Dri’s Series from South Africa, Part Three: The Solution(s)
Hey Fam!
In this series, we’ve explored the problem of microplastics, the known implications on human health, and we’re finally ready to discuss all things hopeful, inventive, creative, and straight up awesome when it comes to the global efforts of mitigating microplastics. We’re seeing countries, organizations, and people step up to the plate, calling out the importance of this issue and leading creative ways to curb the epidemic. A spotlight on some of the coolest pieces of progress include:
Advocacy:
Continue to make noise about the banning of single use plastic! Why? Because it works! France just passed legislation that will ban single use plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables and newspaper sleeves. They’re also mandating that tea sachets are biodegradable, plastic produce stickers are compostable, and fast food chains no longer include plastic toys with menu items. Viva la France!
Spain isn’t far behind- it also has plastic packaging bans on the books! Te amo!
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) , a coalition of 63 countries devoted to ending marine plastic pollution, is kicking off a social campaign to mitigate the most discarded waste item worldwide; cigarette butts which yes, contain microplastics. The social media campaign will aim to engage influencers, as well as UNEP’s Goodwill Ambassadors and Young Champions of the Earth, including a political advocacy angle by highlighting a recent European Union directive that requires all tobacco products with plastic filters to be labelled clearly.
Advocates in Sydney are calling on local government to install mesh baskets over all stormwater drains to capture rubbish in an easy way to increase filtration and prevent larger plastic from ending up in the ocean.
Technology:
In the market for a new washing machine? Patagonia and Samsung rolled out an ecosmart washing machine that minimizes the impacts of microplastics, a common byproduct of doing laundry. Is there anything Patagonia can’t do??
The EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 has ambitions of reducing plastic litter at sea by at least 50 percent and cutting microplastics released into the environment by 30 percent. Bulgaria & Romanian are the members of the EU to sign up.
The Maelstrom Project looks at where marine debris is distributed and how best to remove it from the seabed and water. These projects have innovated cutting edge microplastic cleaning technologies such as Beach bots, sea ‘raptors’ and mobile application technologies. 🤖
And, of course, we’ve all heard of The Ocean Cleanup by now, right?
Resources & Education:
Aquaculture is the world's fastest growing food sector & the gear used in the industry can become part of the plastic pollution problem. AQUA-LIT has released a very helpful toolbox , created to monitor and prevent marine litter in the industry, while also encouraging a “think tank” vibe for collaborative solutions.
Success Stories:
Success stories like Boston Harbor clean up, a harbor once deemed “too dirty that it would be impossible to solve” has now become a world class water and sewer authority, a success story to inspire other cities around the world.
Organizations Doing Their Part:
Support organizations (have you ever heard of Dri?) who are actively trying to change the problem, and the perspective of ocean plastic. They’re re-shaping the usual gloom and doom loop into upbeat, tangible and small-scale changes that are part of a larger solution.
So there's hope, people! Although microplastics are a prolific, overwhelming, and complex issue, there are choices that we, as a globe, a country, a community, a person, can make to mitigate the magnitude of the problem. Not only is this a chance to innovate solutions to clean up the oceans of it’s microplastics, but also an opportunity to get ahead of the curve in prioritizing and protecting our own health as people...Sounds like a slam dunk in the win-win department, yes?
Thanks for tuning into my mini-series exploring the issue of microplastics, the known research on its health implications and for allowing me to spotlight ongoing solutions. At a pivotal time when so much feels out of our control, let’s focus on the actions, choices, and decisions we can make. As a wise man once said “a small group of determined and like-minded people can change the course of history”. Yes, I just quoted Ghandi. Let’s all be a part of that group. It’s the one re-writing the narrative, one that is brave enough to imagine something different, maybe even a world that’s better than we could have ever thought possible.
Caroline
