Updated 4 August 2022 – Original 13 November 2019
Do you eat American Express?
Plastic is everywhere, killing wildlife and polluting our beautiful places, but even if you couldn’t care less about any of that, did you know that we humans, yes even you, are actually ingesting about the equivalent of a credit card in microplastic EACH week? Mostly through water but also beer and seafood and all other manner of things you probably wouldn’t even imagine.
Although we can easily ignore the state of things from our positions of comfort and privilege, do we really want to be consuming this amount of hormone-disrupting, disease-causing chemicals every week until we die? What about our children? Our pets? Not really.
So no matter how much you feel like pollution, plastic problems and injustices are someone else’s issues to deal with. It’s time to realise that whether you like it or not, it IS your problem, you are being affected and you are NOT powerless.
Start by becoming aware of all the plastic in your life, at home, where you eat out, on the things you buy and make steps to reduce this where possible. I doubt we will ever be 100% plastic free, but it can be MUCH better if you decide it to be and go at it! Little by little wins the race, as they say.
Next, when you’re out and about and notice dropped litter, cigarette butts or somebody dropping them. React! Positively of course, you could pick up the rubbish and dispose of it properly. Even if there are more all around, and you can only manage one piece, that is one piece less and it is not nothing!
If you’re feeling particularly bold, you could even politely explain the no-no to the culprit, they may react positively or negatively, be prepared with facts, and kindness, deliver your message with compassion, for we are all learning here and then move on with your life.
Whatever your reaction, do more than nothing and be part of a solution, any, rather than contributing to our human demise through inaction or ignorance. Know that for a few seconds of your day, you did something positive to create change no matter how little it may feel, it is not nothing.
Although we are all participating more or less in the destruction of our home largely through little fault of our own, we are all responsible for our own behaviour now. We can improve our health by favouring natural options, which in turn reflects healthily on the planet – why not play an active role in that change? 💙