I used to genuinely think the future was plastic free, but it feels like things are going backwards.
Recycling, with its very familiar arrow symbol has eased our guilt for years. Sure, most of us knew it was a band-aid fix. But it was working right?
RedCycle (soft plastic recyling system in Australia) stopped recently . So we’re now needing to fill our kerb side bins with a waste product we know won’t degrade and is terrible for the planet.
Some big problems
Currently plastics are barely recycled (about 13% in Australia), and most can only be recycled a few times. In remote communities with less sophisticated infrastructure this is even harder.
In much of the developing world single-use sachet sizes are dominant for low-income communities. Dishwashing tablets for example are sold as single tablets in a plastic wrapper.
How dare ‘they’ make us feel guilty for something we have little control over.
Solution
It’s the responsibility of everyone, companies, retailers and 'the people' alike to limit the use of single-use plastic and provide / demand sustainable packaging alternatives.
Ecyo’s concentrated plastic free cleaning range has been around for 2.5 years at the time of writing, plenty of time for the big companies like Windex and Spray n Wipe to also do the same. Any guesses as to why they haven't?
Coorporations are moving too slowly. As consumers it's up to us to demand change. With the increasing cost of living we can't all afford to buy excusively from refill/ eco shops. But where possible look for alternatives, reward those businesses who are trying and advocate, speak up and demand change.
In the meantime be kind to yourself. The system is broken, it's not your fault.
Avril