Avoid Single-use Plastics

Anglican parishes and dioceses will stop buying single-use plastic products by 2023.

Although plastics have made lifesaving advances in medicine and clean energy possible, overuse is a symptom of our culture of disposability. According to the Worldwatch Institute, humans now produce nearly 300 million tons of plastic every year, with much of it used only once. Many of these plastics will take decades or centuries to disappear. In the meantime, they break up into ever smaller pieces, which end up in the digestive tracts of marine animals, and they leach petrochemicals into the soil and water.

Take a plastics-free pledge to give up using one single-use plastic item for 40 days (or more!). Every single-use plastic item we save is one less thing in a landfill site, ocean or incinerator–or one less thing shipped overseas for another country to dispose of.

Single-use plastics are plastic items that are only intended to be used once, such as soft-drink bottles. The most common items include disposable cups, bottles, non-recyclable packaging, wipes, and female hygiene products. Finding alternatives to these plastics is easier than you might think, and it can be very satisfying to know that you are walking that little bit lighter on the Earth.

Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste

• Switch to using a reusable coffee cup (stainless steel or bamboo cups are best).
• Carry a reusable water bottle with you and refill it at home or work (the most long-lasting and easily recyclable types are made from stainless steel or glass).
• Cut down on plastic packaging by buying fruit and vegetables loose.
• Refuse the use of straws in restaurants.
• Use soap and shampoo bars instead of liquid products in plastic bottles.
• If you have young children, think about switching to reusable nappies–even switching for daytime wear will make a big difference.
• For women, consider whether you can switch to more sustainable period products, such as menstrual cups, reusable sanitary pads, or period- proof pants.
• More information on taking a plastics-free pledge is available from TearFund.

Source: Season of Creation Celebration Guidebook