My Sister’s Closet's entire business is built on sustainability, so it’s no surprise that we’re strict on our ban on single use plastics. Single use plastics cause a huge detriment to the environment and to the health of people. It is important to be knowledgeable about these dangers to make better decisions for the well being of the planet and for our families. That’s why Ann Siner, CEO of our company, banned single use plastics all the way back in 2014 for a multitude of reasons that include the health and safety of our employees and customers, as well as the wellness of our planet over all.
Out of the 50 billion plastic water bottles used just last year, only about a fourth were recycled. That means that the rest of this waste went to dumps and littered the environment. Plastic never goes away, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually turning into something called microplastics. In aquatic environments, plankton will eat these microplastics and these toxic materials will work all the way up the food chain to be ingested by people. By the year 2050 there will be more plastic by weight than there will be fish, which is a terrifying prospect.
Plastics that make their way into the human body are dangerous to our normal everyday functions. As mentioned before, because of microplastics found in the food chain, studies have shown that human beings are suffering the consequences of their actions through hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems, and even cancer. Single use plastics have a huge effect on climate change as well. Single use plastics are made using fossil fuels, and it is estimated that 12.5 to 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas from these fuels is being admitted to our atmosphere. Furthermore the removal of forested land to make space for these plastic factories has created more carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere with no trees to turn it back into oxygen. 1.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide have already been released.
This is why we’ve banned plastics from our stores. The dangers of using single use plastics far outweigh the ‘convenience’ of them. Our employees use reusable water bottles, and we offer paper bags for 25 cents instead of the plastic alternative, because we care about the environment and the people that live in it. Take a stand against single use plastic today, and we can guarantee that ocean denizens, our atmosphere, and even more affected by plastic will thank you!
