How to prevent plastic pollution?

 

UNESCO week for ESD 2018, had as main topic “moving away from plastics: a path to build”, where ACARBIO and Club per l’Unesco di Amalfi, visited the middle schools of Tramonti and Minori discuss about this topic and reflect on the trash present on the beach.

Plastic has become a global concern, due to its characteristics and low producing price, it is used in almost everything. It has some advantages, as it is durable and light weight, becoming a disposable element for humans. However, it will remain in the environment for centuries. Did you know that only 9% of the plastic in the world gets recycled, 12% is burned to produce energy, and the rest 78% is left either on a landfill or in the nature?

If you are interested in helping prevent getting more plastic into our world, here are 5 simple R´s that can make a big difference everyday:

  • Refuse single use plastic: When going to a store and seeing fruits wrapped in plastic, the choice not to buy them, can send a message to the producers and make them change their packaging or totally avoid it, at the end, who needs an orange wrapped in plastic? When going out for a drink, refuse the plastic straw! Click here to check the environmental impacts of this type of single-use plastic
  • Reduce the plastic consumption: Have you heard about products sold in ‘bulk’? this is used mostly by shop owners when they buy to the producer. However, there are certain stores which allow the costumers to carry our own container and buy products like beans, lentils, nuts, without the package. This considerably reduces the amount of plastic you don’t need

Resultado de imagen de glass tupper}Picture from: pixabay

  • Reuse: Do you have plastic bottles around you house? Reuse them to carry water, make an ashtray or use them as an eco-brick. There are houses and buildings all over the world that are built with this material!
  • Recycle: The importance of recycling lies in the fact that the more we recycle, the less new plastic is produced. There are 7 different types of plastic, and there are certain recycling centers which contain the specific differentiation. What is important for all of them is to CLEAN them properly before putting them into the bins.

Resultado de imagen de recycling point

Picture from: assignment point

Even though recycling is very useful, it may not be possible with every plastic item, therefore, we arrive to the last ‘R

  • Rethink: knowing and being conscious about the products you buy is the most relevant action you can take. What would this product do to marine life if it reaches the ocean? Is it possible that this plastic-cotton bud will end up in nature even though I put it in the trash? These are questions that can make the difference when thinking of buying a new product or using a plastic made element.

 Resultado de imagen de rethink plastic

Picture from: Rethink Plastic Vietnam

 

As this year’s UNESCO Week suggests, moving away from plastics is a road that must be built by every single one of us, and we hope this information can contribute to this to try to make the ocean and the planet plastic-free.

 

 

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