10 Ways to Reduce Our Plastic Footprint

Did you know that 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute worldwide? Are you aware that 500 billion plastic bags are used annually? Have you heard that oceans are polluted by 8 million tonnes of plastic annually and that the amount of waste plastic entering the oceans per minute equals the size of a garbage truck? Plastics, indispensable to our way of life, unfortunately increase environmental pollution. The Association for Sustainable Production and Consumption announced 10 suggestions on 5 June World Environment Day to reduce our plastic footprint. Plastics today hold an indispensable place in every aspect of our lives, from mobile phones to aircraft, from eyeglasses to medicine boxes, from toothbrushes to artificial heart valves. Plastics provide comfort, convenience, speed and quality to our lives, but due to incorrect and excessive use, they cause environmental pollution problems. Each of us contributes to a 'Plastic Footprint' through the plastics we use and discard. But is it possible to reduce our plastic footprint?

A Campaign Must Be Declared to Reduce Single-Use Plastic Consumption

Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu, Chair of the Association for Sustainable Production and Consumption (SÜT-D) and Faculty Member at Istanbul Technical University, stated that the United Nations selected "Beat Plastic Pollution" as this year's theme for 5 June World Environment Day. Noting that the world has come together to combat single-use plastic pollution, Prof. Dr. Karaosmanoğlu emphasised that we must launch a campaign in our country to first prevent single-use plastic pollution. Emphasising that plastic products are essential to our lives, Prof. Dr. Karaosmanoğlu said, "We need to be conscious when using plastics, a valuable material. We should consume responsibly, remembering that a plastic bottle in our hands can remain undegraded in water for 450 years. We must first rapidly reduce single-use plastic consumption. Then we must reject it. We must end single-use plastic consumption."

We Produced More Plastic in 10 Years Than in the Previous 100 Years

Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu highlighted that according to plastic pollution figures released by the United Nations, more plastic has been produced in the last 10 years than in the entire previous 100 years combined, and that waste plastics constitute 10% of all waste. Prof. Dr. Karaosmanoğlu also stated that reducing plastic use cannot be achieved through penalties or restrictions, and that through a sustainable consumption lifestyle, we can bring our plastic footprint to environmentally friendly proportions.

Let's Make Water Bowls for Stray Animals from Plastic Packaging

Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu, noting that half of the plastics we use are single-use and discarded products, listed 10 suggestions to reduce our plastic footprint and prevent environmental pollution: 1- Let us use stainless steel forks, spoons and knives instead of plastic. 2- Let us stop using plastic straws. 3- Let us bring cloth bags or canvas shopping bags with us when shopping. 4- At our office, let us bring our own cups and consume our tea and coffee instead of using plastic or plastic-film-lined paper cups. 5- Instead of drinking water from plastic bottles; let us get a water container or water bottle. 6- Let us prefer biodegradable toothbrushes. 7- Let us reuse the packaging of dish and laundry detergents and liquid soaps. For this, let us buy large refill bottles of detergents and cleaning products and fill our small bottles from them. 8- Let us use ear cleaning sticks only as much as we need. 9- Before sending plastic packaging for recycling, let us see how we can reuse it at home. Let us extend their useful lives. Our resourceful housewives can make very stylish planters from plastic packaging for their flowers or water and food bowls for stray animals. 10- Let us not see the plastics we use merely as waste. Knowing that plastics are among the most important raw materials for recycling in the circular economy, let us place our waste in recycling bins for our recycling industry.