PLASTIC FREEDOM
THE 5 BIGGEST REASONS TO REDUCE YOUR SINGLE USE PLASTIC DEPENDANCE.
1) It is polluting our water ways and killing our wildlife
2) It is used for seconds or minutes but takes thousands of years to biodegrade
3) It can break down into microplastics & enter the foodchain
4) It can leach chemicals into our food or water
5 There are easy to use, cheap alternatives!
Why did I stop relying on single use plastic?
I never intended to get so anti single use plastic. But working on the front line in Turtle conservation in Malaysia, I got a first hand sight of the impact plastic is having.
I want to show you a video. The video shows a Mother Green Turtle post laying a clutch of 100+ eggs. I took this video in 2017.
To lay the eggs, she had to sort through ocean borne plastic. To leave again she must do the same.
When hatched, her babies, around 1.5 inches long, will have to find their way to the ocean through this rubbish, often bigger than themselves. 1/3 will become trapped.
Beach cleaning is a never ending job, and although it's an important job, it's vital to prevent the problem to start with.
we use 500 million plastic bottles globally per year
we use 1 trillion plastic bags globally per year
The us alone discards 2 billion plastic razors every year
the uk uses more than 8.5 billion plastic straws per year
Who's responsibility is the plastic problem?
Everyone's. We all have a part to play in reducing the plastic pollution that is plaguing our planet. From the consumer to the producer, we all have a responsibility to reduce our single use plastic use. We cannot keep blaming another party. The time is here to take responsibility.
BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS!
REDUCING YOUR SINGLE USE PLASTIC USE IS EASY!
Gone are the times when plastic use wasn't taken so seriously and we're moving past recycling as the solution.
We are waking up to the huge problem that plastic is causing and the amount of energy needed to make single use plastic.
We are shifting into a time of Plastic Free.
What can you do?
Single use plastics are the big enemy. The convenience plastics. These are the plastics that you don't even realise you are using! Common single use plastics are:
PRODUCE BAGS IN THE SUPERMARKET
CARRIER BAGS
TAKE AWAY COFFEE CUPS AND LIDS
CRISP PACKETS, FOOD PACKAGING, SWEET WRAPPERS
SINGLE USE WATER BOTTLE
SAUCE SACHETS
STRAWS
CIGERETTE BUTTS
Easy peasy ways to avoid these key single use plastics include:
Reusable Coffee Mugs
Reusable Bags
Reusable Water Bottle
Glass or Stainless Steel straws.
Giving up smoking.
Eating less processed foods.
Shopping at a farmers market.
What are the single use plastics that YOU use, and that YOU can reduce?
Of course, what we all consume is vastly different. Finding out the things that you can reduce yourself is the start of a fantastic journey. The first place to start is doing a waste audit on your own bins.
Once you have an idea of what is the biggest contributor to your waste- you can work out a sustainable and long term method to reduce your waste.
Where to go now?
We have a lot of plastic free ideas and inspiration. All of this content is neatly together when you follow this link. Head there and explore all the ways you can take your journey of reudicng your plastic to greater lengths.