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Newsletters >
February 2018 Plastic Waste
February 2018 Plastic Waste
Feb 7, 2018
This month at the Spruce Initiative we look at the problems associated with plastic waste. Grocery stores here are banning the use of single use plastic bags. I actually always reuse mine for rubbish. However, many plastic bags blow away and end up in the ocean where they cause drastic problems for marine life. Evidently they are mistaken for jellyfish. I'm not sure what I am going to put my rubbish in when the plastic bags go. I will probably buy more single use garbage bags and it will be even more wastage than just using the same ones I used to bring home the shopping. But many people simply throw the bags away and using multiuse bags will cut down on this.
I remember growing up and my mother used to wrap all the rubbish in newspaper and put it in the bin. This is a big waste of resources too but at least you don't have the problem of plastics which don't break down and cause problems for the environment. If the garbage bags are no longer available either one wonders how we are going to keep our garbage cans sanitary. This is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Many newspapers are going out of business or going to an online format. This means no newspapers in which to wrap the rubbish. Which ever way you turn there seem to be problems. For example I recycle glass jars. But have you ever tried to wash the last of the peanut butter out of a glass jar? All of that goes down the sink and water is a precious resource in this country.
If it isn't one thing it is another. The main problem is there are many of us and we are all living at a fast pace. To go on with modern life means to be mobile and being mobile causes global warming and uses irreplaceable petroleum reserves. We really need better planning with more accessible shops and public transport. The car culture has got to go.
And what about the social aspects of modern life? We are now starting to replace universities with online options. I myself was enrolled in the world's first online Ph.D. program. It was a heady experience but I found the time I spent on campus to be the most rewarding from a social point of view. We need a stronger sense of community. Bring back the barn dances at the local hall.
The breakdown of society I think is to blame for the rubbish we find on the streets. When people feel disenfranchised they don't care for their environment and the rubbish we see on the streets and in our oceans are the result. I see a lot of fast food rubbish and glass beer bottles on the street. Paper and plastic bottles are also common items that I pick up as are candy wrappers and chip bags.
In a previous newsletter we pointed out that candy wrappers and chip bags with their foil linings could be mistaken by marine animals for fish and we encouraged people to be aware and to pick them up. We are all for bringing back waxed paper as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic with foil lining.
At the Spruce Initiative we are firm believers that picking up just one piece a day of other people's rubbish when you are out on your daily walk leads to a clean and healthy environment for everyone to enjoy. However, we when we address environmental issues we need to address the big ticket items simultaneously as a priority. Give up driving the gas guzzler. Walk or take the train.
When you shop be aware of packaging and see if you can cut down on plastics. Many plastics can be recycled however, the recycling process produces noxious gases. Glass is more easily broken and people can have accidents with it. That's why we like plastics. However glass can be recycled much more cleanly and readily and we need to consider the effect on the environment of the plastics.
I live in a small community but we have hardly any community resources such as meeting halls. We need more of these to bring the community together and to foster environmental awareness. We do have bicycle lanes on our roads which is a fine thing and we frequently see bike riders. My neighbours have them but I do not.
A close knit community is one which cares for people and the environment. We need to remember it is not either people or the environment but tending to both together makes the biggest impact.
Cheers,
Felicity
Clean and green is our motto. Remember: one piece a day sends the rubbish away! Don’t just clean let’s Spruce.
www.thespruceinitiative.info
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