Ocean plastic and us
Did you know that it has been reported that 1 in 3 fish caught for human consumption contains microscopic plastic, which in turn we consume?
An estimated 8 Million tons of plastic enters our oceans every year, with 88% of the sea's surface now being polluted by plastic waste resulting in 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals dying from our plastic pollution every year. This affects local ecosystems ultimately contributing to global warming causing global air, ocean and sea temperatures to rise, destroying countless more sea life and the reefs that they need to survive.
Every year we are seeing the effects of global warming first hand. Whether it be more frequent devastating flooding, enormous forest fires or crippling droughts. We are in the midst of a climate emergency and reducing the amount of ocean plastics is just one of the many ways we can help.
The problem is of course that plastic is all around us. All you really need to do is go to the supermarket - it is almost impossible to shop without picking up something wrapped in plastic right away.
But, we can all take small steps to try to solve this problem. We wanted to skim the surface on some of our favourite initiatives.
Refillable water bottles
Water bottles are one of the biggest sources of plastic and waste. Did you know that it takes 3 times the amount of water that fits in a bottle to make it? On top of that, most of the plastic ends up in landfill and eventually makes its way into our water streams.
Although companies like giant water brand Evian have promised that all their bottles will be made from rPET which is 100% recyclable by 2025, this is only a small step in the right direction. The bottles still produce enormous amounts of fossil fuels from production and transport.
Eco For Life instead makes their bottles from corn, they use a substance known as polylactic acid, which is a product derived from sugar starch and is made from 100% plants. These bottles are not only better for the environment but also can be decomposed as well as used as a viable soil supplement. So if you need to buy a bottle, why not look for eco-friendly brands such as Eco For Life next time.
The best option altogether would still be to take a refill bottle with you if you can and eliminate single use altogether. Why not have a look at these bottles and flasks from B Corp™ listed Finisterre for example.
Plastic in Fashion
How we choose to wear can also have a big impact. Most studies show that the best thing we can do is to consume less, and consume better when we do.
But lots of innovative fashion brands, like Been London, are also using recycled materials to produce their items. Reclaimed plastic can be used for everything from clothes to accessories, like this lovely 002 watch by Tom Ford, with its case and strap made from 100% recycled ocean plastics.
Big fashion brands are also trying to get in on the act with Adidas having designed a clothing range which is made using ocean plastic. They also host fundraising events including ‘run for the oceans’ which promotes and raises awareness for ending ocean plastic waste.
A special mention should also go to Patagonia, who are actively engaging with world climate issues with many of their clothing products made from recycled plastics.
Household plastics
A lot of the steps we can take to decrease our use of plastic take place right in our own homes.
Take toothpaste as an example. Did you know that 1.5 billion tubes of toothpaste end up in landfill or the ocean each year? There are quite a few companies that are trying to combat this problem through toothpaste tables. One example is Pärla (as seen on Dragons Den). By using plastic free packaging they hope to eliminate the need for single use plastic toothpaste tubes. Combine it with a wooden toothbrush and you can achieve a plastic free smile!
In our own household, we use Smol for cleaning products. They offer a subscription service for everything from laundry machine tablets to dishwasher detergent. Although all of their packaging is compact and plastic free, the most beneficial offering for the plastic problem is perhaps their reusable spray bottles, to which you can order new tablets whenever you run out. This means that you no longer have to use single-use plastic spray bottles and the water comes straight from your own tap.
Other small steps to take can also be to bring your own tote bag to the store, while also trying to limit yourself to purchasing products with plastic free or compostable wrapping. There’s also a number of refill shops popping up around London that are completely plastic free, like Art of Zero Living in Greenwich. Just remember to bring your own container.
Recycled Plastics in Furniture
We’ve written about furniture restoration, second hand and circular furniture in the past, which are great ways to go if you want to be more sustainable.
But many companies are also rethinking the way they can use recycled plastics in their designs. Some examples are Smile Plastics or The Good Plastics Company who both create solid surfaces from recycled plastic, like yogurt pots or plastic cutlery, which can be used to create furniture among other things. The surfaces come in lots of unique, vibrant and interesting patterns. One top of this, The Good Plastics Company only use 100% sustainable renewable energy and are working towards being a zero waste manufacturer.
There’s also cool companies out there like Dutch Planq who offer furniture that is not only stylish but also good for the planet. They have developed their own material made from discarded textiles which they call ‘PlanqTextile’. The textiles are compressed together with a biodegradable plastic to form a solid surface, and is of course 100% recycled. The textile fibers can even be seen in the materials surface. Oh and they also design table tops made from recycled gymfloors!
Plastic extraction from oceans
Once plastic ends up in the ocean there are also innovative charities like TheOceanCleanUp who extract plastics directly from the oceans and rivers. They have developed two ingenious ways of doing this.
The first is through using giant, floating nets which funnel and catch plastics from the ocean surface, which are then collected and recycled. The second is a solar powered, automated ‘boat’ designed for rivers which directs surface plastics towards it using a series of floating barriers, the plastic is then automatically sorted into containers through a conveyor belt. How cool is that!
You are able to help fund the cleanup by purchasing a pair of ocean plastic sunglasses from them, so you can look stylish and be plastic conscious at the same time.
It's up to us.
Its up to each and every one of us to change our habits, because change comes from many small, individual actions and eventually, through those actions, corporations and governments will be persuaded to do more to bring about change.
Want to learn more? Check out this useful directory full of facts, information and guides about marine plastic pollution from around the web: https://www.oberk.com/guide-