Our oceans are suffocating with plastic pollution and there will be more plastic than fish by 2050 if we don’t urgently change our ways.
Globally, more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean every year, killing, entangling, strangling and choking more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals annually.
Food wastage is also causing a catastrophe, with roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — wasted, amounting to roughly $944 billion in industrialised countries and $430 billion in developing countries.
Flannerys Organic & Wholefood Market naturopath Caroline Robertson says it’s not too late to start reducing waste and saving the planet in the run up to, during and after Clean Up Australia Day on March 3.
“Whether you’re already eco-friendly, or want to start contributing to saving our planet, Clean Up Australia Day empowers and inspires communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment.
“There are so many environmentally-friendly products on the market now that there isn’t an excuse to be using toxins that pollute our oceans,” says Ms Robertson.
“The same with plastic substitutes. It’s heartening to see how more Australians – especially the younger generation – are starting to understand the severity of climate change and want to do something about it.”
“Recycling can only do so much – avoiding plastic and dangerous waste is the best option, and there are plenty of alternatives and products which are easy to substitutes.”
Flannerys Organic & Wholefood Market has a range of unpackaged bulk wholefoods and authentic eco- and plastic-free products, and naturopath Caroline Robertson reveals the top-selling products:
- Beeswax wraps – a great plastic-free alternative, perfect for keeping food fresh and wrapping sandwiches and packed lunches
- Buy in bulk – According to a Bulk Foods Study in the US, consumers can save an average of 89% on the cost of their grocery shop by purchasing bulk foods, and Flannerys Organic & Wholefood Market supplies natural and organic products at their stores (including sustainably sourced nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, carob etc which you can pour directly from their glass canisters into your own, banishing plastic for good
- Compostable bags – just because Australia’s biggest supermarkets did a U-turn on plastic bags doesn’t mean you have to! Plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. Compostable bags are much better, with one brand shown to biodegrade 99 per cent within the first month in a commercial composting facility. Small biodegradable bags are available for food, small bins and doggie poos too. Flannerys Organic & Wholefood market offers free compostable bags at the checkout, produce and bulk areas, made from corn husks they will eventually break down in the compost, but they can also be re-use
- Straw alternatives: Australians use an estimated 10 million plastic straws a day, because they’re too lightweight they aren’t biodegradable or recyclable and frequently end up in the ocean in the stomach of fish, birds and turtles, killing of half of affected marine life. The thing is there are now alternative straws made from stainless steel or bamboo
- Water filter: One million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the globe, with our insatiable thirst for bottled water creating a crisis that experts say is as bad as climate change. First things first, ditch the plastic bottles, if you’re concerned about water quality use a good quality water filter or drink from stainless steel bottles
- Reusable mesh fruit and veg produce bags: Instead of plastic bags for fruit, vegetables and bulk-food shopping, use a lightweight mesh reusable produce bag
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