Plastic Pollution

Did you know nearly all the plastic ever created still exists in some form today

As of 2015, approximately 6.3bn tonnes of plastic waste has been generated out of this around 9% has been recycled, 12% incinerated & an astonishing 79% is in landfills or the natural environment and worst of all if the current rate of production and waste management trends continue an estimated 12bn tonnes of plastic waste will be in landfills or the environment.

One of the most common types of plastic waste… Drink Bottles

Approximately 480bn bottles was sold Globally in 2016 (approximately 1 million bottles per minute), less than 50% was collected for recycling and only 7% recycled, Some countries are now looking at moves to reduce consumption UK proposals include incentives like deposit return & in major cities free drinking water.

Plastic waste and the sea

It’s estimated around 8bn tons of plastic waste ends up in the sea each year, this is also rising. Hard-wearing qualities of most plastics means that some items can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.

How long to biodegrade?

Polystyrene / Styrofoam Cup 50 Years
Aluminum Can 200 Years
Nappy 450 Years
Plastic Bottle 450 Years
Fishing Line 600 Years

Between 50 – 600 years before these everyday items biodegrade, I know when you buy something that comes in a plastic container your not thinking about the effect its going to have in the long term but the recent media coverage has really highlighted the issue for many who was unaware of the figures.

Plastic waste in the UK

The Marine Conservation Society found 718 pieces of litter for every 100m stretch of beach surveyed

Some more facts & figures

225 Million plastic/polystyrene pieces
42.3 Million Packets
32.9 Million Caps/Lids
18 Million Lengths of fishing line
18 Million Cutlery/trays/straws

Approximately 8.5% comes from sewage related waste, items that could be recycled have been flushed down the toilet including 27.4 million wet wipes

Plastic so harmful to marine life?

A recent survey by Plymouth University found that plastic was found in a third of UK-caught fish, including cod, haddock, mackerel and shellfish. This can result in malnutrition or starvation for the fish, and lead to plastic ingestion in humans too. The effect on humans of eating fish containing plastic is still largely unknown.

Whats NEXT, Our Behavior needs to change

Recycle more, I know sometimes when breaking down packaging it’s time consuming to separate the plastic from the card, however this is one of the easiest places to start at home or at work, dispose of items correctly, Im astonished by the amount of cars I see throwing waste out of the window or leaving full bags of waste under the car and driving off, why? surly they have a bin at home or could drop it in a bin nearby?

As a company who supplies cleaning and hygiene products we have worked closely with our suppliers over the years to secure products that are green and safe for the environment and safe to use one of our main suppliers Buckeye International offer some of the most waste reducing products on the market today. Buckeye have been promoting recycling from day one, they know the issues facing the world not just the UK & US.

Biodegradable Products with Recyclable Packaging

Buckeye were the first in the industry to develop the Action Pac® “bag-in-a-box” packaging, eliminating the use of plastic pails and their adverse effects on landfills. Our Smart Sacs™ are manufactured with 60% less plastic and our Eco® 1.25L bags are manufactured with 83% less plastic than rigid containers. Because our products work more efficiently and our packagaing is recyclable and biodegradable, you use less product, therefore less waste ends up in landfills. And you save money too!

Green Seal™ Certified Products

We are committed to manufacturing safer products for the worker and environment, and equally committed to uncompromised product performance. Our Green Seal™ certified products not only outperform other green products, they also outperform non-green, conventional chemistries.

“Green seal is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and tranforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services.”

Whats next?

Nothing is going to change overnight but we have to start making these changes as soon as possible for us and the next generation.

I am interested in hearing your thoughts and comments below or please contact me here for more information about our ECO range of cleaning products

Interesting Related Links

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04tjbtx
https://www.buckeyeinternational.com/sustainability
https://www.innovation-supplies.co.uk/product-category/buckeye-eco-propotioning-system/
https://www.epa.gov/smm/advancing-sustainable-materials-management-facts-and-figures
https://www.recyclenow.com/
http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/