Barclay Landfill; August 2008
When I look at this picture:
Every plastic bag came from an individual. This scene is an example of how actions (good or bad) add up. In this case, using plastic bags leads to an accumulation of plastic bags. However, if each person chooses to avoid plastic bags, we encourage manufacturers and retailers to stop using plastic. Then suddenly, my imagination turns this picture into a landscape without plastic. A landscape without plastic as a result of individual actions to reduce; a collective reduction in plastic. Of course, plastic does not disappear like it does in my imagination, but plastic reduction will prevent more land from turning into this environmental disaster – the landfill.
If anyone feels like their individual actions don’t make a difference, realize that each Canadian produces 894 kg of municipal waste each year. Trust me, your decisions matter.
This website began as a result of the campaign, One Less Plastic Bag…
My initial message was to stop using plastic shopping bags:
Plastic shopping bags? We can all stop using them RIGHT NOW! Paper bags and plastic bags are both great examples of how careless modern society has become. Eliminate single-use plastic shopping bags and paper bags by bringing your own bag. Caution: don’t gather too many reusable bags, because it can develop into an environmental problem of its own! It does not matter what store you buy them from (or if you made your own) – you can use them anywhere.
The purpose of this webpage is to raise the collective consciousness; to inform and educate people about the devastating environmental effects of the single use plastic shopping bag and to gain support for my campaign to have Dryden’s retailers voluntarily stop the distribution of plastic shopping bags or have Dryden’s City Council ban them.
Update: The campaign in Dryden was fantastic! I am proud of so many consumers who changed their habits by being more informed about the issue of plastic waste. I am currently at the University of Guelph or else the campaign for a ban in Dryden would have continued.
That being said, I remain informed and passionate about environmental topics. My concerns about plastic shopping bags have spread to encompass plastic in general. Plastic bags were a starting point, an unnecessary item which can easily be eliminated from lifestyles. Personally, I avoid as much plastic as possible and I don’t hesitate to contact companies if I am disappointed with their product packaging.
Focus of my posts?
Lately I’ve been focusing on plastic pollution and practical solutions. Listing solutions is very important so that I empower readers to make a difference! I don’t like to leave the reader with problems without solutions because I know it feels overwhelming and discouraging. Hopefully my solutions are a great starting point. There are plenty of solutions that I haven’t thought of and that you will be able to discover on your own! Everyone is so creative and I would love to hear what steps you’ve taken to reduce plastic in your lifestyle.
I like to post videos that I enjoy, recommend documentaries, and discuss research (which I have access to from the Guelph Library).
Side note: some unsuspecting information about another passion of mine…
I am achieving a degree in Agricultural Science. Sound strange? Agriculture is the biggest contributor to climate change. My reason for this degree is that I will develop solutions. I am passionate to change the food system; therefore, I am achieving an understanding of the difficulties for change while identifying areas for improvement.
This video explains the situation and the need for change.
