Organizers of Earth Day are calling for a 60 percent reduction in plastic production by 2040.
Plastics are so dangerous because they do not break down completely over time. They break up into tiny pieces called microplastics and are made up of roughly 16,000 different chemicals. The majority of those chemicals are toxic to the human body.
Meteorologist Kaitlin Wright spoke with Aidan Charron, the Director of Plastic Initiatives at Earthday.org. who says the majority of those chemicals are toxic to the human body. “They lead to what’s called endocrine disruption, which can cause a whole host of things, including early onset puberty in children, decreased fertility rates in men and women. Cancer rates are spiking in areas where they’re doing production of it.”
Today, you can help make a difference and reduce your plastic consumption. Shop with reusable cloth grocery bags. Ditch the plastic water bottles and see where you use the most plastic in your house and cut down from there.