Reducing and recyling
We have been working on reducing our plastic use. We collected the plastic we used in one week and worked out what could we recycled and what couldn't be recycled. We measure the amount collected over time and aimed to reduce it. We are hoping we can all reduce and recycle at home.
The Eco team delivered and assembly on plastics and recycling. We looked at the items collected from one lunchtime sitting from packed lunches. We kept those items that can be recycled to make our own artwork. They shared their finding with the school. Collection over 3 weeks of plastic bottles and paper cups used by children to keep hydrated. We reduced this through weekly messages to parents to buy reusable plastic bottles
Up to 422 million tonnes of plastic are being produced each year. This could weigh more than humanity, estimated at 316 million tonnes in 2013.
Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the Ocean every year.2
If waste management practices don't improve, scientists predict this amount could increase tenfold by 2025.
Plastics make up to around 75% of marine litter, although this can be up to 100% at some sites.
Plastic in the Ocean breaks up into smaller fragments called microplastics, which have been identified in commercial fish consumed by humans.
Plastic in the Ocean breaks up into smaller fragments called microplastics. Plastic will never go away. These microplastics have been identified in commercial fish consumed by humans.
Half of all plastics are single-use applications, used just once and then disposed of. We are all guilty of this. But small behaviour changes can make a massive impact. The next time you are about to dispose of a plastic product, think about if you can reuse it for a different purpose.
Plastic was invented 150 years ago.
It never goes away it just gets smaller, making it harder to remove from the Ocean. Plastic is indestructible, it was designed to defy nature, and designed not to decompose. When we see the stat, 'plastic takes 450 years to decompose' we will never know this for sure, it has not been around long enough for us to put a time stamp on it.
Birds are highly susceptible to plastic ingestion. It is estimated that over 90% of all seabirds have ingested plastic.
The so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch is invisible from the surface however, plankton nets reveal the true nature of the problem which is an accumulation of microplastics that fill up each net in concentrations that increase towards the Ocean centre.
Plastic acts as a sink for chemicals in the environment, and transports them.
When the plastic is mistakenly consumed by marine life these plastic chemicals are released and stored in the fatty tissue of the animal. They then travel up the marine food chain, magnifying in concentration on their way up.
Chemicals are added to plastic during its production.
This gives the product certain properties and some known endocrine disruptors which have been linked to critical disease including, birth defects, cancer, autoimmune disease, infertility and cognitive and behavioural disorders.
Different types of plastic
Plastics that can be recycled
There are a number of plastics that can be recycled; some we see in our everyday lives and others not so much (especially now that more manufacturers are using green alternatives to previous plastic solution.
Please bear in mind that not all of these plastics are accepted at domestic recycling plants; some, including PVC, LDPE and PS, have to be sent to specialist recycling plants that can deal with them. if they go to a domestic recycling plant, they may very well end up in landfill despite best intentions otherwise.
The “Scrunch” Test
Ever heard of the Scrunch Test? It’s quite simple – if something goes back into shape once it’s been “scrunched” up, then generally it can be recycled through normal domestic collections. If it’s something like a crisp packet, then it typically can’t – not unless it has been cleaned and then separated first, which leads to using a specialist recycling service.