Yes, we've all heard it before "Plastic is bad for the environment!", "Stop using plastic". But do you actually know how bad it is?
Indonesia is the second largest contributor of ocean plastic pollution in the world. Plastic items take 1000 years to degrade in landfills, while plastic bottles take at least 450 years [1]. Years after we're long gone, our great great grandchildren will have to deal with the plastic cup we used to drink that coffee we bought that one time. Other countries produce and consume plastics too, but the reason why Indonesia has a reputation for being environmentally negligent, is the lack of a proper waste management system in Indonesia. Not to mention, other countries export their wastes to Indonesia, sometimes illegally!
So what does that mean? To put it simply, the Indonesian government doesn't have policies in place for proper waste separation and management, and the Indonesian population generally doesn't recycle or know how to. This means all our plastic wastes go to the landfills, piling up to be mountains that could be bigger than Mount Bromo. Unfortunately, this led to a tragedy which happened on 21st February 2005, where an explosion in Leuwigajah Landfill caused by heavy rain and methane gas build-up took over 140 lives. The date 21st February is now known as Indonesia's National Trash Awareness Day.
Furthermore, due to plastic ocean pollution, we are estimated to eat around 50,000 micro-plastic particles in a year!
No recycling --> trash goes to the landfills --> some ends up in the sea --> fish eats them --> we eat the fish = we eat 50,000 micro-plastic particles in a year.
"I want to bring a tumbler around but.."
We know what you're thinking: "I want to bring a tumbler around but.."
I always forget to
It's heavy
It doesn't fit in my cute little purse
It doesn't look cool
I'm too lazy to wash it after use
We've all been there! From our personal experiences, starting was definitely the difficult part. But after the first couple of weeks, we got used to bringing around a tumbler (with our metal straws and reusable cutleries as well). To be honest, there's a lot of benefits to it that definitely outweighs the negatives!
Benefits of Having Your Own Tumbler
1. Special discounts and offers from F&B outlets
We contacted a bunch of F&B outlets around Indonesia and compiled a list of promotions they offer if you bring your own tumbler or mug!
As of March 2020
*Promotions may differ in branches, and/or have changed by the time this post is published
2. You save money!
It's much cheaper to refill your own water bottle than buying a single-use plastic bottle each time. Just think about it, a medium-sized bottled water costs around Rp. 2,500. If you buy three per week, then it equals to Rp. 30,000 per month and Rp. 390,000 per year! While a good quality tumbler starts at around Rp. 75,000 and can last for years!
This also applies to carrying reusable bags for groceries because some supermarkets charge for plastic bags. Not to mention, single use plastic bags are already banned in Bali and will be banned in Jakarta next July!
3. Of course, it's eco-friendly!
Not only is plastic such a nightmare to degrade, the creation of plastic bottles itself involves a heavy polluting production process and high carbon footprint. It is estimated that the energy used in the production and use of plastic bottles is equivalent to filling the bottles one-quarter full with oil [2]!
We can easily reduce our carbon footprint and work towards reducing plastic waste by getting a tumbler, thermos, mug, flask, you name it! This means you can fill your tumbler whenever you want, saving money and the environment! Imagine the hundreds of plastic bottle waste per year that you avoid!
4. It encourages you to stay hydrated
An adult needs to drink an average of two liters of water per day. One of the easiest ways to keep track of your water intake is by having your own tumbler. Some bottles have measurements built in or you can simply count the amount of times you refill, taking into account your bottle volume.
TIP: Get a one-liter water bottle. A bigger bottle encourages you to drink more, and you'll only need to refill it once or twice a day!
5. It's better for your health
Have you ever heard your parents say "Don't drink that plastic bottled water, it's been sitting around under the sun for too long". Well we hate to break it to you, but this is one more thing that your parents are right about.
PET plastic bottles (which is what most single-use plastic water bottles are made of), has been proven to leach antimony into water, especially if they've been left in hot environments for an extended period of time. Not to mention, these bottles basically sit in warehouses that are potentially warm for who knows how long! What is antimony? It's a chemical element that is considered hazardous to human health, causing headaches and even gastrointestinal disturbances.
On top of that, did you know that there's really no sure way to tell what's inside bottled waters? In fact, a study has shown that some bottled water contain a surprisingly high amount of bacteria, with some even more than tap water!
So.. what are you waiting for?
P.S. Our Project Planet vacuum tumbler is for sale for Rp. 120,000 (heat and cold resistant, includes filter cap). Just reach out to us if you're interested!
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