Our love affair with plastic is a dark one. From WWII parachutes to sterilised medical kit, plastic has long since been our hero. In 1955, Life magazine championed the 'throw away' lifestyle that saved US housewives from household chores. Today, the benefits of plastic have become a curse. Production is too cheap to warrant reusing, and it is too durable to biodegrade. The average use of a plastic bag is 15 minutes, and yet it takes 1,000 years for it to break down.
A Drop in the Ocean
The overwhelming problem of plastic pollution isn’t up for debate in the same way that Climate Change is. There are no ‘plastic pollution deniers'. With no sign of effective policies to slow the tap of plastic production, it begs the question: what can be done?
There is a whole host of things that can be done as an individual consumer. It is our responsibility to think how we can REDUCE and REUSE.
6 Ways for Students to Cut Down on Plastic:
1. Glitter without the Litter
Glitter is made from plastic and these tiny fragments are particularly harmful to fish and marine life. They are ingested unknowingly by fish and remain in the ecosystem for a decade. Fear not, there are many biodegradable glitters on the market! Check out Eco Glitter Fun for some inspo.Â
2. Fancy a Cuppa?
In the UK we consumer 60.2 billion cups of tea a year but it is little known that tea bags contain microplastics. The big brands have pledged to ditch the plastic in the near future...but in the mean time, sip pretty by buying brands that are completely biodegradable, such as  Clipper Tea, Pukka Herbs, Aldi Specially Selected and Tea Pigs
3. Cut out Plastic Cutlery
On average we use plastic cutlery for 3 minutes after which it takes 1000's of years to degrade. The UK average currently sits at 446 pieces of plastic cutlery consumed per year per person. This could so easily be avoided by biodegradable alternatives/your own cutlery. Why not keep a fork in your backpack at all times?
4. Choose not to Chew
It's not enough to wrap our lives in plastic...we even chew it. Chewing gum leads to 100,000 tonnes of plastic pollution every year- now that is hard to swallow. If you can't ditch gum, opt for a biodegradable alternative, like Chewsy.Â
5. Get it DeliveredÂ
Plastic packaging is impossible to avoid at commercial supermarkets. Solution - ditch the supermarket where you can. We are pleased to be in partnership with East Coast Organics, delivering fresh organic locally grown fruit and vegetables to your door by electric van! Sign up with us for a 20% Discount. Â
6. Drink More Waste Less
An obvious one, but we can still do more to cut down on plastic bottles and straws. Travelling somewhere? It should be second nature to pack your Chilly bottle. There are now filtered water stations in most airports as well, so lets make the most of them!
References WWF website - Ten tips to reduce your plastic footprint https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/ten-tips-reduce-your-plastic-footprint Eco Alternatives to Glitter https://moralfibres.co.uk/eco-friendly-alternatives-to-glitter/ https://www.countryliving.com/uk/create/food-and-drink/news/a3291/plastic-tea-bags-environment/