By Wangeci Kanyeki
From cooking oil bottles to soft drinks, detergent containers, jam jars, medicine containers and ever more sophisticated plastics use to make computers, mobile phones, televisions and radios, plastic containers are all around us.
Plastic has replaced traditional materials such as wood, metal, leather, ceramic and glass due to its durability and versatility.
Despite is usefulness, plastic can be a menace to the environment due to its non-biodegradability.
Manufacturing plastic also requires large amounts of chemical pollutants and fossil fuel. It is also important to note that when plastic is burned, it sometimes releases hazardous toxins to the environment.
It takes our individual responsibility to ensure we do not abuse our environment. Below are some ideas you can apply to save the environment from the plastic menace.
Reuse plastic containers
Rather than throw away plastic containers after use, think of how you can utilise them for other purposes. Below are some ideas that could also save you some money.
Greenhouse: Plastic containers such as cooking oilcans can be used to hold seedlings and to create a mini-greenhouse. Make sure the container is washed clean to remove any residue of leftover content so it does not affect your plants.
Organise your home: Detergent containers can be used to organise children’s crafts, toys such as legos, colours and crayons. Tools such as nails, bolts and nuts or hooks, which easily get lost in a toolbox, can be kept in small plastic detergent jars or jam jars to make retrieval easier.
Stationery holders: Yoghurt containers make excellent penholders for your home office. Use them to separate your markers, pens and pencils.
Plastic bags: The number of plastic grocery bags brought home after every shopping trip can be appalling. Reuse these paper bags to line garbage bins and wastepaper baskets instead of buying bin liners. The bags can also be used to keep wet swimming costumes or to separate sneakers from soiling your clothes in a travel bag.
Recycle
Collect your used cooking oil containers and sell them at plastic collection yards usually on roadsides. These are then bought by plastic companies that make jerry cans, buckets, plates, brushes, broom handles and construction polls.
In fact, residential estates can do this as projects and encourage residents to separate their garbage by setting aside all plastic containers, which can then be sold to plastic collectors.
