Plastic Pac-Man
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We’ll be releasing posts with a new hashtag #HopeTech, which means that there’ll be a new landing page pulling together all the HopeTech posts going forward. We hope to stay abreast of all the latest strides and shifts being made around the globe, because we believe that to know, understand, and appreciate these advances is to inform and shape our own perspectives on our industry.
Research shows that negative press is most addictive, so the value of building, maintaining, and sharing progressive projects can’t be underestimated. Check in with our new landing page for a spot of hope ~ and of course, if you come across something not-to-be-missed please do let us know and we’ll create a post for it with a credit to you (or keep it anonymous if you’d prefer).
We may be prone to black-and-white thinking, and all-or-nothing ideology. There tends to be a focus on end results, rather than the authentic processes involved in achieving our goals. In a time when it’s easy to lose hope in the future of our planet, it’s important to see tech being used to turn the tide. All is certainly not lost.
19 billion pounds of plastic is pumped into our oceans EVERY YEAR, and 20,000 plastic bottles are bought every second.
Given it takes plastic bags up to a 1000 years to decompose, and a plastic bottle up to 450 years to decompose ~ it’s imperative to not only find solutions for our existing waste, but to also reduce the use of plastic as much as possible.
Why did we make the switch from paper bags? How come hemp isn’t used? What is the point in replacing plastic with paper-hybrids that are still infused with plastic? We need to be aware how how and why we being nudged incrementally in opposite directions. We need agency, not infantilization.
An increasing number of whales are dying from plastic consumption each year. 100,000 marine creatures a year die from plastic entanglement and these are merely the ones found and reported. Approximately 1 million sea birds also die from plastic per year. At the same time, wind farms routinely fatally injure passing eagles and other birds. Fast change, buoyed by fads amplified by mainstream media is an alarm bell to the world.
It goes without saying that plastic in the oceans, especially those minute fibres which escape in washing machine washes, is ingested and consumed by sea life and mammals. Entering the food chain here, plastic goes on to enter humans. Ironically, under the guise of echo-friendly garments, women are allowing the trespass of their bodies with microplastics via their most intimate clothes in the category of period-ware. These “offerings” are pushed most to the young and impressionable who do not necessarily have the experience or confidence to resist – especially owing to peer pressure and celebrity culture nudging them away from themselves and their intuition.
WAYS TO WEAN AWAY FROM PLASTIC
- Skip straws, even in restaurants. If a straw is a must, purchase a reusable stainless steel or glass straw and make it your handbag/rucksack companion. “Paper straws” embedded with plastic particles are not a true alternative.
- Use a reusable produce bag, canvass ones are especially longstanding.
- Wherever possible, purchase food like pulses, cereal, pastas, and rice from bulk bins and fill a reusable bag or container. You save money and unnecessary packaging and many shops are now installing these options.
- Reuse containers for storing leftovers or shopping in bulk.
- Use reusable bottles and mugs for your daily drinks such as teas, coffees, water, and juices on the go.
- Bring your own container for take-out or your restaurant doggy-bag since many restaurants use styrofoam.
- Use matches instead of disposable plastic lighters or invest in a refillable metal lighter.
- Avoid using plastic-ware at home and be sure to request restaurants do not pack them in your take-out box.
- Ask your local grocer to take your plastic containers (for berries, tomatoes, etc.) back. If you shop at a farmers market they can refill it for you.
- Transition to glass and lidded containers for lunches. Again, many sets are now available which are completely dishwasher/ microwave/ and hob friendly (minus the non-leak lids).
- Use a razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable razor.
Every little helps!
