Recycling Blog
Charging for Plastic Bags?
I say yes!
I recently moved to the UK and I must say I am shocked by the amount of plastic bags used by the public! Every time I go into a supermarket the friendly people behind the tills always wants to put my groceries into a plastic bag, even if it is just a chocolate bar! I see a lot of people in stores who also buy just one or two items taking a plastic bag, even when they are carrying a big bag or purse with them.
When going shopping for groceries or clothes people should think about if they actually need a plastic bag, or if it is possible for them to take one or two reusable bags with them before leaving their home. It is about changing the way we think, our routines and our priorities. When leaving the house, I make sure that I have my house keys with me, when going shopping people should think about how they will carry their goods home.
A short introduction to the world of plastic bags
Free single use plastic bags are costing our planet in many ways. In 2008, DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK) found out, that 10 billion plastic bags were given out each year in the UK. That is about 167 bags for each adult each year, and the amount of plastic bags we use each year is steadily growing. Only 1 in 200 plastic bags in the UK are recycled. Using reusable plastic bags does merit our attention because it takes up to 400 years for them to decompose in a landfill and we produce about 500 billion plastic bags worldwide each year. Even when plastic bags degrade, it is never completely gone! The toxic particles can still end up in the food chain, putting human and animal lives at risk. Just take a look at marine life: UK beaches contain on average 2000 pieces of litter for every kilometre of which 80% is plastic. Unfortunately, small pieces of toxic plastic end up in the bloodstream of many marine animals because they frequently mistake them as bits for food. Furthermore these toxic pollutants are concentrated higher up the food chain! Scientists estimate that every square mile of ocean contains about 46,000 pieces of floating plastic. Frustratingly we already have an environmental alternative to plastic bags; bio-degradable plastic bags made out of corn based materials.
Let us not forget the huge amount of harmful emissions which are emitted into the atmosphere during manufacturing and transportation of these plastic bags. Not all plastic bags end up in landfills or the ocean, many are incinerated. Burning plastic is harmful to the environment as it emits harmful toxins in the atmosphere!
I believe we should either ban plastic bags or ban the policy of giving them away for free. Plastic bags have an environmental cost and in my opinion they should also have a financial cost. Some parts of Wales already charge for plastic bags and by charging 5-10p for every plastic bag (paper bags also require a whole lot of energy to produce) might just get many people to rethink their consumer habits. "Do I really need this plastic bag, can my shopping fits inside my bag and can I afford not to buy reusable bags."
By Katharina Niederastroth
Annie Leonard – The Story of Stuff.
According to the Worldwatch Institute each day the average American produces more than his or her weight in waste. How will the goals of governments, to take action on climate change succeed if consumption and greed keeps on wiping out any of these goals? How can we react positively on environmental problems if we are driven by unsustainable habits?
Annie Leonard´s short animated documentary "The Story of Stuff" attempts to look into this subject matter through her short documentary. She believe "you cannot run a linear system on a finite planet indefinitely" and argues her point using statistical data. The documentary is critical of excessive consumerism and promotes sustainability.
The video
Although it is hard to argue against her stance on sustainability many are critical of her views on consumerism. The American Family Association says that the video is anti-consumer, and even anti-American because the video implies that Americans are greedy, selfish, cruel to the third world, and "use more than our share." Glenn Beck, host of the Glenn Beck TV program, characterized the video as an "anti-capitalist tale that unfortunately has virtually no facts correct."
The Critique
Her documentary is especially significant in today's economic climate. Emerging countries such as Brazil, India and China require more and more of the Earth's limited resources to sustain their economic growth. As a result, the issue of sustainability is becoming ever more important.
What do you think? We would love to know – please leave a comment below.
Recycling tips for households - Blog
Shopping Tips
- Buy a reusable shopping bag or reuse old plastic bags when going shopping.
- Make a list of what you need when going shopping so you do not impulse buy. This saves money and cuts down on packaging waste.
- Buy loose fruit and vegetables instead of pre-packaged ones in plastic trays and wrapped in plastic, this will cut down on the packaging waste.
- Buy in bulk if you can, to cut down on the packaging. Buying one big bottle of washing-up liquid will use less packaging than two small bottles.
- Don’t buy disposable products, like razors, face wipes, plastic cutlery, paper plates, disposable cameras, single-use barbecues and kitchen paper towels, use cloths you can wash instead, razors that you can buy new blades for, plates and cutlery that can be washed and reused.
- Recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges. Not only is this good for the environment it is also cheaper than buying a new cartridge. www.cartridgeworld.co.uk
- If you have a baby then consider buying reusable nappies instead of disposable ones. These are now available in high street stores and even if you only use them just some of the time it will make a real difference to the amount of waste your family produces. Around 50 per cent of the waste generated by a household with a baby is made up of nappies!
Top ten recycling/environmental tips
10.) If you have children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews they can reuse all sort of materials in their school activities for example loo rolls, cardboard boxes, egg boxes and plastic bottles.
9.) Fed up with junk mail coming through your door? Then sign up to the Mailing Preference Service. This service removes your name from the mailing list of companies who send out direct mail. Within a few months you will notice the reduction in the amount of mail landing on your doormat.
8.) If you buy magazines, give them to friends or donate them to doctors' surgeries or dentists once you’ve read them.
7.) If you have good quality tools that you no longer need, see if they are on the list of tools that the charity Tools for Self Reliance will accept for reuse in poor communities in Africa. www.tfsr.org
6.) Don't leave your appliances on standby. Use a smart meter. They measure your energy consumption, and are a great way of keeping track of how much energy you're using. When you can actually see how much carbon you're wasting every time you switch on the TV or make a cup of coffee, it will make you think twice.
5.) Find out if the freecycle organisation has a group in your area, to find a new home for your unwanted items. Freecycle groups match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them, and so keeping usable items out of landfills. http://www.uk.freecycle.org/
4.) If you are moving house or having a spring clean and have a lot of things to clear out, consider having a stall at a car boot sale. To find your nearest car boot sale, visit www.carbootjunction.com
3.) Buy Energy-Efficient Products. Look out for this logo when buying electrical products.
2.) Buy a compost bin. 58% of household waste is sent to landfill where it breaks down anaerobically and emits methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more harmful than CO2. If you live on an estate or a block of flats with access to a communal garden why not get together with your neighbours and introduce home composting for everyone. You can compost food waste even if you don’t have a garden, as many local councils run food waste collection scheme. These can take things like tea bags, vegetable and fruit peelings, egg shells, coffee grounds and in some cases cooked meat or fish.
1.) Buying products that have a recycled content is just as important as actually recycling. It is essential that markets for recycled products are developed, and buying recycled products helps to complete the market loop for recycled materials.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.