Can you reduce your single use plastic?
Can you undertake 3 ways to reduce your single use plastic?
Why this action?
Single use plastic packaging requires a large amount of energy and oil (a fossil fuel whose extraction contributes to climate change) for its production, compared to the value of its very short useful life. Once used, what to do with it? A large proportion of single use packaging either cannot be recycled into the same material, or people just don’t and it is discarded as litter causing pollution and significant harm to wildlife on our land, rivers and oceans.
There are many ways to reduce our single use plastic. Try some of these:Together we can help put an end to the single use plastic problem by cutting out small, everyday plastic use.
GEORGINA MILLS MEMBER OF BOSTON SPA, WETHERBY AND VILLAGES COMMUNITY GREEN GROUP
Use a reusable water bottle and hot drink cup. Around 2.5 billion coffee cups are thrown away every year in the UK alone – 7 million a day! Most either end up landfilled or are incinerated. Save your washing up, shampoo, sanitiser bottles and refill them – there are some great local options where you can do this. Try the refilling station in Harrogate www. refillingstation.co.uk
If you have never been to a refill store or an eco-shop, check one out this month.
They have lots of ideas to switch to non-plastic alternatives for all aspects of our lives. Take reusable plastic tubs to the butchers – they will happily use these rather than wrapping your meat in a plastic bag. At the supermarket, can you switch to items which are loose (such as fruit and veg), or in a more sustainable, recyclable container, such as glass, aluminium or cardboard? Ditch the cling film, a great alternative is a reusable beeswax wrap. Or you could re-use the liners from cereal boxes. If you use foil you can recycle it afterwards in your green bin. Start using a milkman and get your milk delivered in glass bottles.
