Seashells & Lipgloss Blog

Afternoon all

I hope you’re all well.

I wanted to blog about something this afternoon that I feel is very important and as humans we need to act fast and do our bit to make a change.

Last few days I’ve been facinated by the blue planet series it’s all about different species in there natural habitats.

It’s been brilliant so far and actually very knowledgeable.

But this afternoons episode was all about plastics in the ocean and how it affects our marine life.

We as humans are very closed off to the effects of something so useful as plastic can become so harmful to other lifeforms.

Something as small as a plastic bottle in a big ocean doesn’t seem so wrong does it.

Well infact it’s very harmful.
Even if you live hundreds of miles from the coast, the plastic you throw away could make its way into the sea. Once in the ocean, plastic decomposes very slowly, breaking down in to tiny pieces known as micro plastics that can be incredibly damaging to sea life.

My friend Yvonne made a very good point at work the other day that plastic doesn’t just affect fish but it affects the whole food chain that is very true.

I live by the beach and to me is my little piece of savior in the northwest of England.

I absolutely love the beach even though I’m a little scared of deep water I still love the beach.

Everytime I go with my girls I make sure that every bit of rubbish is disposed of properly.

The amount of rubbish humans leave on the beach is disgusting and so harmful.

It’s not just the beach it’s the rivers and streams and lakes that are also at harm from plastic and most forms of water based channels lead back to the ocean.

But what angers me is that people don’t think and they leave rubbish everywhere and when the tide comes in l that rubbish is washed out at sea.

We need to all at least try to do our bit to help.

There is a very good team of locals that volunteer to clean up our local beaches which I think it’s an amazing thing to do to help our environment.

So how can we….

Here are few steps on how to do your bit…

1. Plastic bottles

In the UK we use over 35 million plastic bottles every day! Carrying a reusable bottle is a great way to cut your plastic use and save money too!

2. Say no to plastic straws

Plastic straws are bad news for our oceans. Next time you order a drink, think about whether you need a straw – and if you don’t, just say no! You can also ask your local pub to stop adding straws to drinks as standard and offer paper straws to those who want one.

3. Use reusable coffee cups

2.5 billion coffee cups are thrown away every year in the UK – and less than 1 in 400 are recycled. Carry a reusable cup with you – some cafes even offer a small discount if you use your own cup (and if they don’t ask them why not!)

4. Avoid excess packaging

Whether it’s making different choices in the supermarket or choosing a different place to shop, we can all try and cut down the plastic we buy. And as an added bonus, loose fruit and veg is often cheaper than pre-packaged alternatives!

5. Use refill stations for detergents

There are some products where it’s difficult to avoid a plastic container (for example washing up liquid or laundry liquid) – the good news is that there are an increasing amount of places where you can refill your old bottles.

6. Say no to disposable cutlery

We’ve all been there – caught out in a cafe or at a train station when we’ve bought a salad or a yogurt but the only cutlery on offer is plastic! Whilst it’s hard to plan for every opportunity, consider carrying a spoon or fork (or spork!) in your bag or keeping cutlery in your desk at work.

7. Get your milk delivered

Although the early morning sound of a milk float is not as common as it used to be, there are still lots of places in the UK where you can get milk delivered in glass bottles – which are then collected and reused.

8. Avoid microbeads

The good news is that the UK government have announced a ban on microbeads! However until the ban comes into force in 2018, there will still be products on the shelves, so keep checking those labels and avoid products containing polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nylon.

9. Carry a shopping bag

Since the plastic bag charge was introduced in England, there’s been a massive 85% drop in their use. Many of us are used to carrying an extra bag with us – if you still find it hard to remember, try a foldaway one that you can carry in your normal day bag.

Here is goby I think this is a great idea and should be showcased on beaches all over the world.

This creative sculpture on a beach in India, with a sign saying ‘Goby loves plastic, please feed him!’, has now been replicated in Bali to.

Making just a few small changes can have a big impact on the amount of plastic we use on a day-to-day basis.

I think if we could all do our bit we will start to see a change it maybe only small but it’s a small step to helping it’s better to make positive changes than to make the situation worse.

So I will be doing my bit to help the environment I hope
You will also look into changing a few simple steps to help our environment.

I have posted a few links below for more information on saving our oceans and to stop using plastics.

plastic oceans website uk

plastic oceans worldwide

Love to you all

Stacie 🐚 💋 💄 ❤️

#savetheocean #nomoreplastic #sealife