Bloganuary Day 18: What would I un-invent?

Bloganuary writing prompt

If you could un-invent something, what would it be?

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I would like to un-invent single-use plastics if I could.

While convenient, single-use plastics such as Plastic bags, straws, and other disposable items cause immense waste and pollution. They harm wildlife, clog landfills, and pollute oceans. Their short lifespan and negative environmental impact are significant. Not to mention their impact on global warming, and I don’t even want to get started.

Additionally, the damages caused by microplastics are only emerging as we speak. Research suggests that the impact of microplastics could be much worse than we ever knew. I’m no sustainability expert, but in my opinion the damage caused by single-use plastics far exceeds their utility. If we could just uninvent them and use sustainable alternatives instead, that would make the world a better place.

Want to know more on single use plastics and their impact? Check out the following links:

• The health and environmental impacts of single-use plastics
• Single-Use Plastics 101
• Everything you should know about single-use plastic

While it is not possible to uninvent them in the traditional sense of the word, we could always cut down on their use and switch to sustainable alternatives.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be a climate change advocate and preach to my heart’s content. It is also a fact that big corporations, such as the fossil fuel industry, are the biggest polluters in the world, the adverse impact on the world from individuals like us is much less. Nonetheless, by adopting unsustainable practices, we are enabling big corporates who continue to pollute without impunity. I am also a big believer in ripple effects. All it takes is one person to facilitate a change. So, if four or five of us reduce our single-use plastic consumption, it is going to create a ripple effect that might make the world a better place.

What do you think?

P.S.

On a lighter note, I would also uninvent pineapple on pizza if I could. 😉

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This post was written as part of the Bloganuary challenge of WordPress.com. Bloganuary is a month-long challenge, where bloggers are challenged to write a new blog post every day, based on a daily writing prompt. You will need a WordPress.com account to get the prompts, but you can blog on any platform of your choice – OR even journal privately. Oh btw, there is no bloganuary police – so you can pick your own prompts if you wish to!

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