Reducing Plastic Usage on Campus
The world is becoming increasingly conscious of plastic pollution and is looking for ways to reduce its use. There are many ways to do this, but the most obvious is reducing your plastic bag use. You can bring your bags or buy reusable containers and water bottles when you shop. Supermarket chains also impose various policies to reduce plastic bag usage. Here are a few ways to do your part and reduce the impact of your commercial waste.
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Plastic Usage on Campus: Bringing your bags
By following these simple steps, you can encourage your friends and family to bring their bags and reduce their plastic usage.
While the ban is meant to decrease the use of single-use plastic bags by the general public, the cost of producing paper bags is rising. The increase in paper bag usage will increase the cost of solid commercial waste disposal. The ban will increase consumers’ awareness of reusable bags despite these issues. It will also help stores recoup their higher costs of buying and disposing of paper bags. If you plan to make several purchases simultaneously, bring your bag.
Several grocery chains are participating in the recycling efforts. Walgreens and CVS offer special discounts for customers who bring reusable bags. The retail giant ShopRite allows customers to bring reusable bags and offers discounts on taxes.
Alternatively, it sells green CVS cards, which can help consumers avoid plastic bags altogether. Ultimately, bringing your bags is a good idea for the environment and the business. Consumers throw away over 100 billion plastic bags a year in the U.S. alone, enough to fill up the Atlantic Ocean seven times. The resulting pollution amounts to nearly one billion barrels of oil a year. On the other hand, paper bags have a higher carbon footprint than plastic ones.
They require more energy to manufacture and transport. The average family can recycle just 15 plastic bags a year. Using plastic bags is dangerous for marine life. Over 100 million marine animals die from being confused by plastic bags yearly. One out of every three leatherback sea turtles is found with plastic inside its stomach. According to the Centers for Biological Diversity, one plastic bag is used by a leatherback sea turtle each day.
One trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually, and about two million are used every minute. Plastic takes over 20 years to decompose in the environment when it becomes litter, and it takes thousands of years to biodegrade in landfills. Meanwhile, only 1% of plastic bags are recycled. Many people reuse plastic bags after a single use, but that’s not the best approach. Most plastic bags will end up as garbage bin liners, dog pooper-scoopers, and eventually in landfills.
Plastic Usage on Campus: Reusability potential
They have a much smaller reusability potential than paper or cloth. Purchasing reusable bags can save you money as well, and many stores offer discounts to customers who purchase reusable bags and may even offer free bags at the store. A recent study at the University of Arizona found that up to 12 per cent of reusable shopping bags were contaminated with bacteria. Reusable shopping bags can contain 300 times the amount of bacteria in regular waste.
- You can use specific bags to carry produce and meat to keep bacteria levels low.
- You can also keep reusable bags in your car trunk or closet. And finally, make sure to wash them often!
- Reusable shopping bags come in many styles and materials.
- The choices are endless, from small handkerchief-sized bags to large reusable totes.
- The popular Baggu bags are a great example of reusable shopping bags that fold up as small as a handkerchief.
Some are made of recycled water bottles thicker than most plastic totes. However, reusable shopping bags made from plastic are better for the environment than conventional plastic grocery bags. The polypropylene used for these bags comes from recycled bottles, an excellent environmental resource. Reusable shopping bags reduce plastic waste. The production of plastic bags is a highly energy-intensive process.
They also use up ninety per cent more water than paper bags, while reusable bags take up just 9.3% more space in landfills. Furthermore, single-use plastic bags cost public funds to clean up, which could otherwise be spent on education and healthcare. The materials used to make plastic bags are derived from oil, so reusable shopping bags will reduce carbon emissions and allow fossil fuels to last longer.
Plastic Usage on Campus: Refillable water bottles
Buying refillable water bottles is one way to reduce your plastic usage.
- Water bottles are a significant cause of landfill waste.
- Water bottles use a tremendous amount of resources during their production and distribution.
- It takes approximately 17 million barrels of oil to produce 50 million single-use plastic bottles in the U.S. annually.
- This amount equals the energy needed to power 200,000 homes or fuel 1.3 million small cars yearly.
- Using refillable water bottles will decrease your dependence on fossil fuels, reduce the amount of plastic waste in landfills, and reduce the amount of plastic waste you put in the environment.
According to Oceana, a 10% increase in refillable water bottles will reduce marine plastic pollution. This will also create jobs and reduce the amount of waste in landfills. Refillable bottles can be recycled, which helps to protect the ocean. A water bottle can kill a turtle, and many are endangered. So buying refillable bottles is an easy way to help reduce plastic usage and pollution. Switching to a refillable water bottle will eliminate the use of approximately 150 single-use plastic bottles yearly.
This means that 156 single-use water bottles will not end up in landfills. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to reducing your plastic usage, a refillable water bottle reduces your carbon footprint by over 150 kilograms. These bottles are not only eco-friendly but also incredibly durable. The Center for International Environmental Law has compiled data about plastic production worldwide and shows how single-use water bottles contribute to ocean pollution.
While you may not notice this pollution immediately, manufacturing these bottles requires gas, oil, and pipelines. If these materials leak, serious problems can occur. And the pollution doesn’t stop there! The problem extends beyond single-use plastic bottles. One of the ways to curb pollution is by purchasing refillable water bottles. Refillable water bottles are popular in 94 countries, accounting for 30 per cent of beverage sales in major markets.
Reusable water bottles are also consumer-friendly and can be reused 20 to 50 times, depending on the material. They reduce the need to produce new bottles, and companies own the bottles and charge deposits to keep them from ending up in landfills.
So, buying refillable water bottles is environmentally friendly to reduce your plastic use and carbon footprint.
Plastic Usage on Campus: Bringing your containers
One of the easiest ways to reduce plastic usage is by bringing your containers when shopping.
- A stainless steel water bottle or reusable food container will reduce the number of plastic bags you use.
- Instead of buying bags with plastic wrap and lids, you can also bring reusable containers to the grocery store.
- Bring reusable containers to grocery stores, or buy them in bulk. Plastic baggies are one of the worst things to use as garbage bags.
If you are a coffee drinker, bringing your water bottle can help reduce your plastic use. Coffee vendors often use polyethene plastic to line their cups. Many coffee vendors still use polystyrene foam cups, and these plastics can be recycled. In addition to bringing your water bottle to coffee shops, consider carrying your thermos to cut down on plastics. Bringing your water bottle can save you money, too. Besides bringing your containers, you can purchase refillable ones from a farmer’s market.
Aside from being lightweight and cheap, reusable containers can help you save money and prevent the need to buy single-use plastic bags. Buying reusable containers in stores that don’t offer them is even possible, saving you time and money. A reusable container can be reused and refilled again at the store. Bringing your containers to grocery stores can also save you money. Reusable bags, canvas totes, and cotton shopping bags can help you avoid disposable plastic bags.
Plastic Usage on Campus: Second-Hand Clothing
Second-hand clothing is a great way to save money and can be almost brand new without tags. Search on second-hand selling platforms if you are looking for particular brands. It’s also best to avoid washing clothes, as it damages the fabric and causes fading, pilling, and misshapen clothes. Instead, air them outside or do a quick cold-cycle wash.
Plastic Usage on Campus – Learn more about UK business waste statistics here
Other useful links from our Commercial Waste Centre
Is a Waste Service For Small Businesses Right For Your Business?
A Guide to Commercial Food Waste Disposal in the UK
What Products Are Made From Recycled Waste Material?
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