5 common items in your apartment that are very harmful to environment
Everyday items are killing our planet (Photo: Freepik.com)
Almost everyone has heard about the enormous harm single-use plastic bags cause to the environment. However, we constantly use other everyday items that are equally harmful to ecology. Do you know which common household items are damaging our planet?
RBC-Ukraine discusses the household items and substances that pose a threat to the environment.
Cosmetics with microbeads
Toothpaste, creams, lotions, shampoos, and cleaning products have long included plastic microbeads to achieve an abrasive effect, replacing natural materials that were used previously.
Wastewater filtration systems cannot capture these particles, which are smaller than a millimeter, and these microplastics contaminate marine environments and food chains at a rate of 1.3 million tons per year, accounting for 11% of the total plastic pollution dumped into the oceans.
Unlike secondary microplastics, which are created in the environment through the fragmentation of larger plastic items, microbeads are primary microplastics deliberately added to products and directly released into the environment.
Your toothpaste contributes to the alarming 11% of the total plastic pollution dumped into the oceans (Photo: Freepik.com)
Wet wipes
The rapid spread of these products has serious consequences: fatbergs—massive clumps that block sewage systems—are made up 93% of non-degradable wipes flushed down the toilet.
Since 2013, when a fatberg the size of a bus had to be removed from London's sewer system, numerous cities around the world have faced this issue on an even larger scale. Even if they successfully pass through the sewage system, wet wipes can persist in the environment for up to 100 years, breaking down into microplastics.
Fat "plugs" in sewage systems from wet wipes can reach several meters in size (Photo: Freepik.com)
Chopsticks
The global popularity of Asian cuisine has increased the use of predominantly single-use chopsticks. Although they may seem like innocuous items, they are, in fact, single-use wooden products.
According to data published by the Chinese government, in 2011, the country produced 57 billion pairs of chopsticks, requiring the cutting down of 3.8 million trees, or over 1.18 million square meters of forest. Half of this production is consumed within China itself, while 77% of the remainder is exported to Japan.
A significant portion of chopstick production comes from mature trees (Photo: Freepik.com)
Pet toilet fillers
Many cat litters are made from sodium bentonite clay, a mineral extracted through environmentally destructive open-pit mining. In addition to contributing to the destruction of topsoil, trees, and habitats, cat litter can also be harmful to your cat if ingested.
If you want to avoid supporting open-pit mining, choose cat litter that does not contain sodium bentonite (Photo: Freepik.com)
Cigarettes
Cigarette packs at home not only harm your health but also cause significant damage to the environment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco cultivation leads to deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution, and increased carbon dioxide emissions. Cigarette production generates millions of tons of solid waste each year, and the manufacturing of lighters involves substantial amounts of plastic, metal, and butane.
Tobacco smoking results in emissions of 2.6 million tons of carbon dioxide and 5.2 million tons of methane (Photo: Freepik.com)
Sources: Open Mind, Sol and Spirit, Amsterdam News.
