Plastic issues #1

We may not often realise it, but plastics are all around us – even in places we wouldn’t expect. It’s also tea bags, for example, that release microplastics.

This article should guide you to be greener with us!

The problem of water, not just sea waterThere

are more than 268,000 tonnes of plastic floating in the seas and oceans. Some studies even show that more than 70% of plastics are under the water surface. Plastic has also been found in the deepest place on the planet – the Mariana Trench, which is nearly 11 kilometres deep.

Thanks to the world’s major rivers, such as the Nile and the Yangtze, plastics are finding their way back into the seas and oceans.

Let us each think about whether we are really sorting honestly or at least trying to reduce our consumption of plastic packaging. Because according to the UN, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish swimming in the oceans. ⁽¹⁾

Even though we are a territory without adjacent seas and oceans, we should not be indifferent to this issue. So let’s be greener together!

What can we do to reduce plastic consumption?

Fortunately, there are alternatives nowadays, so let’s take a look at a few.

Plastic vs. Paper / steel / glass / bamboo straws

The good news is that plastic straws are slowly being phased out. However, we still see them in stores. So reach for either paper straws. For example, at your home parties or corporate events. At home, you can try reusable straws – for example, steel or glass straws.

Plastic bag vs. reusable fruit/vegetable/baking bag

Microtene bags are a big problem. We see them everywhere – on the roads, in the countryside, in the river or in the sea. Reusable bags are an alternative to single-use plastic bags. They can be used for vegetables, fruit, baked goods, but also for other foods such as nuts. Among our monthly gifts for customers, we have included such bags and you can look forward to them on our website in May!

Sort and sort…

By sorting plastics correctly, we help to make plastics more recyclable. Did you know that if you put a PET bottle in the yellow bin, you should remove the label, which is most often made of PVC? Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, does not belong in the yellow bin as it contains chlorine.

In the next article on ecology, we will look at the use of used packaging and its recycling.