Are you taking part in Plastic Free July this year? We are!

This global movement is designed to help millions of people, worldwide, to become a part of the solution to plastic pollution – and best of all, all it takes is a few simple changes in your everyday life to reduce the impact on our Ocean.

It’s no surprise that plastics have become so widely used across the globe. These modern, durable materials have transformed the way we live, work and play, becoming integral to our daily lives. Both functional and practical, they are now used in everything from water bottles and straws to clothing and even teabags – but this man made material is also resistant to natural biodegradation, and while some types of plastic can be recycled, much of it ends up in landfill or as waste litter in our Ocean.

The biggest issue is with single-use plastics – in other words, those which are used only once before they are thrown away. This includes popular everyday items such as drinks bottles, carrier bags, and the plastic trays that many supermarket items – such as meat, fish or fruit – come in.

Thanks to the Blue Planet effect, many people are now aware of the significant impact plastic waste is having on our Ocean

Despite what many people might think, the plastic you throw away can still make its way into the Ocean even if you live hundreds of miles from the coast. Once in the Ocean, plastic decomposes very slowly, breaking down in to tiny pieces known as micro plastics that can be incredibly damaging to sea life. 80% of plastic in our Oceans comes from land sources – but how exactly does t get there?

There are three main ways the plastic we use every day ends up in the Ocean.

1. Throwing recyclable plastic in your general waste bin

Plastic you put into your general waste  bin ends up in landfill. When rubbish is being transported to landfill, plastic is often blown away because it’s so lightweight. From there, it can eventually enter drains, making its way down rivers and into the sea.

2. Littering

Litter that is dropped on the streets is carried into streams, rivers and drains by wind and rainwater – and all of these lead to the Ocean. Careless and improper waste disposal is also a big contributor – fly tipping, or illegal dumping of waste, only adds to the amount of plastic waste in our Ocean.

3. Flushing products containing plastic down the toilet or drain

Products such as wet wipes, cotton pads and sanitary products are often flushed down the toilet – and all of them actually contain plastic. Wet wipes, in particular, are responsible for over 80% of so-called ‘fatbergs’ – huge masses of waste that collect to block our sewer systems and again, often end up in the Ocean.

Microfibres are even released into waterways when we wash our clothes in the washing machine, as they are too small to be filtered out by waste water plants and end up being consumed by small species that live in the Ocean, eventually even ending up in our food chain.

Thankfully, a ban on microbeads in rinse-off cosmetic and cleaning products has now been introduced by the UK Government, so that these small plastic beads will no longer get washed down the sink and out into our Ocean. Similary, wet wipes can no longer be branded as ‘flushable’ if they contain any plastic.

Even so, there are still plenty of items which still DO get into our water systems – but the great news is that there are lots of simple things you can do to help.

How you can help

When it comes to reducing plastic pollution in our Ocean, we can all be a part of the solution – so why not use Plastic Free July as an excuse to take a look at your daily habits and see what simple changes you can make to help? It’s not easy going completely plastic free, but the good news is that you don’t have to – every little helps and will add up to create a big impact, so here are some small ways to get started.

Refuse!

Simply saying no to single use plastic items can help to reduce the amount of plastic entering the Ocean, and feeds back to plastic producers that it is not something people want or need.

Reduce!

See what changes you can make in your plastic use. Focus on a room at a time and see what changes you can make. For example, swap out a bottle of shampoo, conditioner or shower gel for its bar version.

Reuse!

If you have bought a plastic item, consider reusing it multiple time before disposing of it. Consider a reusable alternative to single use items, such as reusable straws, coffee cups, bags and bottles.

Recycle!

After going through the first three Rs, recycling is something that you can readily do at home. Check thoroughly what you can recycle at home with your local authority, and look at schemes such as Terracycle, which collect in local village halls, churches and schools to recycle things from crisp packets to pet food pouches.

 

And finally, avoid flushing anything down your toilet besides paper!

Join us this Plastic Free July and become part of the solution to plastic pollution!