It is estimated in 2010 that between 5 to 13 million metric tonnes (Mt) of plastic waste entered the ocean. To give you some kind of real life perspective an African Bull Elephant can weigh up to 6.5 tons this is the equivalent of 1,940,299 elephants. That's a lot of elephants! With the US alone in 2016 responsible for 42 Mt of plastic waste the highest in the world closely followed by the EU 28, India and China.
According to Glamour magazine (APRIL 2020) '93% of sewer blockages are caused by the 9.3 million face wipes flushed down the loo everyday and an investigation of the Thames found that entire riverbeds had been created from the hundreds of thousands of wipes that end up there (a problem seen in rivers around the world).'
All so far so gloomy right? But don't despair just yet! How can you make a difference without really even trying? The key word here is 'REUSABLE' start looking for it on all products. Back in the past many things were mended and reused this is not a new concept but rather something we have just forgotten about. In the past the milkman would collect the glass bottles and refill them the next day so it is nothing new (there are even some dairy services that still do this especially in the UK). Also note 'REUSABLE' often translates as 'SAVE MONEY' so if the environmental bit doesn't catch your eye then I hope the saving your bank balance bit at least gives you a nudge in the right direction!
Drum roll please,,,, here are my top tips to living just a bit greener and save a few coins at the same time.
Carry a reusable water bottle
Say no to plastic straws! Use paper straws or even just not use one at all
Use reusable shopping bags where possible
Reusable coffee cups (some coffee shops even give you a generous discount so a win win situation)
Use plastic free tea bags or a strainer (yeah I know right I had no idea they even contained plastic) many big brands are now making the switch so make sure you check the packaging.
Use foil (it can be recycled and also used more than once) instead of plastic cling film or even beeswax wrap
And of course ditch the one use makeup remover wipes and use a reusable makeup remover pad (of course I am going to recommend CocoBabbit!!!)
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash translation "Life is Beautiful"
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