Tackling the ‘Age of Plastic’

Plastic – that useful, resistant and inexpensive material that also ends up in the sea, in our food and in our guts – is hard to avoid. When we read predictions that there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050, we are galvanized to act!^[2] A Rocha teams took up the challenge of ‘Plastic-Free February’ and tackled reducing single-use plastic in their homes, workplaces and churches.

The French team at Les Courmettes committed to reducing the plastic they use as a community and started by making yoghurt to avoid the individual plastic pots that are the norm. The Dutch team shared ideas and encouragements with participants across the country via weekly emails and an online platform. In Portugal, the team is on their second year of the challenge, having reduced their centre’s plastic waste by almost half in their first February. This year they are building on that success plus sharing tips and getting people out on a beach clean to get plastic physically off the coast.  

Queen, A Rocha Kenya’s Marine Environmental Educator, made it personal. After reading about a Cattle Egret that died from getting tangled in plastic hair, Queen switched from her trademark coloured plastic braids to natural hair. She says she needed to set a good example for the students and community members with whom she discusses the challenges of plastic dependence!

Join with us in reducing our dependence on plastic, whatever the month.  

^[1] https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/04/556132-feature-uns-mission-keep-plastics-out-oceans-and-marine-life