Page 6 - Office VIBES Magalogue

6
Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages individuals, communities, and businesses to reduce their consumption of single- use plastics and make more sustainable choices.
The UK Government states that the country generates around 2.4 million tonnes of plastic annually, with only a fraction of that being recycled. Plastic Free July is of serious significance to stop pollution on land, rivers, and oceans that is harming wildlife and communities through climate change.
• Over 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic have been produced globally since the 1950s, and only 9% has been recycled (Source: National Geographic)
• In the UK, it is estimated that approximately 700,000 plastic bottles are littered every day (Source: Surfers Against Sewage)
• Single-use plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in the environment (source: UK Government)
JULY
The Plastic Free movement has inspired 100+ million participants in 190 countries proving that collective thinking can make a massive difference. Will you join the challenge to boycott single-use plastics this July?
We all have a responsibility to examine our plastic use, explore ways to reduce it and make simple, long-term changes:
• Reusable Shopping Bags - eliminate the need for plastic bags
• Loose Foods - don’t choose pre-packed foods such as fruit and vegetables that have a lot of packaging waste
•Drinking Cups - opt for reuseable cups as disposable cups are difficult to recycle due to their plastic lining
• Water Bottles - Business Waste states that 7 billion plastic bottles are bought across the UK every year. Single-use plastic bottles are polluting the environment so choose to carry a reuseable bottle instead
• Refill - many shops now offer refill stations for food,
toiletries and cleaning products so you can bring your own containers to reduce the amount of plastic packaging you use
The World Wide Fund suggests that over 100,000 marine animals die every year as a result of plastic pollution so we should all be driven by these alarming statistics to do more. If you search ‘Plastic Free July’ online, there are a wealth of resources with suggestions on how to make small changes that deliver big results in both your personal and work life. Encourage your colleagues and managers to embrace the Plastic Free movement and together you can make your business more sustainable by reducing your impact on climate change.
According to the Bywaters Recycling Company, depending on the type of composition, plastic can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose so the reliance on single-use plastic has to stop now. We hope that every month becomes Plastic Free; join us by accepting the challenge to say no to single-use plastics.
Source: plasticfreejuly.org | itsinterventional.com