A recent story which popped up on Facebook, courtesy of Country Living magazine, caught my eye. Entitled "Save our Seas by Taking the Plastic Challenge," it was illustrated by a photo of a swan lying among the tangled rubbish of discarded plastic on a beach.
A most unpleasant and dangerous sight!
If, like me, you love all animals and would be distressed to see harm caused to any of them, quickly scan down their list of suggestions, to see what can be done on an individual basis to help.
"Ten tips for plastic-free living
- Buy fruit and vegetables loose in the market
- Use loose-leaf tea instead of bags, as the micromesh contains plastic.
- Always carry a cotton shopper with you or a Turtle bags, which were inspired by the threat to marine wildlife.
- Refuse plastic bags with purchases (still freely given out where there is no plastic bag tax).
- Wrap sandwiches for packed lunches in greaseproof paper instead of clingfilm and keep airtight in a reusable container.
- Store cheese in a dome, where it will keep fresh for two weeks.
- Buy detergents in refillable containers. Splosh.com sells these online; they arrive with sachets of concentrated detergent to which you simply add hot water. Refills come through the post, saving you a trip to the shops.
- Next time you buy a toothbrush, choose bamboo.
- Takeaway paper cups are plastic lined. Take your own reusable cup for that essential early morning fix on the way to work.
- We pay more for a bottle of water than we do for milk. Although they are refillable, it’s not advisable to do this more than six times, as chemicals in the plastic can leach into the liquid. Buy a smart, lightweight water bottle and fill it with perfectly safe and far cheaper tap water."
While these tips are written in "British" English, I'm sure you get the gist of it.
(Please feel free to contact me for translation.)
With just a bit more thought, I can see several areas where I can do my bit to cut down on the amount of plastic literally floating around out there so as to protect the wildlife.
Easy Peasy!
