PLASTIC FREE JULY

 


WHAT IS PLASTIC FREE JULY?
This month it is Plastic Free July! Now this can sound a bit daunting, but don't worry, you don't have to give up plastic entirely: it can be more about making small changes to your lifestyle such as investing in a reusable water bottle so you don't have to keep buying plastic ones. No matter how big or small you want to go, there is something out there for everyone. 

THE ISSUE:
The problem with plastics is that they take so long to break down, unlike paper or cardboard. It can take decades for them to break down into tiny pieces called microplastics (more on them later), let alone break down completely. This wouldn't matter so much if it was we just used plastic occasionally, but over the past years it has crept into every aspect of our lives and we couldn't imagine a day without it! To make matters worse, companies and businesses have designed plastics that are only meant to be used once, wasting all the energy it took to make them. This has to stop! Here are some quick facts to make it really clear:
  • Roughly 9 billion tons of plastic has been produced since 1950 — the weight of over a billion elephants or 50 million blue whales.
  • Only 9% of this plastic has been recycled, 12% has been burned and 79% has ended up in our environment.
  • The equivalent of a truckload of plastic enters the oceans every minute.
  • Up to 9 in 10 seabirds, 1 in 3 sea turtles and more than half of whale and dolphin populations have ingested plastic. Studies reveal that species of crustaceans at the deepest depths of the ocean have ingested plastic.
  • Microplastics are in our food, water, air and even our bodies. We each consume the weight of a credit card worth of plastic on average per week.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
There are plenty of things we can all do, starting with cutting down on the plastics in our own lives. Next time you go shopping, try to bring a reusable cloth bag. Do you really need the plastic straw the café is offering you? There is plenty of information on the Plastic Free July website. Plus, I'm going to be regularly posting with tips and ideas to try this month. And lastly, it is important to share what you are doing- don't just keep it to yourself. Tell friends and family, get them involved.

Good luck! Ayla :)

Comments

  1. I never new of plastic free July! It would be a great thong to mention at school. Great information Ayla, thanks.
    Esther

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Esther- glad you enjoyed it! I have loved reading your twitter as well, your journal and kestrel watercolour are beautiful.
    Ayla

    ReplyDelete

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