The Big Green Post

Well Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
And speaking of green...here's what I want to ramble about.... and ramble I do...long post warning:)

Have you seen this film? Here's the trailer to it...

It recently aired on the Sundance Channel

(and I hope they'll be showing it again but it's not scheduled currently...keep checking here)

WOW...what an eye opener. I thought I knew it all about recycling, (or at least alot, in this house, nothing gets thrown away without thinking about what it's next life could be)... it's importance, how we are consuming and disposing of 'stuff' at a rate that our planet just can't keep up with, but this film digs deeper into it....it is the result of three years of work that took filmmaker Ian Connacher around the globe seeking answers to the host of problems that surround one of our little addictions,

plastic.

We may have known this:
We pitch into landfills 38 billion water bottles a year -- in excess of $1 billion worth of plastic.
And this:
24% of the bottled water we buy is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi.
But did you know this?

The United Nations claims there are 46,000 pieces of plastic in every square mile of ocean. A whopping 80% of plastics in the ocean originate from land.

Which sadly, gives us this:

Captain Charles Moore, world expert and founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, explains that in some parts of the ocean, the ratio of plastic to plankton in the water is 10:1. A Dutch scientist finds that 90% of the birds he dissects have the human equivalent of a lunch bag full of plastic in their stomachs.

Realizing we can't just do away with plastic altogether 'Addicted to Plastic' doesn't just give us the gory details of our addiction. It provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. (Because simply recycling isn't the answer! You can read more info about that here in a Huffington Post article
Recycling Plastic: What a waste.
The solutions Ian Connacher details - which include plastic made from plants -gives us a new perspective about our future with plastic.

What to do now, today?

Well on this 'green day' let's spend some time being aware of all the plastic in our lives and rethinking it. Since I've watched the film, I find myself being more aware of all the plastic in my life and how many times I could of made a better decision or the number of things I simply could of opted out of. Here are some rules (from the Huffington Post article above, written by Lisa Kaas Boyle, (Co-Founder, Plastic Pollution Coalition, and Board Member, Heal the Bay).


1. REFUSE single-use plastics. (these are every day, single-use plastics ..."SUPs"... bottles, bags, packaging, utensils, etc. made from petrochemicals that are thrown away in huge quantities after one use, but they will last virtually forever. SUPs are the largest component of landfills and ocean pollution.)

Instead, bring your own shopping and produce bags to the market, or try 'paper please'. Use reusable bottles or grab the glass bottle in the beverage cooler at the convenience store instead of the plastic. Bring your own containers for take-out or ask for non-plastic disposable packaging.

2. REDUCE waste. Choose products with the least plastic packaging. Cut back on plastic disposable goods like razors, straws, cups, plates and silverware.

3. REUSE preferably nontoxic containers and goods to make less waste.

4. RECYCLE plastics as a last option, after exhausting the first three options.

We have the power to change the world, why aren't we using it?

ps...there's still time to get in on my latest sign giveaway "Bella Cottage"!!

Wishing you all a sunny & green day!!




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(¸.·´ (¸.·´ paula