Yesterday we ran a post in the build-up to World Ocean Day – which is this coming Friday June 8th – in which we talked about sustainable fisheries, allied with Londolozi’s efforts to reduce our plastic usage.
Well it seems that environmental causes the world over are falling more and more in line with one another, with the theme for this year’s World Environment Day (today!) being Beat Plastic Pollution.
Londolozi is reducing our own plastic usage in all spheres of our organisation. Plastic bottles have been replaced by glass ones. Packaged vegetables are being phased out for fresh, home-grown ones from our village gardens, which in turn reduces our carbon footprint by removing the impact of delivery vehicles.
As part of our 2020 Campaign, the whole staff regularly gathers for walk-arounds in which we pick up litter, plant trees, and ensure that the Londolozi village in particular is looking spotless.
World Environment Day, started by the UN in 1974 has grown to a global platform which is widely celebrated in at least 100 countries around the world. Each year has a different theme, as well as a different host nation, in which the official celebrations take place. The focus on the host country helps highlight the environmental challenges it faces, and supports the effort to address them. This year’s host is India.
The Government of India has committed to organizing and promoting the World Environment Day celebrations through a series of nationwide activities and events that will hopefully generate strong public interest and participation. From pan-Indian plastic clean-up drives in public areas, national reserves and forests to simultaneous beach clean-up activities – India aims to set the example that the world should follow.
One press release stated that in the time it takes professional Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya to bowl an over in a cricket match, four garbage rucks of plastic get dumped into the ocean!
Some other scary plastic pollution stats:
- Every year the world uses up to 5 trillion plastic bags
- Each year, at least 13 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans, the equivalent of a full garbage truck every minute.
- In the last decade, we produced more plastic than in the whole last century
- 50 percent of the plastic we use is single-use or disposable
- 1 million plastic bottles are bought every minute
- Plastic makes up 10% of all of the waste we generate
As mentioned earlier, reduction in plastic use is one of the many challenges Londolozi is undertaking, but, spearheaded in the main by Jessica MacLarty is something we are making big strides in. Tupperware containers dominate the kitchen rather than cling-wrap, and plastic straws are nowhere to be seen.
Some of the Londolozi kitchen team; leading the way when it comes to plastic-usage reduction.
We urge you all to do your part this World Environment Day. Dr Harsh Vardhan, India’s Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change was quoted as saying,
If each and every one of us does at least one green good deed daily towards our Green Social Responsibility, there will be billions of green good deeds daily on the planet.
We couldn’t agree more!
It is time for us the currant generation to take responsibility and decrease plastic usage or else there will not be a planet earth left for the next generation. It is so sad to see plastic end up in the oceans killing birds, animals and fish. And the fish that we eat ingested the plaatic and we eat it. We must do our bit or else it will be the end of earth’s inhabitants.
James, all of this is so true, yet it is apparent that the younger generation seems to believe the statistics are not the whole truth. I observed the teens in Paris this past March, smoking and tossing the butts onto the sidewalk or street, dropping their plastic bottles in the gutter- you get the drift. Should one say something to them, they become belligerent. This all begins with their parents, education, etc. I see the same thing here in the SF Bay Area. I’m not sure how the message can be more emphatically taught. It is one thing to teach environmentalism in schools but parents need to reinforce by example. We’ve a long way to go but hopefully as a planet, if one out of two people practice conservation guidelines, then we’ve got a shot at saving our animals and providing nourishment for everyone. Only time will tell.
What a wonderful post! I am so pleased to hear the steps Londolozi is taking to reduce their carbon footprint. I have recently become aware of the devastating effect plastic has had on our environment. No more plastic water bottles-replaced with Brita filter system and no more plastic straws I bought some metal ones. I think there is something going around on the internet for everyone who visits the beach to pick up 3 pieces of plastic. every little bit helps. I see there are alternatives and use for plastic like paving roadways I hope more countries ban plastic straws and bags
So many layered eco problems these days, with each one being vitally important. There are no pat answers. Only individual steps forward. Wherever I am in the world, the plastic waste is so visible….even in the oceans. Thank you Londolozi for your steps forward for improved change. The war is won one day and one man at a time. Awareness and action are key for our earth and all who inhabit it.
There is an intiative called EcoBricks to whom we send all of our plastic. We haven’t thrown any away in almost a year!
We need to have a World Environmental Day every week in my opinion