Reduce – how to use less plastic
Reuse – ideas for unwanted plastic
Recycle – plastic types and symbols
We can all take steps to reduce our contribution to climate change. What changes can you make? Maybe’s it’s switching your energy provider or eating less red meat. We can choose to live differently and care for creation.
Plastic has been transforming our lives for decades due to its convenience. As we are now realising, the rise in its use comes at a cost. Every year we throw away millions of tonnes of plastic, much of which ends up in our oceans.
The amount of plastic we produce each year is set to double in the next 20 years and quadruple by 2050. This is not sustainable – nearly all the plastic ever created still exists in some form today, with almost 80% of it going to landfills or the natural environment. Most plastics take decades or even centuries to degrade.
The extent of health consequences for humans are as yet unknown. Micro-particles and microfibres have been found in products such as honey, sugar, shellfish, bottled and tap water, beer, processed foods, salt and soft drinks. Some micro-particles may pass through the body without causing harm. Many may be carcinogenic or disrupt hormones.
Sea birds have stomachs full of plastic and turtles, dolphins and seals are at risk of being entangled in bags and other debris, or mistaking plastic for food. According to research by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation by 2050 the ocean will contain more plastic by weight than fish. A recent study reported finding plastic in a third of UK-caught fish, including cod, haddock, mackerel and shellfish. It has been suggested that people who eat seafood could be consuming up to 11,000 tiny pieces of plastic every year.
Round the world yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur campaigns to promote a system in which plastic bottles are reused, refilled and recycled rather than used once and thrown away. The idea is for resources to be kept in use for as long as possible, then recovered and made into other products and materials. As she puts it, “we need to change the way people think, the way things are designed, the materials that are put into them”.
A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and the number is increasing. In 2016 just 7% of plastic bottles collected for recycling were turned into new bottles. Instead most ends up in landfill or in the ocean. Plastic drinking bottles could be made out of 100% recycled plastic. For cosmetic reasons many drinks companies want their products in shiny, clear plastic bottles even though making bottles out of 100% recycled plastic can use 75% less energy.
By reducing the amount of plastic we use we can help lessen the effect on the environment.
What can I do?
Rather than trying to make lots of big changes all at once, it is best to take it one step at a time. Living a zero-plastic lifestyle is not practical for most of us. A better alternative is to try to minimise our use of plastic by planning in advance how things can be reused and recycled at the end of their life.
Think of one change that you can do today, perhaps saying no to a particular single use throw away plastic item. Set achievable, realistic goals that are not overwhelming so that you are more likely to keep going in the long term.
Do what you can, when you can and don’t beat yourself up about it. If everyone does a little bit it will have a huge impact and gradually we can make a collective change.
Recycling alone will never solve the problem caused by a massive production of single-use plastic that should have been avoided in the first place. We need to talk loudly about the problem to whoever will listen – family, friends, supermarkets, product producers, government, local authorities, and anyone who will listen.
Remember, the order of priority is:
- Reduce – the best option is to create less waste in the first place
- Reuse – Reuse items for a different purpose rather than throwing them away. The more we can reuse around our home and garden, the less goes to waste
- Recycle – learn about the recycling symbols here. Rinse bottles and containers to reduce contaminants in the waste stream
Reusing is better than recycling because it saves the energy and pollution that are involved with making products into something else.
Use up and wear out existing containers, toiletries, and other items. Once they are worn out, replace them with the more eco-friendly alternatives.
Be careful not to throw plastic products in waterways, beaches or open spaces. Pick up plastics rubbish whenever you see it, especially in ponds, streams, rivers, beaches.