Plastic waste and garbage in general is a major problem in modern society. Humanity creates thousands and thousands of tons of waste every day. And if we don't start recycling it - our planet will turn into one big dump in the future. But we don't want that, right?

Of all the household waste types, plastic is the greatest threat. Why so?

1. Plastic does not decompose
2. Hundreds of marine inhabitants perish because of it.
3. Polymers end up in the stomachs of birds and often lead to their death.
4. The latest UN data indicates that over a million seabirds die every year on Earth due to plastic.
5. The sea is clogged with plastic waste.
6. Fish and mammals constantly consume waste that has an extremely negative effect on their health, harms their offspring and in the future can lead to the death of entire species.

So, that's why it's so important to recycle plastic, without waiting for a real environmental disaster, the likelihood of which is only increasing every year.

At first glance, the rejection of plastic seems unrealistic, but in fact, there are many eco-activists in the world who've figured out a way to bring this idea to life. More and more people from all over the world are joining the Zero Waste movement.
The Zero Waste philosophy is based on the 5R principles: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot.

REFUSE

Perhaps the most harmful unnecessary thing is plastic packaging. In stores, almost all products are already packaged, and sometimes we don't have the opportunity to buy goods by weight in our own containers. But where there is such an option, it should be used.

Get an eco-kit for every day so that you always have at hand:

• Cloth shopping bag
• Transparent eco-bags for bulk products
• Lunch container
• A flask for water
• Coffee mug

These five simple things will help you cut your trash dramatically.

REDUCE

Let go of the things that you don’t use, sell them or donate them. Also, focus on necessary purchases.

REUSE

The purchased item should serve for a long time and be suitable for different purposes. And if the thing simply ceases to be needed, it can be given to other people.

RECYCLE

You should only consider recycling as a last resort. One that you only do after steps 1,2, and 3 have been exhausted.

ROT

Compost your own household waste or take part in a composting program for organic waste.

In the future, we will have to completely abandon the use of plastic as a packaging material, to establish the production of materials that easily and quickly decompose in nature.