These past few weeks I have been researching on a very important and serious topic: plastic pollution. I looked at the huge effects it has on our environment and ecosystems all over the world and how we can make small changes that contribute to the bigger picture.
I was inspired to look deeper into this topic after watching a range of related documentaries on the issue. One of which, The Plastic Whale, illustrates the severe effect plastic has directly on marine life and animals. Recently the BBC released a very moving documentary called Drowning in Plastic. It brought to the attention of viewers how far our plastic was travelling and how the effects are much more complex and disastrous than initially thought. This documentary really inspired me to make others aware of not only how bad the issue is, but also how we as part of local and global communities can change our impact on wildlife and the environment.
In this documentary, wildlife biologist, Liz Bonnin visits areas around the world where plastic has made its horrific and seemingly permanent mark. She travels to the North Pole to show how microplastics have made it to one of the most isolated places on our planet. Liz also travels to Indonesia to look specifically at the Citarum River. Known as the most polluted river in the world, the Citarum is full of plastic pollution from local people and major companies. This year the army was called in to help alongside local villagers to clean the river and remove the huge amounts of waste clogging the banks and river body. One of the most frequently found pollutants was plastic sachets. Used for tea, shampoo, washing liquid and many more useful things, plastic sachets are cheap and easy to manufacture, but they are also, unfortunately, easy to throw away. One 25 year old Indonesian inventor has come up with a potential solution to the overwhelming amount of sachets discarded. He has designed a plastic alternative made from seaweed. It is entirely biodegradable and can even be eaten. Researchers at Wageningen UR are also working towards this product hoping that it will result in fewer fossil fuels being used to make the non-recyclable, non-decomposable plastic we see so often in daily life.
After watching this incredible documentary, which I most definitely recommend (if you hadn’t already guessed), I researched into the easy ways we non-inventers could make a change by altering small things in our lives. Many of the ways to reduce plastic are seemingly obvious such as reusable shopping bags and refillable water bottles. But some of them require a bit more extra thought such as avoiding snacks with excess packaging or choosing cardboard over plastic. Currently, these are not things that automatically run through my head when buying a sandwich, and I knew it would take time for me to get into that habit, so I tried a new way of reducing plastic that was quick, easy and I could do immediately. I looked up alternatives to clingfilm as I use it nearly every day and as it cannot be recycled I thought it was a good place to start. I found a creative company called Bee’s Wax Wraps. They make and design a clingfilm alternative which is made out of bee’s wax to keep food fresh. Bee’s wax has antibacterial properties and the wraps can be washed and reused again and again, making it a good way to cut down on single-use plastic consumption. The bee’s wax wraps worked better than I’d thought. While they were more effective with bowls, they did the job and we are now using these most days as opposed to clingfilm or foil. This small act has helped reduce the amount of plastic I use each day and, more importantly the amount of plastic I throw away each day.
Just small things like this can make a big change if more people did them. If you want to find out more about plastic pollution:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bmbn47 (The link to Drowning in Plastic)
If you want to look at how we can make small everyday changes to have a big positive impact:
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