A plastic free life
The United Nations World Wildlife Day in March 2019 was celebrated under the theme ‘Life below water: for people and planet’.
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The United Nations World Wildlife Day in March 2019 was celebrated under the theme ‘Life below water: for people and planet’.
As much as 40% of the ocean is now heavily affected by the most significant and direct threat of overexploitation of marine species to threats such as pollution, loss of coastal habitats and climate change.
In March 2019, the University ran an event to raise the profile of the effects that plastic pollution is having on our oceans and what this may mean for future generations.
Facts about plastic pollution in oceans:
Source: European Commission.
The most common plastic objects found on European beaches are:
A circular economy approach which puts the emphasis on preventing waste and on recycling and reuse of materials and products in the first place, is the best solution to the marine litter problem.
For further information on European strategy, see the Plastic use factsheet (.pdf) and the General plastic waste factsheet (.pdf).
At the University we recycle all plastics into the recycle bin where it is sorted by the waste contractor.
At home, search for your council’s recycling facility.
During the event, we asked staff and students to work out how much plastic they used annually, using an online calculator. If you would like to calculate how much plastic you use every year, use the Greenpeace plastics calculator.
More information about the changes you can make, both at work and home, to decrease the effects of plastic pollution: