Initiative to fight plastic scourge

Its Plastic Promise initiative asks people to consider where they can refuse or reduce single use plastics at home, in the office or out and about and make a promise to do so.

The list of potential promises that can be made includes beverage bottles, carrier bags, cutlery, and takeaway cups, among other items.

Those who make a promise record it online and are entered onto a leaderboard.

Currently top of the leaderboard is Newtownabbey’s Northern Regional College, who have committed to remove the use of all single-use plastics from its premises.

Chris Gourley, waste and pollution solutions strategic lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “The new year is the perfect opportunity to commit to reducing our plastic consumption, and our Plastic Promise initiative is a helpful guide for those who want to be more environmentally minded in 2023 and beyond.

“The pledges we suggest are small and easy to make, but every change, be it banning takeaway coffee cups in the office or reusing plastic containers at home, makes a big difference when we all do it together.

“Carbon emissions aren’t something that people necessarily think about when they’re buying a soft drink or wrapping something in cling film, but it’s crucial that we all start to address the negative impact that single-use plastic has on the environment.

“When we really think about it, the concept of single-use plastics is shockingly wasteful – we use products once and then throw them away.

“What’s more, when they are discarded, they can take up to hundreds of years to degrade, all the while fragmenting into microplastics that pose yet-unknown health threats.

“As a society, we are making the right moves to reduce and eliminate single-use plastics. For instance, 10 years of carrier bag levy increase has decreased demand in this area by over a billion, and you’d be hard pressed to find a plastic straw in a hospitality setting these days.

“However, more levies and policies are needed, and collective action can help put a dent in the problem, one Plastic Promise at a time.”

Plastic pollution occurs right across Northern Ireland – in our parks, our waterways and our towns and villages.

Not only does it spoil our beautiful landscape, but it also threatens wildlife, making animals more susceptible to disease, injury and death.

Northern Ireland ranks 12th in the world for biodiversity loss, and with four million items of single-use plastics dumped here each week, it’s crucial that 2023 is the year of change.

Ian Humphreys, chief executive at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said: “Not all plastics are bad; in fact, many serve important purposes. The problem is our disregard and misuse of plastics.

“We need a new mindset, which means refusing single-use plastics in the first instance, and if that’s not possible, we should follow the three Rs: reduce, reuse or recycle.

“We understand that this is new territory for lots of people, which is why we our Plastic Promise initiative is a great but simple step in understanding where and how changes can be made.

“I commend the hundreds of individuals and organisations – the trailblazers like Northern Regional College – who have already done so, and look forward to watching the leaderboard as the pledges roll in over the coming months.”

To make Live Here Love Here’s Plastic Promise, visit https://www.liveherelovehere.org/PlasticPromise.