18 billion tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean
each year. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
India Proud Global Host World
Environment Day 2018 - 5th June, 2018

PLASTIC IS PERMANENT IT WILL BE
HERE FOR CENTURIES.
PLASTIC POLLUTES, PROTECT THE
PLACE YOU LOVE
DISCOVER MORE REASONS TO REFUSE
SINGLE USE OF PLASTIC.
LEARN TO LIVE WITH LESS PLASTIC…
BE THE CHANGE, CLEAN UP!

Nearly half of all plastic ever manufactured has been made
since the year 2000!! It's time to reverse this trend!

Coffee cups
Each year more than 100 billion single-use cups are disposed of
globally. Not only do the plastic lids of these cups add to the
problem, but the 'paper' cups themselves are often lined with
plastic.
Opt for a reusable cup - many outlets will offer you a discounted
rate if you bring your own mug (and you get the added perk of
being able to use your own mug in the office during flu season).

Shopping bags
South Africa alone uses 8 billion bags a year. Virtually none of
these are recycled! Rethink the Bag: Get yourself reusable
shopping bags (and save yourself a bit of money in the
process).
Every major shopping chain offers reusable bags as an
option. We can do in our co-operative society as well.

Plastic drinking straws
It's no secret that we think straws suck! The USA alone uses half a
billion straws a day, and many of these end up in the oceans -
killing our precious marine life. We've written about our favorite
alternative before: the Stream Straw. Stream Straws are locally
manufactured from incredibly strong borosilicate glass. They are
tough enough to carry in a handbag and easy to clean.

Water bottles
With world-class tap water, there is no need to buy bottled
water and contribute to the more than 100 million bottles
consumed every day. Considering that India is a water-stressed
nation, three Ltr. wasted for every one Ltr. bottled is not a fact
we are comfortable with.
Glass products are the ultimate environmentally friendly option:
100% recyclable, chemically inert and infinitely reusable.

Produce bags
The WWF recommends buying your fruit and vegetables loose,
rather than getting them pre-packaged. These cheap plastic bags
break down into micro-plastics quickly, and are never recycled.
Not only do you save money and have the opportunity to select
the perfect specimen, but you can skip the nasty plastic packaging
and use your own sustainable tote, like our favorite - the FreshBag

Disposable cutlery
Every year 40 billion single-use plastic utensils are produced
and consumed. They are not recycled.

Toothbrushes
Unless you use the same toothbrush year after year, you've probably disposed of
quite a few during your life. None of the parts of your toothbrush are
biodegradable - not the plastic handle, rubber grip, PET packaging or the nylon
bristles. The USA alone tosses out a billion toothbrushes a year - imagine how
much the rest of the world contributes. Our pick is The Environmental
Toothbrush made of sustainably grown bamboo (except for the plastic bristles), as
it's undoubtable the most sustainable toothbrush (short of using your finger and
some charcoal). The Environmental Toothbrush is available South Africa
from Faithful To Nature.

Yoghurt tub
Unless you wash and recycle them, plastic yoghurt containers
are headed to a landfill or the ocean. Did you know that you can
get fresh, great quality yoghurt and cream packaged in
sustainable glass?

Microbead Exfoliators
The plastic microbeads found in many body and face washes
are absolutely devastating to the oceans - the USA has even
banned them. Eight trillion of these bits entered the
ocean from the USA before the ban. Try to avoid these products
with a natural alternative, and skip the plastic packaging while
you're at it.

Coffee pods
Single-portion coffee capsules that are composed of plastic or a
combination of plastic and aluminium are not recyclable. Even
those composed of pure aluminium come with their own set of
environmental problems. Hundreds of millions of these pods are
used every day - some cities have even banned them.

Take-away containers
Every second 140 000 items of food packaging are disposed of.
That's almost half a trillion pieces of waste a year. Billions of these items are
Styrofoam take-away containers that are unrecyclable. Skip the take-away!
d pre-packaged meals - most outlets (salad, sushi or baked goods) will
happily put the food directly into your own container. Eating out? Don't
order more than you can eat - this isn't sustainable. Want to buy take-out?
Food items like pizza, burgers, fish n chips, etc. can all be served with paper
or cardboard options - get to know your favorite restaurant's practices.

THANKS!
Did we miss anything? What are your favorite
green, plastic-free alternatives?
Let us know, and remember to
#choosetorefuse
#beatplasticpollution
#worldenvironmentday2018
#savetheenvironment
Reference: www.unenvironment.org, www.lessplastic.uk ,
www.aquarium.co.za , www.nationalgeographic.com
Prepared By : Manas Ranjan Sahoo, manasranjan83@gmail.com, Mob: 09644407561

Letter from Mother Earth
Hi Humans
I've been a home to you for years now and I've loved every
moment of it, but we are running out of time now and I'm not
ready to leave yet, so please try to do your bit towards our
forever.
Remember that every little things count.
May the forest be with you,
May the ocean be with you.
Sincerely
The Earth