Kerry MacKay has some refreshing suggestions for a real-world approach to reducing your plastic impact this month
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ENVIRONMENT
Plastic Free July … again
Kerry MacKay has some refreshing suggestions for a real-world approach to reducing your plastic impact this month
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Yay! It’ s Plastic Free July again!” – Go on, say it with all the enthusiasm of a tech diver winning the latest shiny scooter. Okay, now try saying it with all the enthusiasm you actually feel on a Monday morning back at work, when the weekend dive trip is sadly over.
If you care about marine conservation, the year so far has been pretty depressing. There is a constant flow of reasons to despair. However, there is an equally constant flow of calls for action to protect our wonderful oceans.
Which brings me to my point. There is just so much to be doing! Life can be pretty exhausting, so when something like Plastic Free July comes along and you are expected to do even more, it can all seem like too much.
I’ ve had a pretty stressful beginning to the year. I already do a lot to reduce my impact on the planet. I use reusable bags. I’ ve switched my electricity supply to renewable sources only. I’ ve dramatically cut down how much meat I eat, and choose my seafood by sustainability( see the MCS Good Fish Guide).
Yet I feel the pressure to do more. The thought of trying to live the whole of July without using any single-use plastic is daunting. Nevertheless, I know it’ s a good thing to do.
The defiance from ordinary people against ocean trashing activities is fantastic. For all the abuse thrown at our oceans, we are standing strong for a better future for everyone, and therein lies the key.
“ My day-to-day work is to educate and encourage others to reduce waste and look after our oceans”
It’ s a bit cliché to say we have to work together. Normally, it means we all need to pull in the same direction to make the changes we want in the world. While that is also true, that’ s not the way I mean it this time.
Today, I mean that we all need to support each other as individuals, as in a relay race. We as individuals can’ t be super motivated and enthusiastic all the time. Sometimes it takes all our energy just to look after ourselves. While we catch our breath, someone else can lead the cause for a while.
My day-to-day work is to educate and encourage others to reduce waste and look after our oceans. It’ s something I am passionate about and try to live by every day. However, some days even I struggle to remain motivated. When I hear yet another call to action, yet another task to add to my bulging to-do list, even I can sigh.
For this Plastic Free July, I invite you to do what you can. If that is to simply take notice of the plastic you use this month, then that is a good start. Turn the intense Plastic Free July calls for action into your own slow and steady plastic-reducing marathon.
Here are a few low-effort plasticbusting swaps to get you started on your next dive trip:
■ Make your packed lunch with a reusable xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
tub, water bottle and / or flask.
■ Pack bars of shampoo and soap, instead of bottles( bars won’ t leak!).
■ Wash your thermal undergarments in a microplastic catching mesh bag, or a zip-up pillowcase works too.
■ Choose dive snacks that are not wrapped in plastic. I’ m a chocolate fiend, yet so much chocolate is covered in plastic! If you look beyond the glossy Cadbury’ s packets, you’ ll find delicious chocolate wrapped in foil and paper / card. �
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