Anyone living on Planet Earth will know just how bad our planet’s plastic waste situation has gotten - and the worrying consequences if we don’t stop and collaborate on how we can work better together to reduce, reuse and recycle. Here are our top tips...
Imagine this. Clear oceans, plastic free dams, sand-only beaches and happy turtles that don’t have to dodge plastic straws. We think that sounds like our kinda Earth - for us and for future generations. Unfortunately, plastic waste from single use and disposable plastic items is deeply responsible for climate disruption. But just what makes plastic so bad though?
While plastic has helped us humans in many ways, it has a pretty nasty side too:
- Plastic technically doesn't biodegrade, making it almost impossible to dispose of. Scientists estimate that we produce 8 million metric tonnes of plastic waste a year!
- 33 percent of all plastic like water bottles, bags and straws, are used just once and thrown away.
- Most of our plastic waste lands up in the water. Over time, these plastics break down into smaller plastics (called microplastics) which ultimately land up being ingested by sea-life or coming back into our drinking water.
- Currently, only nine percent of the world’s plastic is actually recycled - due to recycling facilities or the type of plastics and their ability to be reused.
- After a while floating about in our oceans and water supplies, plastics also start to leak harmful chemicals which isn’t great news for wildlife or humans.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, Aya family! Plastic awareness is on the rise and there is so much you can do at home to help out.
A few key things to remember when reducing your plastic use:
- The best place to start is anywhere
- It doesn’t have to be perfect to make an impact
- Start with baby steps that feel achievable to you and grow from there
- It’s a journey and doesn't have to happen all at once!
Some easy peasy places to start
- Switch out plastic products for more sustainable solutions. There are reusable and plastic-free options for straws, plastic shoppers, toothbrushes, takeaway coffee cups, disposable razors, fruit & veggie bags. Yaaaas 2019 - we’re living in the future!
- Skip single use plastic as often as possible. A reusable glass or metal water bottle is a great way to ditch buying water at the shops and you don’t really need those plastic forks that come with takeaways, right?
- Discover zero waste stores in your area or online. There are loads of options for buying household and personal use products that are minimal on the packaging. Soaps, shampoos and cleaning products are best served plastic free. Look for paper, board, recycled or glass packaging instead.
At Aya, we make sure to use glass for our bottles and will only deliver your online orders in re-used bubble wrap. We source recycled bits of board, paper and wrapping from our community to get your Aya products to you - safely for both your bottle of goodness AND Mama Earth.
We’d love to hear about YOUR plastic-free journey or tips and tricks! Head to FB or Insta and let us know so we can share it with our community!
Team Aya
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