A plastic bag around a bunch of bananas or a box of biscuits in which each biscuit is wrapped separately. Every year, we produce almost 500 kilos of waste per person (according to Milieu Centraal). According to figures by CE Delft we threw away about 900 million plastic bottles in 2017. Plus, it is estimated that 8 million straws are used every day in the Dutch hospitality industry alone. That sucks!
Suck responsibly
Luckily, the amount of initiatives raising awareness for this imminent problem is increasing. It’s high time for change. Because even the recycling of plastic isn’t going that well. Only ten percent of all plastic is recycled and plastic can usually only be recycled once, while materials such as aluminium, from which cans are made, can be recycled endlessly.
Strange isn’t it, that a product made to last a long time is only used so shortly? In America, 500 million straws are used each day! 6% of all litter in the Netherlands consists of straws! Many of them end up in the ocean and have a negative impact on nature. If we carry on like this, we will have more plastic waste than fish in the sea by 2050!
“IF WE CARRY ON LIKE THIS WE WLL HAVE MORE PLASTIC WASTE THAN FISH IN THE SEA BY 2050.”
How can we motivate people to stop using so much plastic, starting with straws? That is what actor Adrian Grenier asked himself, after which he came up with this humorous campaign with the name Strawless Ocean. The catchy slogan #StopSucking urges people to stop sucking on plastic straws.
Real suckers suck on
For the real suckers there are plenty of alternatives. We already spotted edible straws at various food festivals this year! There are also straws made from reed, bamboo, paper, stainless steel, glass and even compostable eco-plastic. The world’s first foldable, reusable straw with the fitting name Final Straw makes straws sexy.
Go on a plastic diet!
Okay, so we’re not all Boyan Slat, who has made impressive steps with his Ocean Cleanup. He does clean up the mess but doesn’t address the problem at the source. The source is you. What are you going to do to minimise your use of plastic?
This year, shut the door for plastic water bottles, cups, tooth brushes, shampoo and soap bottles, microwave tubs (use glass jars) and bags. For the dedicated plastic avoider; there are even more ways to avoid plastic.
