Did You Know…
-91% of plastic waste is not recycled.
-Everyday over 500 Million straws are used once and then thrown away.
-Plastic comprises of around 75% of all marine litter.
-The ocean covers over 70% of our world, but only 3% is protected.
-Plastics take between 100-10,000 years to break up + it never fully breaks down or goes away.
-9.1 Billion tons of plastic has been produced since plastic was introduced in the 50's.
-50% of the plastic we us is single-use or disposable.
-Humans buy 1 Million plastic bottles every minute.
-If plastic production is not curbed, plastic pollution will outweigh fish pound for pound by 2050.
-In the last decade there has been more plastic produced than in the whole last century.
-9.1 Billion tons of plastic has been produced since plastic was introduced in the 50's.
-50% of the plastic we us is single-use or disposable.
-Every Year 500 Billion disposable plastic bags are used worldwide and 13 tons of that lands up in our ocean.
It is plastic Free July! A plastic free world may not be realistic, but eliminating the use of unnecessary plastic in our daily routines can stop the damaging effects it is having on our environment, nature, animals and marine life.
Transparently; like many of you, I had no idea how big of an issue plastic really is to our earth and its inhabitants. I knew the basics, "Say no to plastic and yes to paper!"; but I didn't really grasp just how important this simple change in your habits can help preserve our earth!
I started researching just how much plastic really does pollutes our marine life and realized that most people, like myself, don't know nearly enough about "WHY" saying no to plastic is a MUST!
Striving to live plastic free is an initiative that we all need to be exposed to and learn more about! Here are some of the compelling statistics and information that I have found while learning more about living single use plastic free!
The Global Initiative
This global initiative aims to eliminate the use of single-use plastics to help environmental conservation and bring awareness of the harm that plastic bags do to nature, animals and marine life.
More than 2 million people in 150 countries have sign a pledge to participate in #PasticFreeJuly and the #ChooseToRefuse challenge! That’s something to get excited about!
The Issues
The plastic bottles, bags and takeaway containers that we use just for a few minutes use a material that is designed to last forever.
These plastics:
break up, not break down – becoming permanent pollution
have low rates of recycling (only 9% of all plastics ever made have been recycled) and are mostly down-cycled (made into low grade product for just one more use) or sent to landfill
‘escape’ from bins, trucks, events etc. to become ‘accidental litter’
end up in waterways and the ocean – where scientists predict there will be more tonnes of plastic than tonnes of fish by 2050
transfer to the food chain – carrying pollutants with them
increase our eco-footprint – plastic manufacturing consumes 6% of the world’s fossil fuels
Every bit of plastic ever made still exists and in the first 10 years of this century the world economy produced more plastic than the entire 1900's!
What plastics to eliminate?
Let's test your knowledge! You may think you know... but do you really?
Find those pesky plastics (in less than minutes) by taking this fun quiz!
By taking the Plastic Free July Quiz, you will:
Help research the common plastics that households use;
Discover for yourself all the plastics that ‘sneak’ into your shopping
Set yourself up to measure your Plastic Free July success!
Be sure to share and comment your results or what you learned below!
Single Use Plastic Cheat Sheet.
Overwhelmed? It's ok!
Here is the easiest way to know what and how to avoid single use plastics!
-You can print this checklist of easy to understand information on plastics to cut and easy alternatives to use instead!
-Does this list seems like to much all at once? Try focusing on 2-3 items to avoid each week!
-Being aware of what to avoid and how to avoid it is the simplest way to start being more conscious of how much single serve plastic we use and how easy it is to change our plastic habits!
How to Go Plastic Free!
Say no to single-use plastic bags.
Take your own cloth or paper bag when you go shopping. Not only will you be saving money – several grocery stores give discounts for patrons bringing in their own bags, you will also be helping to save the environment.
Volunteer your time or money with an environmental organization that works on cleaning water and landmasses of plastic.
Recycle all the plastic in your house and office.
If you are a company, why not make promotional cloth bags to give away to your clients and customers?
Hope you decide to go plastic free with me! Leave a comment and tell us how you are taking action to swerve plastic and preserve our earth!