5 Items You Never Realised Had Plastic In Them!
We seem to have let plastic creep up on us over recent years, sometimes without even realising it was there. In this article we highlight 5 items that contain plastic, even though you probably (like us) had no idea they did!
Aluminium drinks cans
"Really?!" I hear you ask. Yes really. Aluminium cans are produced with an internal plastic coating that stops the drink corroding the can. Gross fact - they say a can of coke would only last three days without it... Who knew!
Nail polish and paint
Nail polish and paint also have plastics in them. They are typically made of polymers plus loads of other chemicals used to keep the polymer liquid. Once you apply it to your nails it dries to a hard finish of course. The problem is these plastics eventually come off your nails, creating small paint flakes (essentially small plastic flakes). In the case of ships - that are painted regularly - these paint flakes have become a substantial contributor to ocean micro-plastics. When on your nails they are simply washed down the sink. Where to...? You guessed it!
Sunscreen
You cannot avoid this one, we are not suggesting you even try but according to research a typical bottle of SPF contains 10 - 100 trillion particles of microplastics. We look forward to new 'sustainable' options coming to market.
Receipts
Ever wondered how the thermal paper worked? Well it contains Bisphenol A (BPA) or Bisphenol S (BPS) to create that printed effect you desire. Sadly these are chemicals which are endocrine disruptors, classified by the EU as toxic to humans and to the environment. The UK alone creates around 11.2 billion receipts each year! Next time you're asked whether you need a receipt think twice.
Chewing gum
'Chewing plastic' doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Unfortuntely the ingredient listed as "gum base" on the back of most packets is actually plastic. It's actually what gives the gum its chewiness. Any idea on how much we go through in the UK? 100,000 tons of the stuff annually - ouch!
