By Tess Middleton, Fin Free Albury Wodonga
In 2050 the ocean will have more plastic than fish. This statement may seem unbelievable but sadly it is true if current trends continue. Did you know that the amount of plastic thrown away every year is enough to circle the earth four times!! There is currently 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in oceans all over the world, some parts of the oceans are known as Dead Zones because of their overwhelmingly high levels of pollution. Have you ever stopped to consider just how much plastic you use on a daily basis, and just how much of that is completely unnecessary? Think about it, using one plastic bag to carry one or two items, buying a juice in a plastic cup, with a plastic lid and plastic straw.
Now is the perfect time to reduce your plastic consumption and it is so simple! Here are a few ideas to get you started;
· Buy reusable bags or just carry the one or two items
· Say no to straws and coffee cup lids
· Keep a plate in the staff tearoom and take to the food court
· Carry a small knife and fork in your handbag
· Put fruit and vegetables straight into the trolley, instead of bagging them first
· Buy product s with little or no packaging
· Buy products made from recycled materials
· Recycle at home and work
· Recycle soft plastics; supermarkets have bins specifically for soft plastics
· Buy a reusable coffee cup and drink bottle
It isn’t just the fact that it pollutes our oceans but that it is deadly to our marine life; turtles naturally prey are jellyfish, but to a turtle, a plastic bag looks identical to a jellyfish. Over 100 million marine creatures die from ingesting plastic every single year, turtles, seabirds and whales just to name a few. In Taiwan, a sperm whale carcass was found at sea, after conducting an autopsy of the whale, local marine biologists reported that there was enough plastic bags and fishing nets found in its stomach to fill an excavator bucket. This is just one example!
Even if you start small, buy a drink bottle, say no to that straw and carry your one supermarket item to your car, it all counts! Make a reduction in your plastic consumption your New Year’s resolution for 2017.
Wishing you all a jawsome year!
