Science and plastic pollution
Climate change, deforestation, the extinction of species, overfishing, and the uncontrolled growth of the global population. Back in 1992, scientists […]
Plastic-free lifestyle
It’s easy to feel powerless. For goodness’ sake, where do we, as citizens, start if we want to combat the plastic soup? And how?
It’s easier than you think: start in your own personal space, reduce your plastic footprint. Go on a plastic diet, adopt a plastic-free lifestyle. You can start anytime. Naturally, you won’t be throwing any plastic on the street. But go a step further: pick up the plastic that somebody else has carelessly thrown away. Make it your habit on the way to school or during your daily activities. When you go shopping, try to avoid plastic packaging. Make sure you take your own plastic-free shopping bag with you, and a refillable bottle. There are all kinds of initiatives and books to help you on your way to a plastic-free life. Who knows, maybe your efforts for a plastic-free world will inspire your neighbours and your friends.
My Little Plastic Footprint
Think about everything you have touched today. Your toothbrush, the shower curtain, your laptop, your telephone… We can’t avoid it – we are surrounded by plastic. The material has become so ubiquitous that we believe that we can’t live without it anymore. But the new My Little Plastic Footprint app helps you reduce the amount of plastic in your everyday life. It gives you ideas and challenges you. You can work out the real-life challenges of avoiding plastic with the help of tips and questions that the app provides and, before you know it, you are making a difference. So, do something good for yourself and for the world – go on a plastic diet.
Plastic Free July and “Mei Plasticvrij” (Plastic Free May)
Challenges exist to try to live for a month without plastic. One single individual named Rebecca, made the decision in 2011 to live through the month of July without plastic. The initiative grew into a global movement that now has millions of participants. One element of Plastic Free July is the analysis of your own garbage. Look at everything that you throw away, and make notes. Per item, ask yourself whether you could live without it, and if not: are there alternatives that would result in less rubbish? At the end of the month, repeat the analysis. Then you can see how successful you have been in your effort to live a plastic-free life. A similar initiative in Belgium goes under the name of Mei Plasticvrij (plastic-free May). Visit the websites for tips, shared experiences, and examples.
Zero Waste lifestyle
Many people think that plastic is a disgrace created by humanity, but believe that the problem is solved as long as they separate their plastic. But recycling is not the solution for the plastic soup. We need to dare to go a step further. Every bit of plastic that you chose not to use cannot become rubbish. More and more people take the step to try to live without waste, either on their own or in a group. It turns out that a plastic-free lifestyle is surprisingly easy, but it goes step-by-step. It saves you time and money, it’s satisfying and it appeals to your creativity. Living without waste is a learning process and a way of life. Dutch sisters Jessie and Nicky Kroon started the process in 2014 and published their experiences in the attractive book Het zero waste project. Een leuker leven met minder plastic (“The zero waste project: live better with less plastic,”: in Dutch).
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National Governments
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Businesses and plastic
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United Nations & Plastic Pollution
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