Helen Tandy, Director, Eco Communities
I use LinkedIn a lot more now for work social media and of course I’m
linked to lots of great Entrepreneurs and Campaigners. You do find some great stories you just don’t see elsewhere on social media. Some posts make me angry; some make me sad, but this one made me smile…. that wry sort of smile when someone else with a lot more clout than you have, are saying exactly what you are thinking…
Sian Sutherland is co-founder of A Plastic Planet and an online influencer, I have followed her for years and she posted this recently…
Her reshare was on the back of a post questioning why we celebrate Recycling Day and commenting on a report from Greenpeace UK 40% (or 210,000 tonnes) of the UK’s #plasticwaste is being exported to Turkey. See the Greenpeace UK Report below.
Does anyone have any idea how much plastic is actually recycled?
I have constant debates with my hubby about what can and can’t be recycled at home. Why I have a huge bag of tablet packets and contact lens cases two plastic items I can’t get away from due to having rubbish eye sight and health problems.
We can’t keep shipping it abroard. A 2020 report ranked Turkey last among member-states in terms of waste recovery- see report. We can’t deal with it in the UK (see Greenpeace report) We can’t keep using oil to make plastic. We can’t live on a single use planet……
As more Zero Waste/Plastic Free Shop close (including Just Footprints Chester and Frodsham, Weight of the World in Northwhich where do I now get my plastic free groceries from when my stock runs out? The Supermarkets played around with Refill hoppers but now hope that by collecting the flexible plastics they package everything in in store, we will all think everything is fine.
Recycling is like some play on stage. We look at the performance it is all fantastic, yet behind the scenes the team are drowning.
We recycle- we put it in that special recyle bin at home or out and about and think we are doing a good thing. Yet Recycling is all an ‘ACT’ We are being lied to, recycling is not OKAY, it is all make believe. How do we move back to Circular/ Reusable world….!
What do you think? Please comment here and on social media.
Check out – https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/
Sustainable Cheshire 
I think this an eye opening find. There was once an article in the guardian online that I came across about making plastic circular so that it can be reused in a much more sustainable way. Why for instance are they still producing single use plastic drinks bottles wrapped in plastic? And why do supermarkets need plastic carriers for the delivery of groceries door to door. As an artist who trades in the groves, I have to use polyprop bags for photographic prints of my art. But I use paper bags to give to customers to take away and I have a notice encouraging people to recycle them as best as they can be recycled. Another thing, if milkmen can use glass bottles for milk, why can’t supermarkets use them. As I live alone, I like to buy my milk as I need it to save waste. The use of all the worlds fossil fuels should be stopped with immediate affect. There are so much better means of powering cars and homes etc. Communities everywhere are really stepping up to the plate now. Congratulations to all the plastic free communities sterling efforts all round. The TV is also really making an effort to highlight the crisis. I think if every big company goes all the way to help the planet, then that can only be positive. I remember as a child in the 60s when there was no recycling at all and a council tip on parkgate road. It is now the countess country park. I think if Al Gore one time U S vice president was in power, America would be a much better place, tho their citizens are doing much more now as well as some of their companies. I would like to thing that all the world powers are waking up now and all taking urgent action. There is only one earth!!!🌳🌺🐘🌍🗻
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Sometimes I come across an rPET instead of plain PET. But evidently not enough for a truly circular economy.
A local park has plasticwood benches, to avoid decay. Hope they avoid the local arsonists.
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