In recent years, the problems caused by plastic have become a much more discussed topic across the world. Single-use plastics such as plastic straws pose a big problem to the environment, with many ending up in the world’s oceans causing major damage to marine wildlife. Due to the damage these plastics cause, many communities are taking action to ban them, one such community is Malibu, California.
Malibu Bans Plastic Cutlery and Straws
Malibu is one of the most iconic beach cities in the world. Campaigners from the area are calling on other communities to use their decision to ban plastic cutlery and straws as inspiration. From June 1st, businesses in the city of Malibu will be forced to provide cutlery and straws made from alternatives to plastic, including wood, bamboo and paper. The ban aims to protect the city’s 21 miles of coastline from plastic pollution.
Craig George, Malibu’s environmental sustainability director said:
“This is a community based on its oceans and beaches and we want to protect those. Individual cities have to decide how they’re going to protect the earth, we’ve got to start somewhere. If we can start locally, that’s the best place to start.â€
It is estimated that around 500 million plastic straws are made every day in the US alone. The straws are not biodegradable and don’t break down, just into smaller pieces which cause an equally severe amount of damage to the environment. They pose a serious problem to the Californian coast, with plastic straws and cutlery being the fifth and sixth most collected items in the annual California coast clean up.
The Use of Single Use Plastics in the UK
Environment secretary Michael Gove has hinted that single use plastics such as plastic straws could soon be banned in the UK. When asked by the Daily Telegraph if he would ban plastic straws, Mr Gove replied “Watch this spaceâ€. This comes just months after Theresa May announced her 25-year environmental plan for eliminating avoidable plastic.
Here in the UK, it’s estimated we use around 8.5 billion plastic straws every year and like in California, they are one of the items most commonly found littering our beaches. The Queen has announced a ban of plastic straws at several of her royal estates, including Buckingham Palace and several large restaurant chains including JD Wetherspoons, Wagamama and Pizza Express have already announced they will phase out the use of plastic straws.
Our Waste Management
Here at WT Skip Hire, waste management is a big priority for us. We have our own recycling centre, where we sort the waste collected in our skips that is to be recycled. We recycle around 90% of the waste we collect, much of this being plastic waste. We know first-hand the dangers that plastic pollution produces and we dispose of our waste responsibly.
Once collected and at our recycling centre, the waste is separated into a number of set containers. We are also happy to provide you with a waste report, detailing how much of your waste was recycled.
Got some waste that needs to be dealt with? We can help, call us on 01493 668118 or email us on info@wtskiphire.co.uk.
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