With all the negative things going on around the world it really makes you want to hit the reset button on 2020. It’s difficult to remove your eyes from what’s happening in the US and other parts of the world but there is another, underlying threat to our country and that’s plastic. Single-use plastic to be more specific.

 Single-use plastic is one of the most convenient items for us and one of the most inconvenient items for the planet. Most of the time it’s useless, it just takes us to render it useless by reusing our own items. Like a refilling a drink bottle.

 A recent study from Roy Morgan found that 5.3 million Australians or 27% of the population drank bottles water in any given week. Compare that to the stats from Clean Up Australia volunteers that show 35% of all rubbish picked up was plastic. It shows that our plastic consumption isn’t really making it to the recycling bin!

How do we try and combat this when we are engulfed by plastic bottles? Major events equal plastic bottles. Can you take your nice insulated water bottle? No. It can apparently be used as a weapon or hide alcohol so you have to buy a plastic bottle for water. All those hundreds and thousands at the event have to buy a plastic bottle of water if they want a drink. Cool. As consumers we are made to feel better that we can recycle plastic or we can buy recycled plastic bottles that are apparently “green.” Well, no. It’s still plastic. It can only be recycled so many times and also there are even early studies to suggest that recycled plastic releases more toxins than what they call “virgin” plastic.

 Millions upon millions of dollars are spent to ensure that plastic bottles reign supreme on the beverage stage. However, cigarettes had a similar rise to fame back in the 1930s to the 1990s. What changed? The people.

 More and more studies and evidence were released on the health impacts of smoking that more and more people became against it. The market followed with restrictions on marketing and advertising the products to now it becoming a burden.

 Will single-use plastic water bottles follow a similar path in the future? Will the people take to reusable drink bottles to the point where plastic bottles are redundant? Or will the health impacts of plastic bottles become so clear that advertising and marketing is reduced?

 The reality of dealing with the big issues is starting small. So, we say that every time you use your reusable bottle yes, you’re saving the plastic from buying a plastic bottle but think of it a little message to the big corporations that you’re not going to be sucked in to their lies. You make the change; you make the difference and you make the choice.

Refill your reusable drink bottle over and over to help others make that change. Together we’ve been guilty of destroying the planet but together we can be responsible for fixing the planet.