5 Hidden Plastics You Didn’t Know About
Last Updated September 25, 2021
When we think about disposable or single-use plastics we think of the obvious things like plastic bags, plastic beverage bottles and plastic utensils. But there can be a lot of plastics hidden in places you would never think. Here are a few of them.
Chewing Gum
Besides the plastic and foil that chewing gum comes packaged in, the gum itself contains plastic! Polyethylene, a type of plastic, is one of the most common components of chewing gum. Polyethylene is used to make everything from plastic bags to hula hoops. No one wants to chew on a minty hula hoop.
Next time your mouth is in need of something fresh, try a mint instead! Altoid mints come in a metal tin (that’s great for carrying Q-tips or other toiletries when traveling).
Or you can try Simply Gum which uses Chicle, a tree sap from Central America.
Paper Coffee Cups
I’m sure it’s obvious that the lid on a to-go coffee cup is plastic, but did you know that hot paper cups are lined with plastic? This is what makes them very difficult to recycle. Plus, there’s plastic leaching into your coffee. I’d like my coffee black…hold the plastic please.
Of course, you can bring your own reusable coffee cup. If you’re terrible at remembering, put an extra reusable coffee cup in your car.
Clothing
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you already knew this, but if you’re new (welcome!), synthetic fiber clothes are plastic. Natural fiber clothes are made from fibers such as cotton, silk, or hemp. Synthetic fibers are made from chemicals usually derived from oil and are essentially plastic.
When all clothes are washed, tiny microfibers shed off of the clothes and wash down the drain and into the ocean. When natural fibers wash into the ocean, they degrade and fully break down. When synthetic fibers wash into the ocean, they act like tiny plastic threads that clog up the gills and intestines of fish.
Wet Wipes
Unless it explicitly says so, most wet wipes have plastic fibers. Wet wipes are a nightmare for sewage treatment plants because they do not break down. They’re sturdy so they can get the job done but they don’t break down like toilet paper. So, if you insist on using wet wipes, please don’t flush them!
Aluminum Cans
Similar to paper coffee cups, both beverage and food cans have a plastic lining. Even though they are still highly recyclable, I’m never stoked when my food touches plastic. Plastic contains a multitude of chemicals that can leach into your food, so I try to stick to glass beverage bottles and try to avoid canned food as much as I can.
What do you think? Did you already know these items contained plastic? What are some of the surprising things you’ve found out have plastic? Tell me in the comments!
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