Brands Should Last Forever; Their Packaging Shouldn't

Plastic can take up to hundreds of years to break down, and the time it takes to decompose is also dependent on the type of product. For example, a plastic bag takes 20 years to break down, 200 years for plastic straws, 450 years for plastic bottles and 500 years for plastic toothbrushes. Pollution which stems from mismanaged plastic waste reached crisis levels around the world with a multitude of associated negative ecological, economic and social impacts. Plastic pollution will be long lasting, and if we do not take urgent and proper actions now, it will negatively impact our health, wildlife, and the natural environment in the long term.

For decades, waste management has always been the responsibility of the public and government. However, this system needs further involvement and support to make it more efficient. A revision of the existing system is crucial to ensure greater responsibility right from the producers themselves.

In conjunction with Global Recycling Day today, we urge companies and individuals to be more proactive in recycling single-use plastics, given the dire consequences of plastic pollution to our environment.

As individuals, we need to do our part as well. Here are a few easy things individuals can do to help make an impact:

1. Start by rethinking the use of everyday plastics –including water bottles, shopping bags and to-go containers – and when possible, replace them with reusable or options.

2. When using single-use plastics, carefully read the label and when available choose materials made with recycled content or items that will be accepted for local recycling.

3. Recycle and recycle smart. Check with your local recycler about what is accepted and be sure to follow those guidelines.

4. Demand accountability from companies and governments. Companies need to take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products and need an enabling policy environment to make this happen.


Source: https://www.facebook.com/wwfmy/videos/1551754181885166/

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