For as long as I remember I’ve often given up what many other people give up for lent, chocolate, alcohol or crisps, however this year I have realised giving up chocolate would benefit no one but myself.
Last year Shredall SDS Group ventured into the destruction and recycling of paper coffee cups, in the UK alone we use 7 million disposable coffee cups every day – that’s 2.5 billion every year. If just half of the paper cups in the UK were recycled, we would save 892 tree’s per year.
In 2018, with a big help from Sir David Attenborough, Blue Planet II helped to put plastic pollution on the global agenda. Like so many others, after reading an interview with Sir David Attenborough last year, I completely and utterly agree that changes need to be made and wish more people would do something about their plastic waste.
"I suppose, for me, the thing that is so galling about plastic pollution in particular is that it is so utterly unnecessary. The plastic in our oceans ought never to have got there in the first place – much of it perhaps ought not to have even been manufactured at all. And yet it is there, in unbelievable quantities, causing untold harm to marine wildlife.
"And, of course, once it’s in the sea, it doesn’t really break down properly – it remains there for decades or even centuries. So unless we get to grips with this quickly, we will soon find our oceans completely dominated by plastic. It’s a prospect that hardly bears thinking about." Sir David Attenborough.
We are currently experiencing a ‘plastic smog’ in our oceans. You don’t have to go to places like West Africa or East Asia to see the impact, the Mediterranean Sea is, according to Plastic Pollution Solutions, ‘incredibly impacted’. This is no longer a problem we can ignore.
Where is all this plastic coming from?
Plastic bags are already on the decrease and people are understanding the importance to swap plastic straws to cardboard straws, however the real issue today is packaging.
There was no plastic around 500 years ago to be confident about any future prediction. So, think of a world 500 years from now if we don’t try to cut down plastic rubbish now.
A simple solution?
Some companies are talking about buying up refuse plastic to make fuel because plastic is a fossil fuel. However, burning plastic creates carbon emissions, and carbon emissions have a severe impact on the environment – they are one of the major factors in global warming.
The most practical thing to do is try to shop from places who make it easy to buy unpackaged or paper-packaged goods, and who offers rewards to those who bring their plastic containers back to be refilled. Choose stores where you can buy your fruit and vegetables loose, don’t take plastic bags for bakery items, take plastic-free shopping bags with you.
Say hello to Earth Coating, Shredall Recycling, offer an innovative mineralized, resin offering significant environmental, performance and economic benefits compared to traditional plastic coatings. Why wouldn’t any coffee house use a sustainable paper cup that can be easily recycled and transformed into new paper products?
Earth coating may be used to create paperboard barrier packaging that can be easily pulped into recycled paper. Shredall recycling recycle 100% of paper waste, including cardboard. We want to educate our customers that everything is a resource for something else. The fibres from the paper cups can be recycled up to seven times, this can generate premium products such as office paper, paper bags and tissue related products.
Why give plastic up just for Lent?
Lent is only 40 days. That means not buying any pre-packaged food, no bottles of fizzy water, no shiny bags of crisps. It’s a start and an opportunity to see just how much plastic we subconsciously consume every single day.
We all need to really think about how we use plastic, if you don’t need it, don’t use it. And if you do use it, be mindful of where you put it.
To find out more about Shredall recycling’s paper cup service offering please see here. Or call 03333 555 100 for more information.
Written by Charlotte Williams, Marketing and PR Manager at Shredall SDS Group
