Legambiente launches the campaign "Single-use? No, thank you” against every plastic item produced with the (wrong) philosophy of "single-use" and plastic pollution in the seas.
Let’s start with the data: since the beginning of the year, Legambiente volunteers during beach clean-ups have verified that 80% of the waste collected in 500 beach resorts was made up of plastic. Among these, 180,000 caps and bottles, 96,000 cotton swabs, and about 52,000 plates, cups, cutlery and straws. The association also reports that in Europe, 46 billion plastic bottles are consumed every year, with 8 billion in Italy. Furthermore: 230 plastic dishes consumed per year per inhabitant, 16 billion coffee cups used annually in Europe, 2.5 billion take-away packaging, in addition to 36 billion straws. Numbers that speak clearly. "We use single-use items for a few minutes, but their microplastics can pollute forever - explains Giorgio Zampetti, General Director of Legambiente - “Products used very little but that have a very high cost for the environment. We, as Legambiente, ask the Italian Government to immediately approve what is provided for in the EU directive proposal by banning non-compostable plastic dishes, including cups. As for plastic bags, we mainly ask for the green light for the use of reusable nets for fruits and vegetables in supermarkets".
The business world can and must also be encouraged to work in a more sustainable direction: they should be facilitated and put in a position to invest more in material innovation and eco-design, having the opportunity and economic return in making 100% of packaging recyclable. On the other hand, it is essential to improve waste management by local administrations, upgrade public and private recycling facilities, and follow the path of the circular economy.
To delve deeper into the plastic situation, you can download and read the WWF report "Mediterranean in Trap How to Save the Sea from Plastic"
>> http://assets.wwfit.panda.org/downloads/plastics_med_finale_italia_def_low.pdf
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