One of the easiest ways to lessen the impact of hurting our Earth is to sort your rubbish. By separating trash according to the recycling system (plastic, paper, aluminium cans and others), you make it easier to dispose of rubbish.
Not only that but hazardous items will be disposed of safely, which avoids harmful gases being released into our air when they go through the incinerator.
While most malls in Malaysia have adopted the recycle bin system, the act of sorting trash is not properly practised in many households. Therefore, the least we can do is pick disposable items that have environmentally friendly packaging.
Ready to start? Here are some everyday common items you should know when it comes to sorting out and disposing of.
1. Plastic containers
When most people think about contributing to waste in landfills where trash gets burned out in the open, most would think about plastic containers. This fact is widely highlighted for reasons that they contribute the most methane emissions into our atmosphere when being incinerated. Its emissions are harmful to not just wildlife but also to humans breathing the same air.
(Source from supplychain.edf.org)
2. Coffee filter
“It’s only paper, how can it be hard to get rid of?” Well, besides the chemicals used to bleach these filters which can be bad for the environment, most aren’t actually suitable to be recycled because of the oil, from the coffee grounds, trapped in them.
Luckily, they are easy to “recycle” for gardeners. Simply use them as compost (paper and grounds together) for your plants to add some nitrogen.
(Source from coffeeaffection.com)
3. Exfoliating face washes
Contrary to popular belief, microbeads (those tiny bits) in face washes are actually not the best for exfoliating.
The reason is that microbeads in face washes aren’t biodegradable, so once they are flushed down, they remain so in their form, which can be ingested by wildlife. Sure, they do the job of clearing away “dead skin cells”, but there are other better alternatives such as a face scrub brush tool or a gentle loofah.
If you don’t like the idea of using semi-permanent tools, perhaps consider washing your face with water dripping into a basin, then filter the water through a fine mesh to capture those microbeads instead so they can be incinerated at landfills properly.
(Source from imperial.ac.uk)
4. Disposable chopsticks
Yes, they are convenient and also just as dangerous if disposed of incorrectly. That’s because the majority of disposable chopsticks go through chemical treatment processes to make them resistant to mould growth as well as look uniform. These treatments in turn make these chopsticks non-biodegradable.
Such chopsticks should go through a proper incinerator so that toxic fumes do not get released into the air. If you skip sorting these chopsticks out from your trash, they get piled together with other trash sent to landfills and get burned out in the open.
(Source from foodunfolded.com)
5. Disposable vapes
Alright, how many of you are guilty of throwing your disposable vapes right into the bin after using them for a few days, or just because you don’t like the flavour?
Aside from the obvious fact that the disposable packaging themselves is made of plastic, the other reason why they are not environmentally friendly is because of the battery, chemicals and even nicotine content inside. Not to mention, millions are thrown away DAILY due to the growing number of consumers.
The risk here is that the disposables can leak, and when coming into contact with plastic waste at landfills, it can slow down or reduce the ease of recycling/disposing of the plastic waste. Additionally, these also act as a risk of harmful chemicals like battery acid, lithium and nicotine leaking into the environment. Now that’s terrible!
(Source from greenpeace.org.uk)
Best Environmentally-Friendly Alternatives
Unlike the others on this list, disposable vapes on the market hardly have a good alternative. Thus, it’ll be difficult to stop thinking about it whenever you buy a disposable from the nearest convenience store and then discard it when finished.
It’s understandable that it’s easier to stick with disposables due to convenience and ease of use, especially for those trying to quit cigarettes. But it’s also important to know how much it would harm the environment, and not to mention, your wallet.
Luckily, there are good, quality vape pod options in Malaysia: the AirsPops line by AIRSCREAM, which are known for their pleasant flavours, long use and, most importantly, cash-saving aspect.
Recognising the need for better vape pod systems, AIRSCREAM has produced an array of vape pods from the AirsPops line for you to choose from.
So, instead of buying new disposables whenever you need to hit the clouds, we should all highly consider switching to a vape pod system that we can simply refill easily instead. Having tried them with AIRSCREAM’s original and tantalising 313 E-liquid range, we assure you that it won’t go wrong.
Usability is not compromised with the AirsPops vape pods. They are designed to be easy to use and switch flavours for continuous use thanks to their coil head’s magnetised cartridge connection. That means all you need to do is change the coil head instead of the body.
AirsPops Pro
The AirsPops Pro amps up its longevity with its 700mAh battery capacity which can hold out and requires charging only once a day. Their 10 flavours offer a velvety-smooth and authentic taste that does not compromise on quality.
It’s also easy to use, with an on/off button for activation as well as draw-activated. With a child-lock feature, it makes them safe from children who might accidentally get a hold of them.
For the best vaping experience, the AirsPops Pro is recommended to be filled with AIRSCREAM’s 313 E-liquid series.
AirsPops Pro Lite
Buy: AirsPops by AIRSCREAM in Malaysia
AIRSCREAM’s range of Vape Pods is designed simple and easy to use, as well as pleasant since you get to choose from an array of delicious fruity, creamy, minty or tobacco-like flavours.
If you aren’t ready to fully switch, you can opt to choose from AIRSCREAM’s pre-filled pods, which come in sets of two pods per pack to be used on your vape device’s empty pod cartridge and filled with your preferred E-liquid flavour. For consideration, you can try AIRSCREAM’s latest Breathe Better kit, tailored especially for those keen to quit smoking. This product is, in fact, one of the best vape starter kits you can buy and invest in.
Malaysians can also check out the other AirsPops line options at AIRSCREAM’s official online shop:
[This post was made in collaboration with AIRSCREAM UK.]