LETS REDUCE PLASTIC USE ACTION NIGHT www lessplastic

LET’S REDUCE PLASTIC USE ACTION NIGHT!

www. lessplastic. co. uk

Main Groups of Chemicals of Concern Phthalates (plasticisers) - used to soften plastic, used in cosmetics, perfumes, and beauty products. Labelled as "fragrance“. That new-car smell or new-shower curtain smell is the pungent odour of the release of phthalates into the air. Even low levels can cause infertility, lower sperm count and smaller penis size. “Regulated” by the European Union (EU). Bisphenol A (BPA) - used in plastic cups and toys, lines food tins and metal lids of jars. Helps make plastic clear and shatterproof. Studies have suggested that these chemicals disrupt the body's hormone system and are linked to chronic diseases such as breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, early onset of puberty, hyperactivity in children & obesity. This led to BPA being banned from baby feeding bottles by the EU in 2011. Brominated flame retardants-used to treat clothing, furnishings, prams, buggies, mattresses (including cot mattresses), to make them less flammable. Research has shown they can leach out and be absorbed into the body. They have been found in blood and breast milk. They can act as hormone disrupters, and animal tests have linked them to learning disabilities, cancer, miscarriage and changes in the immune system. Organotin compounds - used as stabilisers in PVC. Found in vinyl flooring and hard PVC toys. These have been found to cause hormonal changes in animals. Since 2012, restrictions have been imposed by the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) on the use of certain organotins. https: //www. babycentre. co. uk/a 557897/toxic-chemicals-in-baby-equipment. Which chemicals are we talking about? https: //echa. europa. eu/regulations/reach/understanding-reach http: //news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/health/8361863. stm http: //littleacornstomightyoaks. co. uk/Articles/toxicplastics

“Globally we are now producing nearly 300 million tons of plastic every year, half of which is for single use. More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. ” Plastic Oceans, 2017 https: //www. plasticoceans. org/the-facts/

Oceans and inhabitants • • Plastic constitutes approximately 90 percent of all trash floating on the ocean's surface, with 46, 000 pieces of plastic per square mile One million sea birds and 100, 000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans 44 percent of all seabird species, 22 percent of cetaceans, all sea turtle species and a growing list of fish species have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies More than 50 percent of sea turtles have consumed plastic https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=d 2 J 2 qd. Or. W 44 Plastic in the ocean breaks down into such small segments that pieces of plastic from a one litre bottle could end up on every mile of beach throughout the world 46 percent of plastics float (EPA 2006) and it can drift for years before eventually concentrating in the ocean gyres It takes 500 -1, 000 years for plastic to degrade (do they? ) There is more microplastic in the ocean there are stars in the Milky Way

How Microfibres from synthetic clothes end up on our dinner plate? “Everyday, each inhabitant releases about 200, 000 plastic micro-fibres into the wastewater treatment network” SUEZ, 2016 SUEZ http: //www. ready-for-the-resource-revolution. com/en/are-you-ready-to-fight-the-pollution-of-the-oceans-by-micro-plastics/

What can we do? o o o Educate ourselves (are there books / films we could suggest/supply to the Library? ) Reduce our personal plastic consumption Get active locally – look at other campaigns o Straw. Wars, Soho, London o Final Straw Cornwall (1 st town to ban plastic straws) o Refuse The Straw o Borrow A Bag – Kingsbridge o Plastic Planet – campaign for a plastic free aisle / area in supermarkets (Change. org, Henley-on-Thames) o Refill - Bristol, Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Bath and Bradford-on-Avon with Brighton, Norwich and Hunstanton o Sum. Of. Us – water fountains in London o WI – national Microfibre campaign o The Plastics Project – aimed at children and schools o Surfers Against Sewage Beach cleans / litter picks Film screenings ……………. .

www. lessplastic. co. uk

www. lessplastic. co. uk

The Green Print Forum, SCDC http: //www. eastsuffolk. gov. uk/environment/east-suffolk-greenprint-forum/ UK Current campaigns you can sign / read about WI "End Plastic Soup" Microfibres campaign https: //www. thewi. org. uk/campaigns/current-campaigns-and-initiatives/end-plastic-soup Avaaz "Save Our Oceans" Campaign https: //secure. avaaz. org/campaign/en/end_plastic_pollution_loc/ 38 Degrees "Bring back bottle deposits to stop plastic in our oceans…. ” https: //you. 38 degrees. org. uk/petitions/bring-back-bottle-deposits-to-stop-plastic-pollution-in-our-oceans-1 Plastic Pollution Coalition "Refuse Single Use Plastic“ http: //www. plasticpollutioncoalition. org/ Greenpeace "Take the Plastic Pledge“ https: //www. greenpeace. org. uk/what-we-do/oceans/plastics/ The Final Straw? https: //www. greenpeace. org. uk/final-straw-20170310/ (including a rather harrowing video of a poor turtle with a straw up its nose) A Plastic Planet - Plastic Free Aisle http: //aplasticplanet. com/ Marine Conservation Society "Can YOU Take on the Plastic Challenge? “ https: //www. mcsuk. org/plastic-challenge/ The Final Straw Cornwall http: //finalstrawcornwall. co. uk/ Borrow A Bag Kingsbridge https: //lessplastic. co. uk/new-borrow-a-bag-scheme/ Refill http: //www. refill. org. uk/about-refill/ Sum Of Us Water Fountains in London https: //actions. sumofus. org/a/sadiq-khan-plastic-water-fountains-london? source=campaigns Surfers Against Sewage https: //www. sas. org. uk/ Interesting articles https: //www. theguardian. com/environment/2017/jul/20/plastics-campaign-calls-for-grassroots-action-to-cut-pollution-across-the-uk http: //www. telegraph. co. uk/news/2017/09/13/choking-plastic-pollution-time-uk-act/ http: //www. independent. co. uk/environment/plastic-how-planet-earth-environment-oceans-wildlife-recycling-landfill-artificial-a 7972226. html http: //www. bbc. co. uk/news/science-environment-40654915 http: //www. bbc. co. uk/news/uk-england-dorset-42023245 Educational Packages for schools Marine Conservation Society https: //www. mcsuk. org/coolseas_discover. php# The Plastics Project (Tim Nunn - Local) https: //theplastic-project. com/ On-line shops Marine Conservation Society https: //www. mcsuk. org/plastic-challenge/shop Surfers Against Sewage https: //www. sas. org. uk/collection/eco-living/ Klean Kanteen https: //www. kleankanteen. co. uk/ Boobalou http: //www. boobalou. co. uk/product-category/eco-living/ Films A Plastic Tide - Sky’s documentary looking at the scale of ocean plastic waste and how it is entering the food chain. It is available to watch on Sky’s website and via You. Tube: http: //thewi. uk/aplastictide A Plastic Ocean - documents the newest science, proving how plastics, once they enter the oceans, break up into small particulates that enter the food chain where they attract toxins like a magnet. These toxins are stored in seafood’s fatty tissues, and eventually consumed by us. https: //www. plasticoceans. org/about-film/

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