Plastic – what is all the fuss about?
So what is the big deal with Plastic?
Plastic is a man made material, made from a fossil fuel, oil. So apart from this having a massive environmental impact it is currently impossible to get rid of. Over time, plastic breaks down into minute particles and gets everywhere and anywhere. The biggest culprit of this is single use plastic. Thankfully, the harm that plastic is creating is more widely known and many communities are trying to stop its use. TV and Social Media have really helped in highlighting what affect we are having on other species on the Planet, because of it.
It was first invented in 1907. During the 1950s and 1960s a system was invented to make plastic cheap to produce and so became widely available, and very popular.
It can now be found everywhere, even where you wouldn’t think! Who knew that some tea bags had it in? Or that a standard packet of sanitary towels contains as much plastic as 4 carrier bags?
Thankfully, this plight has been taken on globally and there are inventions to try and collect plastic from the oceans. Products which had previously made out of plastic are now being invented from more natural materials, such as bamboo, wood, hemp etc.
Many global companies are now taking their environmental responsibility more seriously. Look at McDonalds and the plastic straw replacement, supermarkets which don’t have single use carrier bags anymore, more refill shops can be found on the high street, nearly all shoppers bring their own bags when they shop.
Companies are also finding ways to reuse plastic and make new products out of it. I will be selling beach towels made from 100% recycled plastic bottles! Who knew there was such a thing? Obviously not having the plastic in the first place would be the best thing, but we cant go back and change that, so lets try and appreciate inventions which are trying to use existing plastic in a constructive way.
Did you know about Plastic Free July? Did you know that such a thing even existed?
Plastic Free July is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation that allows us to work towards our vision of seeing a world free of plastic waste. From humble beginnings in 2011, the award-winning Plastic Free July campaign is the result of years of hard work.
It was started by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz (the founder of the Plastic Free Foundation) and a small team in local government in Western Australia, and is now one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world. Millions of people across the globe take part every year, with many committing to reducing plastic pollution far beyond the month of July
People who know me, or follow me on Social Media, know that I am one for making things as simple as possible and also the fact that doing something is better than nothing. Taking responsibility for your actions has to be a fundamental part of life and is a great tool to pass onto your children too. Simple swaps is all that it takes – buy a metal drinks bottle so you can refill and take with you when you go out, keep a shopping bag in your car or handbag so you don’t have to buy one when you are out, buy loose fruit and vegetables when you can, use a bar of soap, swap to a non plastic toothbrush etc.
There are many improvements still to be made, like toothpaste tubes, but there are also alternatives to this now – glass jars or tablets.
Nobody is asking you to do everything, and certainly don’t throw out plastic to have something which isn’t (is swap toothbrushes), use what you have until it needs replacing and then when you do replace it, try and get a non plastic alternative.
Take a look at https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/ for more ideas and information about what you can easily do to make it a better and safer environment for our future.