ECO-conscious residents across Warwickshire are being urged to ditch single-use plastic throughout July.
Plastic Free July is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation that aims to have a world that is free from harmful plastic waste.
And Warwickshire County Council is offering some helpful tips so residents can play their part.
Plastic pollution is a real problem that affects the environment, health and wellbeing and contributes to carbon emissions.
Over two million plastic bags are used every minute worldwide and the average time that a plastic bag is used in its lifetime before being discarded is 12 minutes. One million plastic bottles are bought every minute worldwide.
Thirty-two per cent of all plastic packaging produced finds its way into oceans every year and 73 per cent of beach litter worldwide is plastic.
Based on current rates of plastic entering waterways, by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean which means all life depending upon the oceans will be consuming plastics, while humans will ingest an average of 70,000 microplastics each year.
Given the scale of the problem, WCC is asking residents to consider how they might reduce the amount of single-use plastic. To help, the council will share a daily tip for each of the 31 days of the month across its social media channels and website.
Some ideas that WCC will be sharing include ditching pre-packaged fresh produce and choosing loose fruit and vegetables instead, remembering to take a reusable coffee cup when out and about, switching to loose-leaf tea or a tea-bag brand that doesn’t contain plastic and switching to bars of soap and shampoo that last longer than bottles.
For more tips throughout July, follow the WCC accounts on Twitter and Facebook.
WCC’s environment spokesperson Coun Heather Timms said: “The sheer scale of our planet’s plastic problem is staggering and complicated. When faced with such large numbers it’s easy to just assume that you won’t be able to make a difference through your own actions, but this could not be further from the truth.
“As with the so many elements of the climate and environmental emergency that currently faces our world, there is a lot of little things that individuals can do to make a big difference. I would urge anyone who is able to try some of our tips for reducing plastic use this July and together we can continue to strive for a Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.”
Find out more about plastic-free July 2023 on the Plastic Free Foundation website at https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/
