Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

     Unless you are a Rip Van Winkle who has slept for a hundred years,  you are certainly aware of the global issue of plastic pollution.

     There is not a corner of the earth, or of the oceans, that is immune from it. From the trendiest beaches, favoured by sun worshippers and hedonists, to the remotest stretches of unoccupied Arctic coastline, plastic is ubiquitous. It is a hazard to human health and an ever-present danger to wildlife.

     How tragic is it to see the stomach of the young albatross below filled with plastic, fed to it by unwitting parents?

     What are we doing to this planet, this blue dot, the only place we have to live? 
     It often seems to me that despite our knowledge, despite the fact that we are confronted with this issue every day, there is little will on the part of the average citizen to tackle it. I still see shoppers, many in fact, at the grocery store putting one tomato in a plastic bag, one avocado in another plastic bag, a couple of onions in another, and so on, and then getting a couple more plastic bags at the checkout to carry it home. It is ridiculous, excessive, unconscionable and unnecessary. 
     Yet we can all do something about it. 
     First it is important to advocate to store owners that they should make it easy for people to bring their own containers. We can refuse to use plastic straws and suggest to restaurant owners that they discontinue their use. It is easy to take one's own thermal mug to your favourite coffee chain and have them fill it rather than taking a plastic lined paper cup, a plastic lid and, often, a paper sleeve to safeguard against holding a hot cup. When I buy olives I put them in my own container. The list goes on. I am sure you can think of countless instances yourself. Simply refuse to patronize an establishment if they resist becoming a little more enlightened.
     For our part, we have eliminated the use of plastic, especially single use plastic, almost completely. And we have now extended this to paper also.
     We never shop without taking our own shopping bags. Never! Doesn't matter what we are buying. And they are all made by Miriam from recycled materials.

          We always have a good supply in the car, and Miriam has even made bags that fold up into a little pouch and we make sure that we have those in the glove compartment too.

     When I visit my favourite bakery I take my own cloth bags - one for a loaf of bread, another for buns/bagels/rolls. No plastic or paper is taken from the store.

     And it catches on. Other people have remarked that they too should start doing that.
     Miriam and I often talk about the issues and devise ways to eliminate waste. She is the one who comes up with the products and makes them. 
     She has for many years made a whole range of items from recycled materials, and now scours thrift stores and charity shops for old lace curtains and the like, from which she makes produce bags.

     They weigh next to nothing and are see-through, so when you get to the store checkout counter the contents are easily visible. I am quite certain that this type of bag weighs no more that the plastic bag others (hopefully fewer and fewer) choose for their fruit and vegetables.
     Instead of using plastic wrap at home Miriam makes beeswax food wraps which can be wiped off after each use and used over and over again. I can barely remember not using these!

     Another product we have substantially eliminated is paper towel. What we use now is often referred to as unpaper towel. It can even be stored on the same holder, vertical or horizontal, as paper towel, and washed and reused over and over again. Not only is it effective, we save money by greatly reducing our purchase of paper towel.

     Little cloth hankies in a pouch replace paper tissues.

     They can also be used as napkins for a summer picnic.
     Larger ones are more suitable for men, perhaps.

     It is very important of course to make sure that the plastic you cannot avoid acquiring  is recycled correctly. In this area we have highly efficient recycling plants, but in many parts of the world there are no such facilities, and even here only about 8% of all the plastic we put out for recycling is ever actually recycled. There is simply not the capacity at present to do more.
    So, you can't change the world overnight but you can make a difference. You can choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution. Just imagine the reduction in plastic waste if everyone could curtail their use of this virtually indestructible substance by 50% by the end of the year. 
     The time for excuses is past. The time for action is now.