Just because it's disposable does not mean it's going away.

Hot tip: Cut down old disposable forks to make it appear as if they're attacking you. Great for blogs!

When I began this blog, I did so hoping to gain some valuable insight into today's pressing environmental issues — knowledge that would make me into a better individual. I've learned a lot, and I'm pleased to report that my lifestyle has become more sustainable, if only mildly. One side effect though, that I neither foresaw or have since been able to remedy is my knowledge of the adverse effects that disposable items can have on the environment.

My inherent and unshakable neuroticism comes alive anytime I try to get food. It seems that there is no such thing as a reusable straw in the world, and with fast food and take out the norm in our modern society, nearly any meal you pick up will involve something throw away — plastic silverware, wrappers, foil, tiny sauce packets. Short of bringing my own silverware around town (which now seems like a better idea than I thought as I wrote it) disposable items are nearly unavoidable.

Most of our disposable items are made from plastics which, while cheap, can take hundreds of years to biodegrade, taking up valuable space in landfills and seeping toxins into nearby groundwater and soil all the while. They require petroleum to produce, and their manufacturing contributes to global warming.

When dumped into the ocean, plastics don't ever break down completely. Instead they go through a process known as photodegradation, where plastics break down into smaller and smaller parts while still remaining a polymer, eventually reaching the molecular level. The garbage in our water supplies caused by thrown away plastics is responsible for the now infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch, in the North Pacific. These minute plastic particles enter the food supply when they become small enough to be consumed by small fish, eventually working their way up the food chain to larger creatures, humans included.

And the health effects go beyond contaminated seafood. Plastic plates and containers are synthesized with carcinogenic chemicals that, when microwaved, can mix into our food. Phthalates, which help make plastics flexible, have been shown to affect the male reproductive system in children.

As with most environmental use problems, there are simple solutions that can you can do to cut dramatically into your impact. Tipnut's got a great list of 20 products you can use twice before tossing — from writing notes and grocery lists on old envelopes to reusing cardboard egg cartons as homemade fire starters. An article on HubPages boldly directs us to stop using disposable toilet paper, feminine products, and shampoo. People find it gross, but cloth handkerchiefs are a completely normal way to stop the spread of germs while saving trees from a terrible end.

There is an endless supply of clever ideas when it comes to reuse. Any ideas from the readers for the other readers?