THE GREEN PAGES

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  Every bit of plastic ever created still exists.
“The oceans are under threat now as never before in human history.” (DAVID ATTENBOROUGH)
The impacts of plastics on the natural world and our health are complex. Plastics enter waterways, kill wildlife and enter our food chain as toxins. Plastic is a major contributor of litter and blocks our drains. Plastics also have wider health concerns, polluting the soil and groundwater as well as using oil in their manufacture. The most damage is done by single use plastics: packaging, straws, disposable coffee cups, water bottles, garden plants sold in plastic pots, and so on.


                                                    What can we do?
     Local and national organisations and groups that you can join, or that offer advice are listed on this page.
                                              Meanwhile, the most useful local approach is “reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse”.
So much of what we buy is disposable, costing us more money in the long term and harming the natural world. Some simple steps that everyone could introduce right now include: Use reusable shopping bags. Stop using disposable coffee cups, straws and plastic water bottles. Don't buy goods with plastic. Don’t buy products with microbeads. Shop locally, as smaller retailers tend to use less plastic.

Of course, the biggest problems are caused on a worldwide scale by major companies using plastic to wrap their goods in because its more convenient and cost effective for them to do so. So the biggest impact will come if we all write to these companies and declare we will stop buying their products. It will then stop being cost effective, and they will change their ways very quickly.

10 EASY WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR PLASTIC FOOTPRINT
  • 1. Start at home. Do a plastic audit of your household. Shower bottles, deodorants, washing up liquids, shampoo bottles. Aim to make reductions here by ditching shower gel for soap and the plastic cotton buds for recyclable ones; buy liquid detergent in recycled plastic bottles and find a refill station to fill them up. Shampoo bars and toilet paper in recycled packaging are also available.
  • 2. Billions of plastic toothbrushes are thrown out each year. Try using bamboo toothbrushes instead which only take about six months to biodegrade back into the soil when you have to replace your brush.
  • 3. Carry reuseable fabric shopping bags.
  • 4. Try buying wholesale and putting dried products such as rice, pasta and lentils into glass jars to avoid buying products wrapped in plastic.
  • 5. Recycle old plastic children’s toys. Search for a toy library in your area to borrow from or donate to. And consider charity shops when looking for gifts.
  • 6. Carry a reuseable coffee cup or flask; 7 million plastic-lined coffee cups are thrown away in the UK every day.
  • 7. Say no to plastic cutlery. Carry a fork with you or use a compostable alternative.
  • 8. Ditch cling film wrap for your food. Foil is recyclable, so use foil instead or reuseable plastic boxes.
  • 9. Use an electric razor instead of plastic disposable one.
  • 10. Write to companies whose packaging is non-recyclable, asking them to consider using less destructive materials. Maybe even think about starting a social media campaign to raise awareness. Strength in numbers!

National / International
                            The biggest problem the world faces is over population.
                              Too much plastic? - too many people using plastic. Too many cars? - too many people want to drive.
                                                     Too much consumption? - too many people who need to consume.


“All our environmental problems become easier to solve with fewer people, and harder
— and ultimately impossible —
to solve with ever more people.” 

Sir David Attenborough, 
Population Matters patron
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