Plastic waste is a menace that London authorities have been trying to deal with for the past several years. More and more plastic waste is being generated; even efforts by the London mayor to combat this trend are yet to bear fruits. But the good thing is that Londoners are increasingly embracing the use of eco friendly drink bottles; traditionally, plastic bottles have been the worst culprit when it comes to polluting our environment. Although plastic isn’t going to be banned or done away with easily or fast, it’s important that we practice safe disposal methods of all plastic waste that we generate. Think of plastic water bottles, plastic soft or energy drink bottles, plastic ice cream cups, plastic disposable plates and spoons, and so on so forth, even nylon and polythene papers used to wrap groceries, gifts; all these can be classified as plastic.
How can you practice safe and beneficial plastic waste disposal methods?
- Use less; top on the list, you should decide to use less or not plastic at all if and where possible. If you’re going out hoping, carry your own bag; carry your own water in your bottle. Don’t throw away your water bottle each time you’re done. Keep the bottle and clean it, you can use it a few more times before disposing of it and getting another. Similarly, think of creative ways to wrap gifts, you don’t always have to rely on polythene packaging.
- Reusing; like aforementioned, reusing one water bottle rather than buying a new one each time makes much sense. This actually applies to all plastic items that you have used; old plastic containers can be creatively painted and used as flower vases along your driveway. The thing to note is that reusing reduces the need to buy new because buying new means new raw materials have been gotten from the environment.
- Recycling; most Londoners throw away their plastic all over, not because they have not heard of recycling, but because they don’t know of any recycling plants around them. Yet, you don’t have to know a recycling plant in order for you to embrace recycling. Start by disposing of all your plastic waste in a bin, rather than throwing it all over the parks and streets. Waste clearance companies will find it easier picking such waste from the bins, sorting it out and finally delivering it to the recycling plants; in short, waste clearance companies are the last link between your plastic waste, and the recycling plant.
- Make it a lifestyle; make it a lifestyle or habit to buy products packaged in eco friendly packaging, shop in stores that have embraced recycling, and so on. On the same note, make a habit of using as little plastic as possible in your day to day life. There are awesome water bottles that aren’t made of plastic. So many ways to wrap a gift without necessarily having to rely on polythene wrappings. Donate your items to places they will be repaired, reused, or recycled into something useful. Once you do this, you’ll realize you don’t have much plastic at your disposal awaiting clearance.
We all have a duty to help create and maintain a clean and plastic free London. Our parks are choking under plastic waste and trash, more of it is being dumped in the Thames. Start small, make a decision that you want to be a part of Mother Nature; reduce your plastic use, and if you have it, ensure that it is safely disposed of in accordance with the rules and regulations.