Plastic pollution and the effects on our environment
Did you know that Australians generate more single-use plastic waste per capita than any other country in the world? Considering our population compared to other countries, that is huge.
REDcycle has collapsed amid revelations that hundreds of millions of bags and other soft plastic items dropped off by customers at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets are being secretly stockpiled in warehouses. You can read the article linked for more information: https://amp.smh.com.au/national/coles-woolworths-recycling-scheme-collapses-after-secret-stockpiles-revealed-20221107-p5bw9q.html
Have you heard of Recycle smart? If not they used to collect soft plastics but have since stopped. This is because Australia’s largest soft plastic recycling program, has announced that they are pausing their program effective immediately. They are currently looking for alternatives. Make sure to keep an eye on them for updates via this link: https://help.recyclesmart.com/
Australia uses about 70 billion pieces of soft “scrunchable” plastics, including food wrappers, each year. These can take decades, if not centuries, to decompose. So, what now for these soft plastics? And where should you be putting yours?
Now that @recyclesmartaus is temporarily not taking soft plastics, what now? Until these corporate giants come up with a solution we can all do our small part. When doing your groceries think before purchasing if it has soft plastic and go for something that doesn’t have soft plastic.
My thoughts are, can they make a plastic that is compostable that when it breaks down will be nutritious food for fish as well as the earth?
When these plastics go into the ocean it affects our sea life. For example the outlook for turtles that eat plastic is harsh. For 22% ingesting just one plastic item can be a death sentence. Sharp plastics can rupture internal organs and bags can cause intestinal blockages leaving turtles unable to feed, resulting in starvation. It is estimated that more than 100 million marine animals die each year as a result of eating or getting entangled in plastic. Turtles tend to mistake soft plastic bags as jellyfish. If turtles do eat the plastic bag it can make give them the sensation of being full which reduces their need to eat, leading to death by starvation. It can also cause gut punctures and digestive issues.
Are you thinking what can I do to help? It can be difficult to know how you can help. Many people are doing their part to reduce plastic pollution by reducing single use plastic items. You can start today with Rinascentia
At Rinascentia we make sure to look for better ways to be environmentally friendly. Our sustainable skincare products are designed and manufactured on our premises in Sydney, Australia, where we use non-toxic cleaning products. We use glass jars and bottles, and we post orders using compostable mailers to avoid plastic and landfill. In fact, our beauty salons and customers keep their used jars and bottles and can return them to us for refilling.
We’re always looking to better our sustainable beauty product packaging with the latest eco-friendly technology.
