How plastic waste is damaging our planet

How Plastic Waste is Damaging Our World

Name: Triple O Packaging
Address: 39 Pecche Place, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 8AA
Telephone: 07305 955333

We are passionate about encouraging and helping people to rethink their relationship with packaging and move towards circular and reusable systems that reduce single use packaging waste.

This blog aims to raise awareness of plastic pollution and how we can all help to reduce it.

Here are some key facts about plastic pollution:

Conventional plastics are made to last forever – and they do. They do not biodegrade.

The World produces 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year.¹

Only 9% of plastic is recycled. This is declining as China is no longer accepting plastic wastes from US and Europe.¹

30% of plastics consumed are single-use so are discarded after just one use.²

Some of the most harmful plastic items to the environment are plastic cutlery and plastic straws. ²

Helium balloons are one of the high-risk plastic debris items for seabirds. ²

1.5 billion cotton buds are produced every day and many end up in our oceans. ²

We use around 1.8 billion plastic drink cups every year and 1.5 billion coffee lids. ²

We use 40 billion plastic bottles per month – 481.6 Billion in a single year. ¹

We use 5 trillion plastic bags per year – that’s 160,000 a second – and less than 1% are recycled. Polyethylene takes centuries to degrade.³

By 2050, the world’s oceans could contain more plastic than fish measured by weight.³

The Covid Pandemic resulted in an unprecedented surge in single use plastics, particularly in the medical sector, with PPE and the use of disposable masks, and also in the use of plastic cutlery when food outlets could only provide takeaway meals.⁴

As a Nation, we all need to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics from our lives.

Here are some ways you can help to reduce plastic pollution.

Eco-friendly alternatives to plastic straws

Cardboard straws are more commonly used now in fast food outlets and the hospitality sector but for home use, rather than using disposable straws, you could use reusable alternatives – stainless steel, bamboo, pasta and even rice straws – or preferably just don’t use a straw at all!

Eco-friendly alternatives to plastic cutlery

If you are planning to order a take-out meal, do you need plastic cutlery in the bag? Probably not if you are eating at home. If you are on the road, buy a travel cutlery set instead and keep it in the car or your bag. If you are catering for a large group of people, switch to reusable bamboo utensils instead of plastic.

Eco-friendly alternatives to plastic balloons

Balloons have been used as a decoration for celebratory events for many, many years, but there are now alternatives that will be equally as decorative, and will be planet-friendly. Try paper lanterns, recycled bunting, or even real flowers.

Eco-friendly alternatives to cotton buds

We recommend Bamboo cotton buds. They are 100% biodegradable, so are a zero waste product. You can dispose of them in your compost or organic waste.

Eco-friendly alternatives to plastic drink cups

Most fast food/takeaway cups and lids are not recycled or composted, so most of them end up in landfill. Thankfully we are seeing reusable cups becoming more popular. Some businesses will sell their own branded reusable cup for customers to keep and reuse. If you can’t buy a reusable cup, then say no to the lid!

Eco-friendly alternatives to plastic bottles

Get into the habit of carrying a reusable bottle with you when you are out and about. In education or at work, campaign for hydration stations that encourage students and employees to bring in reusable bottles.

Buy refills for your repeat purchase items

Making even the smallest changes to the way we live is going to make a difference to help decrease the total environment impact of toxic waste.

Start reducing your household waste by eliminating single-use plastics from your daily life.

We have pop-up refill shops in and around Basingstoke and you can also order your refills through our online eco refill shop. We will deliver your order to your door personally! Alternatively, please call us on 07305 955333 and we can take your order over the phone.

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