Simple Changes #20
Adopt a single-use plastic policy, to remove single-use plastics from your estate
Problem
More than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year, half of which are disposable plastics that are only used once ‘for convenience’. Currently only 32% of all the plastic we use in Wales ends up being recycled; much still get landfilled or incinerated. These kinds of single use items represent a huge waste of resources, a cost to taxpayers for waste treatment, get into the food-chain, harm our wildlife and the chemicals are now seeping into our water.
Simple Change
By adopting a single-use plastic-free policy, you will be able to measure and audit the use of single-use plastics within your organisation, set targets for reduction and phase them out by finding alternatives.
Case Study
Who is doing this?
Become single-use plastic free!
The Beautiful Barry group are volunteers who clean up the beaches to try and keep them plastic free, and to stop the plastic reaching the ocean. In turn, this keeps Barry clean, tidy, and helps the environment. This video shows why becoming plastic free can be beneficial to public bodies and communities in Wales.
Barry Island Volunteer Beach Cleanup
Well-being goals you’ve contributed to
A Resilient Wales
You have earned...
A Resilient Wales
A nation which maintains and enhances a biodiverse natural environment with healthy functioning ecosystems that support social, economic and ecological resilience and the capacity to adapt to change (for example climate change)
A Globally Responsible Wales
You have earned...
A Globally Responsible Wales
A nation which, when doing anything to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales, takes account of whether doing such a thing may make a positive contribution to global well-being
A Healthier Wales
You have earned...
A Healthier Wales
A society in which people’s physical and mental well-being is maximised and in which choices and behaviours that benefit future health are understood
