In our daily lives, I’m sure there are plenty of examples where we pick the convenient route over the more sustainable one. Like, buying coffee instead of brewing it at home or snagging a protein bar when you don’t have time to cook. All of these are produced in single-use packaging and plastics. While it may seem inconsequential at the time of consumption, these discarded materials add up.

Not to mention that you’re gulping down microplastics with every swig or bite you take from these packages/serviceware. Many of these are loaded with endocrine disruptors — chemicals that lead to hormonal imbalances after exposure — and cause various issues such as infertility or even cancer. This isn’t even considering the anthropogenic environmental impacts on our already strained ecosystems.

Right now, North Carolina’s very own House Bill 8: NC Managing Environmental Waste Act of 2025 is in committee and advocates for the reduction and management of the disposal of single-use waste. $50,000 would also be appropriated from the General Fund to conduct the study into the environmental impacts of plastics through various institutions, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With all that being said, I personally wouldn’t mind having to block out time out of my mornings to make a latte or a plastic-free breakfast if it meant everyone and everything were just even a little safer and healthier.

— EJ Repsher
Salisbury