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ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS
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    • Bee City USA Asheville >
      • Native Pollinator Plants and Nurseries
      • Pollination Celebration >
        • Pollinator Photo Contest
      • Pollinator Garden Certification
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      • Clean Streams Day
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We are drowning in plastic.

From beauty products to grocery bags to water bottles to our daily cup of coffee, plastic is present in every aspect of our lives. Most of these items are designed to be used once and thrown away, usually heading to the landfill.

Some of the plastic that we think can be recycled, like drink lids, straws and utensils, end up in the landfill because they're either too difficult to recycle or there's no market for the end products. Even recyclable plastic such as water bottles are becoming harder to recycle.

The most effective approach to reducing our plastic waste is to REFUSE, REDUCE, and REUSE.

In January 2019, GreenWorks spearheaded the creation of the Plastics Reduction Task Force -- a group of motivated volunteers dedicated to reducing single-use plastic in our environment. 
​
Join the plastic-free movement and break free from the plastic ties that bind us.
Donate now for a plastic-free future
Mind Your Plastic May is meant to encourage and challenge us in our journey to live plastic free. These posts are created by GreenWorks staff, Plastic Reduction Task Force volunteers, and other plastic-free advocates in Buncombe County. If you've found these posts helpful and encouraging, please consider making a donation to support this work. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
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Plastic Bottles are Evil

5/17/2019

2 Comments

 
Ok, y’all, we now KNOW that plastic pollution is not an abstract threat, but rather, a threat relevant to everything alive on Earth. There’s no un-knowing what we know. Our oceans are projected to contain more plastic than fish by 2050, our seafood contains micro-plastic, our water contains micro-plastic, and the impact of plastic waste globally is impacting all systems and their functions. Friends, this is the hard truth we’re facing. But YOU care! I care! And SO many care to shift this tide – we can do it! So far this month, you’ve audited your bin, learned more about what’s actually recycled, explored the feel-good savings of shopping in Bulk, replaced plastic kitchen cleaning supplies with those more sustainable, broken up with plastic grocery bags and replaced them with reusable bags, considered alternatives to your personal products – you’ve taken these and SO many important steps in reducing single-use plastic pollution, not all of them easy. These steps require planning, researching, and a new layer of mindfulness as a consumer. CONGRATULATIONS! It feels good to do good.

Well, today’s post offers an easy tip, inviting a simple yet powerful swap that diverts plastic bottles from landfills and waterways: carry a reusable water bottle with you everywhere you go, and refuse single-use plastic-bottle consumption. Personally, I love my Hydro Flask, an insulated metal bottle that keeps beverages hot or cold, but there are countless options, even available at Goodwill or yard sales! This swap doesn’t have to cost a thing. In fact, your wallet will thank you when you begin to Refuse. ​
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According to a recent article in Forbes, “humans buy a million plastic bottles per minute. 91% of all plastic is not recycled. On top of that, it is estimated that over half a trillion plastic bottles will be sold in 2020.” Each plastic bottle we consume, made from polyethylene terephthalate (Pet), takes 500 years to naturally decompose. Unfortunately, plastic recycling is complex. Most material is transported across the globe to find markets for recycled materials. A recent Greenpeace report found six of the largest soft drinks companies, excluding Coca-Cola, use a combined average of just 6.6% recycled plastic globally. Why? New plastic is cheaper than recycled.

https://www.waecorp.com/ourgreenisblue/say-no-to-bottled-water/9
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What if water fountains were more numerous, and tap water more clearly available in cafes, restaurants and elsewhere? Before plastic and the marketing that made us think we needed bottled water in the first place, drinking fountains were an urban fixture. I’d like to see a revival! And what if, aside from times of natural or public health disaster when we have access to safe drinking water, we just refused these bottles? Our bodies would thank us, avoiding leached plastic and sugary drinks, our bank accounts would thank us, and the planet would thank us! Actress Emma Watson reminds us, “as consumers, we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy.” Or, what we DON’T buy. These days, plastic bottled beverages are at the top of my list.
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Tip: most any restaurant/café you pass will refill your water bottle if you ask nicely. And, if there’s a water spigot with single-use plastic cups beside it and you don’t have your own water bottle with you that day, just ask for a “for here” cup and they will gladly help you out, diverting one more item from its near-eternity as trash.​

For more on plastic bottles, check out this video, "The Story of Bottled Water" with Annie Leonard and The Story of Stuff.
Sincerely,
​Hilary Drake, Founder
Mind Your Plastic

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2 Comments
Suhana Morgan link
9/19/2019 02:40:52 am

Thanks for your infographic tutorial. Really here are you reflect the difference between bottle and boil water. I think boil water is perfect for leading a healthy life.

Reply
Marilyn Taplin link
11/17/2020 05:40:58 pm

I completely agree with what you have written. I hope this post could reach more people as this was truly an interesting post.

Reply



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    Staff from Asheville GreenWorks, volunteers from the Plastic Reduction Task Force, as well as other guest writers who are advocates and friends.

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​Asheville GreenWorks is a 501(c)3 non-profit environmental organization, governed by a Board of Directors. Established in 1973, GreenWorks mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize individuals and communities to take care of the places we love to live.
  • Hard 2 Recycle
  • Programs
    • Bee City USA Asheville >
      • Native Pollinator Plants and Nurseries
      • Pollination Celebration >
        • Pollinator Photo Contest
      • Pollinator Garden Certification
    • Rivers & Roads >
      • Adopt-a-Street
      • Clean Streams Day
      • Cleanup Supply Stations
      • Trash Trout
      • WNC Big Sweep
    • Education
    • Urban Forestry >
      • Adopt-a-Spot
      • Cool Green Asheville
      • Food Tree Project
      • RRI
      • Tree Nursery
      • Treasured Trees >
        • Treasured Trees Calendar
    • Waste Reduction >
      • Asheville Bag Monster
      • Composting Information
      • Flip Your Lid
      • Plastics Reduction Task Force
      • Recycling Information
      • Smash Don't Trash
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Experiential Internships
    • Youth Environmental Leadership Program >
      • YELP Staff & Alumni
      • How to Apply
    • Make a Donation
    • Wish List
    • Sponsorship
  • Upcoming Events
  • About
    • Job Openings
    • History
    • Staff/ Contact
  • Newsletter
  • Blog Roll
    • Latest News
    • Protect our Pollinators
    • Voice for the Trees
    • Mind Your Plastic May
    • Fall Leaves