Our Plastic Problem... Every year over six million tonnes of rubbish is dumped into the world’s oceans, 80% of which is plastic. Plastic is responsible for killing an estimated one million sea birds and hundreds of thousands of animals including turtles and whales. In Gibraltar there has been a lot of talk recently about ‘bags for life’ and Morrisons has introduced a charge for its plastic bags of 2p in an effort to reduce the environmental burden of these ubiquitous bags. Store Manager Gary Chant reports the reduction in bags used has been significant since the beginning of the campaign. This is good news, because whatever we
A sea turtle swims in a sea of plastic
do to avoid it, our plastic bags can end up in the sea where they can become serial killers. Plastics sit in a solid knot in the stomach of turtles, for example, causing digestive problems. When turtles then feed on normal foods they ferment, creating a buildup of gas. These turtles are called “floaters” and bob helplessly on the surface. They cannot feed and their metabolism drops. Once the animal dies it decomposes, then releases the plastic back into the environment to kill again. Plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose (some experts predict the
lifespan of a plastic bag ranges from 500 to 1000 years) so the impact of just one bag can be devastating. What can you do to help? Use your own bags when you go grocery shopping — take them with you. Avoid produce bags when buying veg — a red pepper doesn’t need to be segregated from two onions to stop them fighting on the way to your fridge! Use paper bags when possible. Avoid overly or unecessarily packaged items. When shopping on the high street, ask for no bags if you have bought items you can easily carry without, or will fit into your handbag. You don’t need a bag to leave the shop, you have your receipt. Even with large items, often the package an item comes in, or nothing at all, is just as convenient as putting that package into another bag. Pack your purchases to save bags. Consolidate items into one single bag rather than acquiring a new bag in each shop. If you cannot avoid getting a plastic bag or packaging from the shop, at least reuse it at the supermarket, then use it as a rubbish bag or torn in half or quarters for cleaning up pet poop. n
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Unit D 66/70 Main Street, Gibraltar | Office: +350 200
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JULY 2013
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