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we all want our cards and paper goods to be protected...
let's stop ignoring the problem.
...from grimy hands to bent corners. Using plastic sleeves has been the norm–
but the world has changed. Even if they're recyclable or "compostable",
these single use plastics are still ending up in landfills and oceans.
did you know
EVERY PIECE OF PLASTIC EVER MADE
STILL EXISTS
Regular (PET) plastics do not decompose. Photo degradation is when sunlight breaks plastic down into smaller particles. But in a landfill? No sunlight. In the ocean? Lots of sunlight, but that means the plastic will be broken down into small, toxic polymer particles. These particles will not only release toxins into the ocean, they are eaten by marine animals, litter every shoreline on the planet, and their harmful chemicals are found in 62% of humans. Plastics can be burned, but then their noxious chemicals are just transferred into the atmosphere, causing an entirely new slew of problems.
are bioplastics any better?
'Biodegradable' plastics (compostable) are another option. But to actually compost or decompose, conditions must be right. A high heat composting facility will do the job, but where do you find one of those? In the ocean, where 10 million tons of plastics find their way to every year, there are no high temps and these 'eco friendly' plastics will never ever decompose, making them no different from regular plastics. In fact, they may be worse. If they ever do decompose (think litter out in the sunlight), they release methane which is a much more harmful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Oh, and you can't mix them into regular recycling or they will contaminate the PET plastics, rendering the entire batch completely un-recyclable.
