28 March 2018
Appearing on BBC Radio Humberside earlier, Juliet Molteno was speaking about the new plastic bottle deposit idea.
The BBC had already mentioned Blue Planet (well they would, wouldn't they?), so I thought I would go in for the, er, kill? If you know what I mean!
What do we see?
Heart breaking scenes. Loss of turtles, birds, fish, etc.; programme makers having to rescue a whale with half a kilometre of plastic trailing from it! So many scenes.
What we have to say is: 1. Environmental campaigners have been jumping up and down about this one for ten years! 38 other countries are already doing it!
2. Plastic bottle deposits work like reverse vending machines. You put your plastic bottles in, and money comes out! What's not to like?
3. There is the concerning destruction of wildlife in OCEANS from our plastic! This move is an easy way to do something big to tackle it.
4. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report is not just about recycling but about REDUCING use in the first place. - Government suddenly has gone all keen on public water fountains and forcing food and drink retailers to provide free drinking water. Great news! Super convenient for thirsty people who fail to plan by being prepared and lugging water around with them just to nip to the shops!
This is the Green Party mantra - REDUCE - REUSE - RECYCLE. It's all part of moving away from a linear economy where we dump stuff at the end, to a circular economy where everything is used again and again.
Stopping plastic bottle waste should be the beginning of a circular economy - something that stops the planet having to foot the bill.
Then waste becomes a foreign concept.
Other ways to reduce plastic in your life, in all our lives.
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More in depth: The Story of Stuff (Video animation)
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