It’s well documented that plastic waste has reached crisis status. It is estimated that 1 million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute, yet only 50% of them are properly recycled. But it’s not just bottles that are the problem, add to these already astonishing figures the number of single-use plastic; food packaging, product packaging, straws and more, that are bought every minute of every day and you realise just how severe the crisis is.
Most people are becoming more conscious of how they use plastic and are doing what they can to limit their use. In support of this, we have put together a list of things we can all do to help reduce plastic pollution. While some of these might seem obvious, we hope that there are at least a couple you haven’t thought of and that we can help you to help rid the world of plastic pollution.
9 Things You Can Do to Reduce Plastic Pollution
-
Stop Using Plastic Straws
Over 550 Million straws are thrown away every day – and that’s just in the UK and the US!
-
Use Reusable Bottles or Mugs
Over 500 Billion plastic bottles are used worldwide every year!
-
Use Reusable Shopping Bags
Up to 1 Trillion plastic bags are thrown away every year!
-
Use Cloth Nappies
In the US alone, 27.4 Billion disposable nappies are discarded every year!
-
Stop Using Disposable Razors
Over 2 Billion disposable razors are thrown away in the US every year!
-
Stop Chewing Gum
Gum is made from a non-perishable synthetic rubber. Worldwide, over 100,000 tonnes of gum are thrown away every year!
-
Avoid Face Wash That Contains Plastic
There are over 300,000 plastic beads in every tube of face wash!
-
Switch to a Bamboo Toothbrush
In the US, over 1 Billion toothbrushes are discarded every year!
-
Stop Smoking
In 2018, over 2.4 Million cigarette filters were found on International Coastal Cleanup Day!
Stop Plastic Before it is Too Late
Every day, tonnes of waste plastic enters the environment. This puts animals, sea life and our own wellbeing at risk. Something needs to change before it’s too late.
Global Office Supplies is on a mission to help companies go green. We can help you reduce your impact on the environment by supplying green office supplies, print management and recycling services.
