Friday 02-07-2021 - 10:31

It's officially Plastic Free July, and while we should be mindful of reducing our plastic usage every month, July is a month dedicated to raising awareness on a global scale of all things surrounding plastic usage. It's your chance to be part of the solution. 

It's no secret that plastic usage is one of the most significant issues surrounding sustainability. Our oceans and land are polluted with plastic, causing such a devastating effect on wildlife and our environment. Plastic can take hundreds or even thousands of years to be broken down, and produces toxins affecting human life, wildlife and global warming. Through being conscious of our plastic usage and its effects, we can make a real change to minimise further damage to our planet.  

WGSU has recently been awarded Excellent for Green Impact Students' Union 2020-21, but we don't want to leave it there! There are always things that can be done to impact a greener Glyndwr and set the right example for our planet, and this is why supporting Plastic Free July is so important to us. 

There are many things you can do to help reduce your plastic usage, and any change you make at all contributes to a step in the right direciton for our environment. Every small thing done contributes to making a big difference, so any effort made will never be vain. 

A few simple ways you can reduce your plastic usage:

• Choose to reuse! Why not have your morning coffee in a reusable cup?
• Don't buy bottled water. More often than not, bottled water is simply filtered tap water and not only is it a waste of plastic, the resources used to manufacture and deliver the bottle to the consumer are vast.
• Refuse disposable plastic cutlery and keep your own washable spork handy for on-the-go food.
• Avoid excessive food packaging - buying loose food or veg is a great way to combat this, and it's often cheaper than pre-packaged groceries, too. 
• Avoid products containing polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nylon.
• Carry a bag around with you! You never know when you might need it, and it will save paying for a single use plastic one from the shop. 

Remember, there's no Planet B, and if everyone does something, then that will help to change everything for the better. 

There are so many ways we can contribute to going plastic-free every month of the year. Check out 100 Steps to a Plastic-Free Life to find out some simple changes you can make to make a difference.

For more information on Plastic Free July, click here!

Written by Lauren Hole, WGSU Vice President

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