A Better Journey
The journey doesn’t have to be this way, by improving each step we can ensure that plastic stays out of nature.
Recycling
For many people, recycling seems to be the silver bullet that will solve the waste problem.
Unfortunately, it’s not. Why? Recycling is possible but not all plastics can be recycled, they need to be high quality (clean and sorted by polymer, color, etc.) to avoid down-cycling into a lower grade material.
Different plastic types have different characteristics, the design and mix of plastics and other materials in current products makes it almost impossible to sort and recover plastic waste by polymer type, therefore it is very difficult to sell many recycling streams today. The infrastructure is also lacking due to funding.
Sorting and Collecting
Improvements in how we collect and treat waste ensures that we do not overfill landfills, and prevent spillage into nature. Prioritising the use of long lasting or recyclable products can have dramatic changes down the line.
Time of use
We need to start designing products to last for longer to prevent products from ending up in the rubbish bin. This can be done by ensuring that single-use plastic is easily removable from recyclable plastic can ensure that the necessary materials go back into the loop.
Second Life
Reselling or giving them to people who can use them, allows them not to be turned into waste ensuring that the productivity last longer. Creative solutions like using waste to create trainers or beer cans all help to remove our need for more plastic.
Conscious Behaviour
When we buy plastic; any kind of plastic we need to ask ourselves if there is a plastic-free option. If there isn’t a product whose plastic doesn’t harm the environment as much. Try to apply different behaviors rewarding yourselves when we dispose of plastic the correct way.
