Three letter hack could reduce your plastic use overnight
We’ve challenged Australia’s best minds in sustainability to give us one simple tip each week that can help our readers make a difference to the environment.
It’s almost impossible to avoid using plastic in our daily lives and thinking about how to make a difference can seem overwhelming.
With our oceans choking on garbage, and our recyclers stockpiling more than they're reusing, 18-year-old Sophia Skarparis has some practical ideas that will help all of us use less.
The problem with plastic is that it never disappears, it just keeps breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces.
“Plastic bags that you probably used 20 years ago are still in our environment today,” Ms Skarparis told Yahoo News Australia.
“That’s the reason why plastic is so, so dangerous, because it never, ever goes away.”
Plastic facts that are truly astounding
The average American eats and inhales between 70,000 and 120,000 microplastic pieces every year.
An estimated 8.5 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since 1950.
NSW is the only Australian state which has not banned single use plastic bags.
Direct experience leads campaigner to make a change
Ms Skarparis has been raising awareness about plastic consumption since she was in high school, using her Plastic Free Sophia Instagram account as one tool to raise awareness.
She had been relatively naive to how big an issue plastic was until it affected her directly.
“It was only when I was 14 years old that it all kind of clicked,” she said.
“It started when I was on the football field (and I became) consumed by all the plastic that was left on the fields.”
Horrifying facts about plastic you probably don’t want to know
Up to 1 million sea creatures are killed by plastic every year.
Our oceans are already estimated to contain over 1 trillion pieces of plastic.
Around the world, more than 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute.
Ninety-five per cent of plastic packaging is used only once.
Simple hack you can use to reduce your plastic use
It’s relatively easy for people to start using less plastic, according to Ms Skarparis, who said you can start by remembering just three letters - BYO.
“Wherever you go, bring your own,” she advises.
“Bring your own bag, bring your own straw, bring your own KeepCup.
“And if you forget then you just don’t get it."
She concedes that avoiding plastic all together is unavoidable for most of us, but by making small changes, we can all do our part to help the environment.
Keen for more easy steps to help save the planet?
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