Did you know that disposable plastic takes, on average, 250 to 400 years to decompose? And that to produce one kilogram of paper, 540 liters of water are needed? Furthermore, for every ton, two to three tons of wood are used? Now imagine how much we use these materials in our daily lives and how this directly reflects on the environment.
“The great impact of disposable plastic is precisely the ‘disposable’ aspect, because you consume and discard it very quickly, and most of the time this disposal is done improperly, generating pollution in the soil and in the waters,” says environmental sanitation engineer Marta Brito.
The engineer also highlights that plastic can be quite harmful to health. “Those plastic cups we usually use for coffee, when in contact with hot beverages, release xenoestrogens, a carcinogenic substance,” warns Marta, who continues…. “This is the path, through simple measures from a company, that in the aggregate becomes significant. Check out some simple measures 
that can be taken in a company:
• Glass straws: After disposable cups, plastic straws are another villain for the environment. But they are also quite embedded in Brazilian habits. Is there a drink? Then there’s a straw.
• Cloth towels: Some companies have already replaced paper towels for drying hands with traditional cloth towels.
• Aluminum cups: Companies can eliminate the use of disposable cups, and employees bring their own cups and bottles.
Bill Proposal
The Environment Commission approved the bill (PLS 92/2018) that provides for the gradual removal of plastic from the composition of plates,
cups, trays, and disposable cutlery.
According to the text, within ten years, plastic should be replaced by biodegradable materials in items intended for packaging ready-to-eat food.
According to the approved text, plastic should be replaced in 20% of utensils within two years after the eventual enactment of the law. This requirement will increase to 50% after 4 years; to 60% after 6 years; and to 80% after 8 years. Plastic should be completely banned after ten years.
“The whole world is on this route, to incorporate the green and circular economy. It is a gradual change because the intention is to change the energy matrix, that is, instead of coming from petroleum, it will come from plant sources. We will continue to have plastic, but the aim is for it to be produced from renewable sources,” explains Marta.
Source: www.midiamax.com.br, by Mariana Lopes