David Oliveira

My Business & Life Journal

Environment

All shops in the UK now charge 10p for single-use carrier bags!

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You better remember to take your bag for life with you when you go shopping! All shops in the UK must now charge for carrier bags.

carriers bags

From 21st May 2021, all retailers in the UK must charge at least 10p for single-use carrier bags.

That’s a good thing, right?

It’s time we all become aware of what’s happening with the environment and take action to save the planet.

10 Alarming Facts About Plastic Pollution

  • Every year, we contaminate the oceans with more than 12 million tonnes of plastic.
  • More than 1 million seabirds die due to plastic contamination every year.
  • Every day an average of 8 million pieces of plastic ends up in the sea.
  • The UK alone uses over 2 million tonnes of plastic packaging per year.
  • Just this precise minute (while you’re reading this), more than 1 million plastic bags are going in the ocean.
  • Only 1% of marine litter floats. Everything else sinks to the seafloor.
  • It is estimated that over two-thirds of the fish in the world are ingesting plastic.
  • Statistics indicate that more than 90% of all seabirds hold plastic in their stomachs.
  • Unfortunately, less than 15% of all plastic bags are recycled. Where I live, Lincolnshire, bags are not recyclable at all. In fact, people can be fined for putting plastic bags into the recycling bin (even though most bags have a recyclable symbol on them).
  • It can take up to 1000 years for a plastic bag to deteriorate.

Source: condorferries.co.uk

Carrier Bags Are a Threat to Our Planet

We all know that plastic bags are a threat to our planet, but do we care?

I would like to challenge you and think about how you can make a positive impact on the environment by simply reducing your usage of carrier bags.

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What are you actually doing to save the planet?

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I suggest you take a couple of minutes to read this article. We must act today to save the planet tomorrow.

I’m sure you are sick and tired of hearing about environmental issues and what businesses and governments are doing to reduce pollution and CO2 emissions.

It’s no joke.

I’ve just started watching Seaspiracy on Netflix.

It’s insane. If you haven’t watched it yet, stop everything and do it. It’s educational and completely worth your time. I can’t even believe what I’ve just learned.

I am not sure how much of the documentary is actually true, but it certainly made me think about what’s happening in our oceans.

Visit the official website and join the movement.

Sustainability?

Apparently, there is no such thing.

What does sustainability even mean?

According to the documentary, sustainability is just a pretty word that businesses use to persuade consumers. Sure, some businesses make conscious decisions that may help save the planet, but unfortunately, that’s not enough.

We hear about sustainability all the time.

Sustainable clothing, bag, plastic, fish, meat, energy, business, and the list goes on and on, like everything you can think of, can be sustainable.

The problem is that when we hear the word sustainable, we don’t really question why that certain product is being called sustainable.

Here’s a thought:

If a certain brand claims that its clothes are sustainable, we should be asking what measures the company is taking to guarantee that its products really are environmentally friendly.

The plastic they use may be recycled, but the factory where their products are being produced may not be environmentally friendly at all.

Just think about that for a minute before you continue reading.

save the planet

What are you doing to save the planet?

Ultimately, saving the planet it’s our responsibility.

We have the power to change what organisations are doing.

If we buy from the bad guys, they profit and will continue to exploit the oceans and forests.

Here’s an example:

Recently, I asked Specsavers for a contact lenses trial. Naturally, they sent me two boxes of lenses, one for each eye. Each box had five contact lenses, each in a sealed plastic container.

After using a couple of pairs, a thought came to my mind.

Most people that use contact lens, probably dispose of those little containers incorrectly. I say that because I am pretty sure most people put their contact lens in the bathroom. Who has a recycling bin in the bathroom? My best guess? Not many people. That means that millions of contact lens containers probably go to the bin every day and are not recycled.

Here’s a few things I found online:

“Contact lenses are a surprising source of pollution.”
www.scientificamerican.com

“Every year, Americans flush 2.6 to 2.9 billion contact lenses down the drain, according to new research from Arizona State University.”
www.scientificamerican.com

Shocking!

Plastic bags are a problem too, but that’s one tiny bit of the issue. Plastic straws? Yap, but nothing compared to what giants are doing to our oceans.

Watch the documentary and you’ll understand what I am talking about.

What to do next?

I could go on and on, but I am not an expert or an activist. Not only I eat meat and fish, but I also must admit that I’m not the best friend of the environment. However, now I am aware of how bad the situation is and so I will try to make some changes to my lifestyle.

Act now to save the planet!

There are many little things and some big things we can do to save the planet.

Educate Yourself – This is the #1 thing you can do right now because when you learn about what is happening, you’ll immediately see things from a different perspective. Please do some research about how pollution is affecting our planet.

Change Your Diet – Most people, I included, will find it very hard to make changes to diet, but the reality is that there are plenty of delicious alternatives to meat and fish.

Recycle – Believe it or not, many people still not know how to recycle correctly. That is why education is so important. Recycling it’s easy and makes a huge positive impact on the environment.

Spread The Word – I will not say that all of a sudden, you should become an activist, but if you talk about pollution and the environment with your friends, you’re already helping.

No More Plastic – Have you ever noticed how much unnecessary plastic we use in our daily life? Straws, poo-bags, shopping bags, packaging that could be made of other materials and so on. If you can pick a plastic-free product, please do it.

I’m done writing for today, but please leave a comment below to express your thoughts.

If you found this article interesting, please support me and the planet by sharing it on your social media accounts.

Read more cool blog posts.

The planet will thank you.

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