Take part in Plastic Free Month with BEST!
Is it possible for one person to make a difference in the world? The answer is YES! Join BEST Service Pros as we celebrate Free Plastic Month this July by taking part in the movement to reduce single-use plastics. It’s easy to get involved; you can start small, or really challenge yourself to minimize the amount of plastic you consume! Here are a few simple ways to get started:
Takeaway coffee cups
According to the World Wildlife Fund (2021), most coffee cups are not recycled, and every cup is estimated to take over 30 years to decompose due to the plastic that lines the cup. To combat this, you can use an environmentally-friendly reusable coffee cup made of ceramic, glass, or stainless steel. You can keep it in your bag or on your desk at work, wherever you’ll remember to use it.
Plastic bags
Single-use plastics are most commonly used in shopping bags, and these bags cause an incredible amount of damage to the planet’s marine life and environment. Approximately 100,000 marine creatures a year die from plastic entanglement, and this figure only includes the number of animals actually found (WWF, 2021). For this reason, reusable shopping bags have become both a trendy fashion statement and a practical and environmentally-friendly way to carry your groceries. It’s easy to get into the habit of bringing reusable bags with you everywhere, and as a reminder, you can keep one by your front door or in your car. When buying a reusable bag, make sure it’s made from natural fibres such as cotton, jute, or hemp, or from recycled plastic bottles. For bonus points, get creative and make your own reusable bag from repurposed fabric like an old t-shirt or pillowcase!
Plastic straws
Next time you order a drink from a café, try bringing your own sustainable straws with you. There are plenty of environmental-safe alternatives available on the market that are made of stainless steel, bamboo, or glass.
Plastic bottles
Carrying a reusable water bottle is one of the simplest habits you can form to help reduce plastic waste. A plastic bottle takes 450 years to break down (WWF, 2021), which equates to roughly four generations’ lifetimes. Be sure to choose a water bottle made from stainless steel, glass, or food-safe aluminium.
The 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
As people spend more time at home during the global pandemic, we have a valuable opportunity to reduce plastic waste and increase our efforts towards reducing, reusing, and recycling. To help reduce plastic waste even more, be conscious before making any purchases and avoid products that are wrapped in plastic. Reuse plastic items as much as possible, and try to repurpose plastic items in new ways (you can use plastic eggs cartons to store jewelery, sewing supplies, or Christmas ornaments, or try using old plastic bottles as planters to grow an herb garden). Finally, learn how to recycle correctly by reading the numbers on the bottoms of all plastic items to understand the different waste bins they can be disposed of in.
BEST Service Pros’ purpose has always been to create a positive impact on people’s lives, and in doing so, we challenge you this month to reduce your single-use plastic consumption so you can live a better life and do your part to improve the health of our planet. Through small, incremental behavioural changes, we can all make a positive impact on our communities. Let’s do our BEST for a better future!
Sources:
https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/the-lifecycle-of-plastics#gs.5qb08a
https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-in-the-ocean/
https://www.eunomia.co.uk/reports-tools/plastics-in-the-marine-environment/
https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v432/p173-180/
https://www.britannica.com/science/plastic-pollution/Plastic-pollution-in-oceans-and-on-land
https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/plastic-in-our-oceans-is-killing-marine-mammals#gs.6g2l9n