causation is next to impossible.

Perhaps our best course of action is to vote with our wallets. If the public would gravitate away from plastics whenever possible, maybe the puppet masters would eventually get the message. It may be our only hope.
 
Since I've been reading baout the colon cancers in the under 30's becoming much more widespread , and the great increase in dementia and the cause seems to be the ingestion of microplastics..... I no longer cook anything in the microwave in it's plastic container...

Instead I empty it into a ceramic bowl ... I know that there's lely microplastics already in it.. but microwaving in the plastic apparently makes it more problematic ..
 
gruntlabor said:
Real food can be found at the store's perimeters. Dairy, Meats, Produce
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I buy real food... I cook from scratch the majority of time... but I also buy ready prepared foods sometimes.... and when I do I'm being more careful as to how I reheat them...

there are a lot of people who don't know how to cook these days, and live on pre-packaged foods... regardless of whether anyone thinks that's right or wrong.. they put their faith in the food production companies to not poison them...
 
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