July without plastic #plasticfreejuly

The European Commission wants to ban the use of plastic parts of products. This is more than certain – thanks to this action, which is carried out in nearly 160 countries around the world, we say goodbye to plastic straws, cutlery, cups, plates and cotton buds. We can do something much faster to protect nature – now, in July. One of the foundations challenges us – try to refrain from using plastic for at least a month. Can you do it? Exprimere_te has long been presenting you with all the benefits that the planet, environment, and man can benefit from living in harmony with nature and using only natural resources. But we have a few more arguments for you … yes, if any of you needed specific, hard data to inspire friends, family, friends to reduce plastic in your everyday life.

→ Annually, 25 million tons of plastic waste is produced in the European Union. Only 30 percent. of them are recycled. The rest ends up either in garbage cans or, unfortunately, in nature. In May 2018, the European Commission unveiled the first specifics when it examined 10 products that most often end up in seas and assessments. The results are terrifying and are a clear prediction of an impending ecological catastrophe that is threatening mankind globally if nothing is done about it. 140 million tons of plastic float in all waters. The effects are disastrous not only for fish and birds, but also for humans. Only on European beaches, as much as 85 percent. trash is plastic. Half of them are single-use products. As research shows, as much as 54 percent. marine species included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (International Union for Conservation of Nature) have been affected by the problem of marine litter. Animals often mistake waste for food or become entangled in it, which can result in them being unable to move around or eat food. We’ll do the best by looking at our shared “backyard”. We do not have to look for effects in distant oceans – the Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world. According to WWF, every year fishermen lose from 5,500 to 10,000 nets in the waters of the Baltic Sea, each weighing 9.5 kg. This waste eventually ends up on our plates – in research conducted by scientists from Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland, microplastic elements were found in the digestive tract of every tenth cod and every twentieth herring. On the other hand, it should be remembered that plastic on the other side of the world may actually be waste originating in the European Union. Until recently, the EU sent a large part of its waste to Asia. You can read about the trade in plastic waste, for example, on the Outride.rs website “Rich garbage in poor landfills”.

→ When we think about the impact of plastic on the environment, we think of littered forests and plastic islands floating in different bodies of water. However, the use of plastics has far-reaching consequences, for example on the climate.

→ Plastics are plastics made mostly of crude oil or natural gas, refined and enriched with various additives. It is these additives that will determine the type of plastic and the possibility of its reuse or recycling. We can find out what kind of plastic the packaging is made of by looking at the number in the green triangle:

1. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) – such packaging cannot be reused, but can be recycled (mainly transparent and not contaminated with e.g. oil). 2. HDPE (high density polyethylene) – can be reused and recycled to create new packaging. 3. PVC / PVC (polyvinyl chloride) – should not be used for packaging food products, as it may release toxins. It can be recycled. 4. LDPE (low density polyethylene) – when exposed to sunlight, it emits greenhouse gases (methane and ethene). Recyclable but seldom harvested selectively. 5. PS (polystyrene) – present in disposable tableware, containers for yoghurt, meat, etc. It contains, inter alia, two substances that are very toxic and carcinogenic to humans: styrene and benzene. Its recycling is difficult – soiled, for example, with food, it is rarely recyclable. -> Although disposable packaging should not be used in the European Union from July 1, Poland did not have time to prepare for the directive. The Ministry of Climate and Environment admitted that the works on Polish regulations concerning the obligations of entrepreneurs and waste management are not finished yet and must take their time. Perhaps the project will be ready in the fall. What does this mean in practice? Not only the continued use of rubbish, but also urgings and probably financial penalties from the Union. There is another problem with plastic – half of the plastic packaging in the world was produced by only 20 companies. So if the regulations affected the largest ones, we would feel the positive changes much faster.

July without plastic

The action, which is a kind of confession, comes from Western Australia. It was there in 2011 that the Plastic Free July foundation for the first time appealed to consumers to limit the use of products made of plastic.

Plastic Free July is still one of the few global organizations that encourage the reduction of single-use plastics by consumers. Of course, it is not about all plastic products that cannot be replaced, but mainly about single-use products, such as the mentioned straws, bags, water bottles.

Action participants may register on the website www.plasticfreejuly.org. There they declare whether they will limit their consumption of plastic for a day, week or a whole month, or maybe they will decide to do so permanently. The form indicates what is the plan to reduce the use of plastic – whether it will be completely eliminated, or it will only apply to disposable plastic packaging, or all items for transporting products (from nets to bottles).

The Foundation also has a collection of advice the use of which may reduce the use of plastic. Its representatives, for example, advise on how to deal with take-out food. First, it’s a good idea to carry your own containers to take away food and any potential food leftovers. Second, stainless steel cups and bottles can be used. Third, it is worth using paper bags. And fourthly, you should not use plastic straws, which are usually unnecessary. Two million people from 159 countries around the world take part in the action.

How to get involved?

The next edition of the July without plastic campaign will take place in July! This is the perfect opportunity to introduce new habits in the spirit of zero waste, i.e. a lifestyle in which people try to generate as little waste as possible. A few ideas to get you started:

Get acquainted with the zero waste idea, e.g. using the website of the Polish Zero Waste Association.

Buy a water bottle and a portable cup for tea or coffee. Some coffee shops in Poland offer discounts on coffee if the customer comes with their own mug! More about the action. You can find a map of cafes offering a lower price HERE

· Buy by weight and in your own containers. Zero-waste stores appear in an increasing number of cities, offering a whole range of products by weight: from food (including cereals, rice, pasta, legumes) to chemicals (e.g. washing powders or washing liquids). In such stores, we often find cosmetics without packaging, such as soaps or shampoos in bars. The list of stores can be found, for example, HERE , but it’s worth it also search in your area. Many products can also be bought by weight in greengrocers and other small local shops.

Buy products in glass, not plastic, packaging. Some products (e.g. pates, juices, sauces, etc.) are available in both types of packaging. The ones in glass are usually a bit more expensive and maybe less convenient, but they are worth betting on for the benefit of the future of future generations 🙂

Think about every purchase. Maybe you can give up a chocolate bar or an ice cream? Sometimes our “moment of pleasure” will remain in the natural environment for a very long time. Thinking about buying a product that will bring us joy for a short while, let’s think if this moment is worth it, so that in 100 years our great-grandsons and great-granddaughters will discover its waste. Plus, the more people give up plastic-wrapped small products, the greater the signal to companies that society does not accept their way of producing and packaging the product!

Edible packaging is a great way to combat material waste – it ends up in your stomach instead of being dumped. The problem is that sourcing raw materials is a bit problematic. And this is what scientists from the Lodz University of Technology did.

Interesting articles: “Why is plastic everywhere?”  “How does plastic harm the Earth?”

 

Izabela Wasilewska – Handelsman