"I have one word for you...Plastics."

"Plastics" That one word made a memorable quote in the 1967 movie "The Graduate". Referring in the story to 'the product of the future' and a great career move. They were right.

The very first plastic was made in 1869, slowly evolving until after World War II. Since then the proliferation of synthesized polymers in every aspect of our lives has made it one of the great material pollutants on earth... not to mention that most plastics are made from oil
( http://www.howstuffworks.com/plastic.htm ).

Here is an excellent article: 
 A Brief History of Plastic's Conquest of the World

What makes plastic so great? It can be made into any kind of object and is resistant to solvents. What makes plastic so bad? Even though plastic products are nearly indestructible, they lose their usefulness and as waste they can take centuries to decay. They are toxic when they burn and only some of them are recyclable.

degraded plastic

Some plastic 'photo degrades'. This means it breaks down in sunlight into smaller & smaller pieces without ever really disappearing, becoming a hazard to wildlife, which ingests it. There are large islands of plastic waste in our oceans ( http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html#5 ).

Try to limit the use of plastic in your everyday life. One easy way is to take a re-useable, washable fabric shopping bag with you to the store. Another way is to purchase items made with natural materials such as wood. Or metal water bottles and glass food storage containers. Try to get items for which there is no natural substitute, made from recycled plastic, if possible. Beth Terry writes about living without plastic. Follow her here.

the oceans are our trash bin

It's practically impossible to get plastic entirely out of your life (this computer, for example), but every little bit helps.

This month, April, is designated as Earth Month, but every month - every DAY -  we should be conscious of how our actions affect the health and future of our planetary habitat. We work toward a sustainable future any way we can.

For some natural alternatives, see our  natural body care tools online