Let’s talk about plastic. Baggies, cups, wrap, ice cube trays, straws, bins, car parts, carpet, clothing, diapers, and more are all made with this over 150 year old nearly indestructible “miracle” substance. Earth-wise, we try to recycle and reuse or repurpose plastic but astonishingly, according to National Geographic, only about 9% is actually recycled. So if you purchase groceries and you have 10 bags, about 9 of them are just being stored away in the woods somewhere.
Consider now that you go to the store maybe 3 times a month for groceries. That adds up fast. Of course this is just us talking about the negative effects of plastic to the earth. For us humans though, the gasses that are created by the plastic sitting in landfills and the oceans are just in our air, water and food. If it does break down, it is then called micro-plastics and the average size of these is a sesame seed. They get smaller but they don’t actually decompose for centuries.
Again, think of that in our water, food, animals, etc. Health-wise, plastic has been known to cause different cancers, hormone imbalance, organ damage, developmental problems, and infertility. Fun fact, plastic was discovered when a scientist was trying to come up with synthetic estrogen. This is most likely why it screws up your hormones when in contact with poorly made or pierced plastic.
Let’s also check the News:
Plastic into food 🤢
Plastic found in animals 💔
Plastic in humans 😳
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/could-microplastics-in-human-blood-pose-a-health-risk
Plastic in the Great Lakes, USA ~ Drinking Water 😱 ~ This one blames synthetic fibers
That’s another one, synthetic fibers, clothes, sheets, blankets, coats, etc. You’re wearing plastic and it’s getting into you all day and night! 🤢😳
Remember, plastic is made of synthetic estrogen. It takes less than 30 seconds for skin absorption to take place and then travel to and through your bloodstream.
So, let’s talk solutions now.
Here are some articles talking about certain fungi or mushrooms that eat plastic!? 🤔
https://www.treehugger.com/mushroom-that-eats-plastic-5121023
But can you imagine if the governments of the world jump on this idea and fill our landfills and dumps with these mushrooms? Would we end up with a “Last Of Us” mushroom/mold spore zombie apocalypse?! 😂🤣 Well, some can argue that there are already zombies among us! 😅😉
But anyways, let’s talk substitutes for the products you may already have in your home and use everyday.
Due to the hazards of plastic, I use washable silicone baggies, glass mason jars, glass mixing bowls, beeswax wraps, and silicone ice cube trays, just to name a few kitchen replacements. Let me go into detail about a couple common kitchen tools.
The Kitchen Sponge- According to a study in a peer-reviewed journal of applied microbiology, a test done in 15 different kitchens found that the kitchen was more heavily contaminated than the bathroom toilet seat. One explanation for this? The kitchen sponge. They found over 300 types of bacteria on it. Most regular or conventional sponges are, get this, made from oil based plastic and can be MADE WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS ADDED AS WELL.
Here is one: Triclosan – a pesticide and synthetic chemical that can cause cancer, skin irritation, and developmental toxicity. So, you are cleaning your dishes, pot and pans, silverware, pet bowls, kid’s cups, baby bottles, and countertops with this.
Alternatives:
Replace your ordinary sponges with biodegradable plant-based sponges. Clean them once a week by throwing them in the dishwasher or boiling them. Keep your sponges as dry as possible when not in use. Clean them with vinegar and essential oils once a week. If it has lived its life, be sure to replace it.
They make a new kind of dish cloth called Swedish Dish Cloth that is designed specifically for dishes. They dry faster, are more absorbent, and are biodegradable.
Don’t use SOS pads again. Paperless Kitchen Premium Dish Wash Scrubs are a great alternative. If that’s not an option, try to find a dish scrub that is non-toxic, made of cotton or wool or copper.
Paper Towels – Pretty much, you’re either a rag family or a paper towel family. Yeah, lots in here about recycling and “mother earth” BUT no matter how you feel on the subject, you want to live a little cleaner, safer, and smarter for your kids so that they have a nice place to live, right? Well, paper towels are pretty darn wasteful with billions of pounds of them created each year and contribute to deforestation. Less trees means less air and protection for the animals in the woods. A few possible ingredients that they use to make paper towels include chlorine (bleach, toxic, burns, upper respiratory and neurological issues), formaldehyde (cancerous tumors, skin irritation, asthma, COPD), BPA and BPS (harmful to fetuses, babies, and children, increases blood pressure, causes behavioral issues, and is similar to the synthetic estrogen in plastics and store receipts as it disrupts normal hormone function), and finally inks and dyes. These inks and dyes can cause kidney problems, brain and thyroid tumors, chromosomal damage, hyperactivity, different types of cancers. They can also have metals such as lead, nickel, titanium, cadmium, and more. *Note* It is not considered safe to wrap food in newspaper either. So, that’s a handful of crap for one very popular item that is used in millions of homes…. Alternatives? Continue on and let’s see:
Paperless “paper” towels, homemade by yourself or found on Etsy dot com. They have a great variety of patterns and colors to choose from. By purchasing on that site, you can help a more “local” non-corporate family or person by giving them your hard earned cash. The reusable unpaper towels are dishwasher safe and washer safe. There are also reusable bamboo towels which are made from biodegradable fibers, are free of GMO’s, parabens, fragrance, BPA, and trees. Bamboo grows within months instead of years like trees, so that’s a plus.
