Four benefits of reducing your plastic consumption

1.Plastic takes up to 1,000 years to break down
We may use, dispose of and forget about our single-use plastic items, but most of them will long outlive all of us. From straws and stirrers with a lifespan of 200 years, to plastic bottles at 450 years, all the way up to plastic bags at a huge 1,000 years. This harms wildlife, damages earth’s ecosystems and puts microplastics into the food chain.

2.Production is still growing – and so are our carbon emissions
300 million tonnes of new plastic is produced each year. And if we continue with our current habits, that number is expected to quadruple by 2050. The carbon emissions generated actively contribute to climate change, as well as using up non-renewable resources like oil and coal. We’re rapidly using up our global carbon budget.

3.It can save your business money
A trial by Travel Without Plastic found that an average-sized hotel of 150 rooms saved an average of €5,000 over a 6-month period in which they cut out all single-use plastic. Savings vary based on the size of your property, the plastics you use now, and the solutions you choose, but these statistics show that making a change can benefit your business in the long run.

4.Plastic pollution = lost revenue

The State of California estimates that plastic debris washing up along the shoreline costs the region around $68 million a year in lost tourism revenue. For an even more extreme example, in 2018, Boracay Island in the Philippines was completely closed to visitors for a 6-month clean-up. Since reopening, it’s banned single-use plastic completely.