Our World - Our Community - Our Environment Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

About 18 months ago we all saw on TV Blue Planet II Drowning in Plastics Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Terrible statistics and images The world produces an annual 300 million tonnes of plastic With an estimated 50% of that being destined for single use. Eight million tonnes enters the oceans every year and by the year 2050, it is estimated the oceans could contain more plastic by weight than fish. Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019 Terrible images Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019 Recent report Deepest dive ever – more than 7 miles down To the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench Even there they found plastic sweet wrappers! Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Inspired the PLUMPTON PLASTICS CHALLENGE Over 50 ideas listed by attendees at the first meeting As a result the Parish Council set a new environment policy Lots of communities trying to tackle the problem Attenborough ‘astonished’ by the public reaction to Blue Planet II Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019 All sounds brilliant – but what is the reality when trying to find alternatives Plastic toothbrushes – alternatives bamboo – first ones we tried had plastic bristles Magazines now arriving in ‘biodegradeable’ or compostable bags – but are they really that good? Plastic plant pots – changes coming eg Hairy Pot Co – but very slow Guppy bags for micro plastics Veggio bags Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

And then there are those recycling symbols……….. Widely Recycled This label is applied to packaging that is collected by 75% or more of local authorities across the UK, for example plastic bottles. Bottle - Widely Recycled, Sleeve - Not Yet Recycled Remove sleeve – depending on the packaging it can be good to remove the outer sleeve. For example, a paper sleeve that is wrapped around a large yoghurt pot can be removed and recycled with paper. Sometimes the sleeves are not recyclable and therefore the instruction is to remove the sleeve and put it in the waste bin. Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

And then there are those recycling symbols……….. Mobius Loop This indicates that an object is capable of being recycled, not that the object has been recycled or will be accepted in all recycling collection systems. Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

And then there are those recycling symbols……….. The Green Dot Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

And then there are those recycling symbols……….. The Green Dot The Green Dot does not necessarily mean that the packaging is recyclable, will be recycled or has been recycled. It is a symbol used on packaging in some European countries and signifies that the producer has made a financial contribution towards the recovery and recycling of packaging in Europe. Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

And then there are those number codes Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

And then there came on 6th May 2019: Landmark new report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019 Main headlines: Current global response insufficient; ‘Transformative changes’ needed to restore and protect nature; Opposition from vested interests can be overcome for public good Most comprehensive assessment of its kind; 1,000,000 species threatened with extinction Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

The report concluded that: “Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local varieties and breeds of domesticated plants and animals are shrinking, deteriorating or vanishing. The essential, interconnected web of life on Earth is getting smaller and increasingly frayed.This loss is a direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world.” Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019 Film called ‘Trashed’ Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019 The main culprits are: In descending order: changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of organisms; climate change; pollution and invasive alien species. Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019 In other words: Plastics are part of the problem 7% of fossil fuels used each year go into making plastics 30% of that plastic gets thrown away each year But our over-use of everything is contributing to nature’s decline – habitats and bio-diversity Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Could Plumpton adopt a strategy of: REFUSE REDUCE RE-USE RECYCLE Not just for Plastics but for everything? Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

What should our community do?.... PLASTIC FREE PLUMPTON?? ZERO-WASTE PLUMPTON?? Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019

Our World - Our Community - Our Environment Plumpton Annual Parish Meeting 2019