Saving the Environment can be Simple
Our oceans are more than just a place to go for some time out from a busy lifestyle; about 97 percent of the Earth’s water can be found in our oceans* and they’re home to roughly 15% of the earth’s species**.
According to the World Economic Forum, 32% of plastic packaging produced annually worldwide is left to flow into our oceans***. We all know this isn’t right… so let’s do something about it.
“Taking care of our environment is simple, really. If each household implements and follows a recycling programme, we’re already halfway there,” says Mandy Naudé, CEO of Polyco – a non-profit industry body formed by a group of responsible polyolefin packaging producers with the aim of increasing the polyolefin packaging recycling rate.
We need to accept that we cannot live without plastic in our world, but it is how packaging is designed and what consumers do with it once it has been used that makes the difference. By separating your household waste into recyclables and non-recyclables, you’ll play a major part in preventing plastic from ending up in the ocean, or accumulating in landfills.
Recycling in your own home can be easy and fun, and Polyco is determined to show all South Africans how to get started. Alongside the queen of DIY, SuzelleDIY, Polyco has produced an educational, interactive online video.
For every tonne of plastic that is recycled, it saves the equivalent of two people’s energy consumption for a year, the amount of water used by one person over two months and more than 7,500 litres of gasoline****. “Polyco is passionate about driving recycling initiatives and spearheading this positive recycling revolution,” says Naudé.
For more information on Polyco and to watch the video, visit http://www.polyco.co.za. Remember to share the video and any helpful tips with your friends, family and neighbours.
* https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanwater.html
**http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/recycling-statistics.html
***http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/recycling-statistics.html
**** https://nrcrecycles.org/glossary-3/#top