Plastics and their byproducts are endangering the health of the oceans, food safety, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change.
Plastic also takes up valuable space in landfill sites and is polluting the natural environment.
By 2050, there will be more plastic in the world's oceans than fish.
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Eliminate the use of plastic packaging
Most sunscreens, shampoos, and soap are bought in single-use plastic containers. Today, we can find plenty of other alternatives.
Cruelty-free and eco-friendly sunscreens are available that are not only better for marine life when swimming but are also packed in biodegradable tubes or recyclable metal tins.
Solid shampoo bars and soap bars that are not squeezed from a plastic bottle are also available. These are lighter to carry and often also vegan friendly and cruelty-free. -
Have ice cream in a cone
Cones produce no waste, unlike plastic cups which are often disposed of improperly.
The crunchy and somewhat sweet cone not only adds flavour to your treat, but it reduces plastic waste near beaches. Those cups inevitably end up in landfills.
The plastic scoop used to scoop the ice cream into your mouth also ends up in a landfill, where it will remain long after the summer heat has subsided. -
Quit buying water
Carry a reusable bottle in your bag. A reusable water bottle uses less oil to generate and replaces all of the plastics you would have used.
Therefore decreasing both your carbon footprint and the plastic load on landfills, seas, streams, and other areas where plastic trash ends up. -
Focus on improving your recycling
Find out what you can and cannot recycle. Disposable cups, greasy pizza boxes, non-recyclable plastic containers (such as yogurt cartons), and take-out containers can contaminate whole batches of recycling.
Approximately 91% of plastic is not recycled and can remain in the environment for hundreds of years, leading to ocean contamination. Glass containers are 100% recyclable. Steel and aluminium cans, as well as cardboard, are also easily recyclable. -
Participate In a Beach Cleanup
Take part in or organise a beach cleanup to help cut plastics from the ocean and prevent them from entering in the first place. This is one of the most immediate and efficient methods to cut plastic waste in the ocean.
You may go to the beach and collect trash on your own or with friends or family, or you may take part in a cleanup organised by a local organisation.
Saving Our Blue is a local campaign targeted at educating and encouraging the public to refrain from littering, decreasing waste, and choosing alternatives to single-use plastics. -
Preventing the next plastic problem
Disposable masks are plastic goods that cannot be recycled. They fragment into smaller plastic particles, such as micro and nano plastics, which are common in ecosystems.
If disposable masks are not properly recycled they, like other plastic wastes, can end up in the environment, freshwater systems, and oceans.
Therefore, as a responsible citizen, you must properly dispose of your mask and for a better alternative, replace disposable masks with reusable ones such as cotton masks. -
Plastic swimwear
Because synthetic textiles like nylon and spandex are perfect for swimwear, the fashion industry relies heavily on them.
Each year, an estimated 65 million tons of these plastic-based compounds are produced. However, these have a significant negative influence on the amount of plastic garbage that ends up in our seas.
Materials that are natural and biodegradable, such as organic cotton and viscose, are an excellent choice but there is currently no biodegradable material that meets all of the performance requirements for a swimsuit. Thus, eco-friendly enterprises must rely on the next best choice, recycled plastic. Choose Eco-friendly shops.
Plastic has already made its way into the food chain. Microplastics are found in the bodies of animals and in plant roots, which are being ingested daily by us when we consume food.
Want to achieve that perfect summer body? Start by cutting down on all that plastic 😉