Two more “personal” products I would like to discuss quick too: diapers & pads.
Diapers – My first baby used Huggies Little Snugglers (Winnie the Pooh) diapers. He ended up with a chemical burn when wearing them. I called the company but all they did was send coupons for more… Who in their right mind would say, “oh okay, yes, let’s try again to see if MY CHILD gets another chemical burn.” Oh **** no!
So, turns out, there are many harmful ingredients in diapers. Of course we are talking the regular, modern, plastic, throw away diapers: chlorine, latex, lotions, inks, fragrances, pesticide residue, adhesives, dioxins, SAP (super-absorbent polymer or sodium polyacrylate), ethyl benzene, xylene, VOC’s, and made with a non-recyclable polyethylene plastic. This type of plastic takes hundreds of years to break down by the way. Diapers are leaching these chemicals onto and into your baby. Known issues with these ingredients: neurological and respiratory issues, toxins, a known neurotoxin, and a few of the listed chemicals are linked to cancer.
Alternatives: cloth diapers, Honest brand diapers, Dyper brand diapers. Try your best to find a biodegradable diaper made of cloth, corn, or bamboo. Obviously, some of these aren’t disposable diapers. Like the cloth diapers, you need to hand wash them and re-use them. Keep in mind, about 50 years ago, the only option was cloth reusable diapers. Disposable diapers were considered luxury items to only be used on vacation and at other events.
Pads and Tampons – Did you know that these super personal products are not even regulated by the FDA? They only regulate the absorbency part for marketing purposes. They don’t know what goes into these and the companies are not obligated to share the ingredients either… The big brand named ones bleach their products with chlorine even! These are right next to or in your…. Fun parts! What the ****?! Not to mention the cotton that is used is sprayed with pesticides, there is plastic used to wrap them and inside them now too, plus even some kind of odd graphene in pads?? All of this is absolutely ridiculous. These toxins can mess with your fertility and cause cancer. So what are the solutions? There are other healthier options. Try to find pads or tampons that say organic, non-toxic, no dyes, made with non-GMO cotton. There is a market for them, so they should be easy to find. Other options are cloth pads, period panties, or the “cup”.
Wow, okay I’ll try to stop there. I can talk all day about trying to live cleaner and how corrupt everything is so let end this part with a short substitution list.
Bedding ~ Wool ~ https://sonomawoolcompany.com/
Clothing ~ homemade, organic, bamboo ~
https://alexanderlayne.shop/ (kids pajamas)
~Take your own bags to the store
~Buy or make bar soap
~Make your own toothpaste
~Bamboo toothbrush, plates, utensils, toilet paper
~Look into bamboo, stainless steel, wood, hemp, glass alternatives
~Wood toys
~And SO MUCH MORE!! 💕
NOW we can talk detoxing 😊
Of course, the usual: Eat organic healthy foods, drink clean structured water, keep up with exercise, grounding, meditation, and spirituality, and use technology (phones, WiFi, routers, GPS) as little as possible. But, most likely, you will be or have been exposed to plastic or microplastics already, heck it’s in the air and clouds even! So here is a list of some supplements that I have found to be helpful in detoxing or removing these toxic pests.
~Eating Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Kale)
~Aid Your Liver With Milk Thistle and Dandelion Root
~Try A Detoxing Bath With Bentonite Clay, Baking Soda, Epsom Salt, and Your Favorite Essential Oil. Rinse With Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Oil Soap
~Try Boiling Your Water Before Use
~Try Supplements Like Activated Charcoal, Chlorella, A Probiotic, Black Seed Oil, Olive Leaf, Green Tea, Turmeric With Black Pepper, and ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)
~Look Into Infrared Sauna Therapy, Castor Oil Packs, A Cleansing Enema, and Fasting
If you wish to learn more about plastic and where we are headed, 😨🤯 watch these Documentaries:
~Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
~A Plastic Ocean
~Plastic People (coming soon) https://plasticpeopledoc.com/
Hope This Was Helpful! Blessings & Positivity To You All! 🥰💖 ~Helena From Helena’s Healing Haven
