The Plastic Bank!
How do you turn plastic into gold? It’s a bit of a conundrum! There’s a great initiative called Plastic Bank that helps recycle plastic and gives developing communities an opportunity to grow and flourish. Sign us up! How does Plastic Bank work? Formed in 2013, Plastic Bank works in countries like Haiti, Brazil and Egypt. People in the communities there collect plastic from and nearby the oceans and rivers. They then take the plastic to local recycling markets set up by Plastic Bank and receive a premium for the plastic they gather. They can then use the money to buy things like groceries, health insurance and schooling. What happens after the plastic is collected? Plastic Bank recycles and processes it, turning it into something called ‘Social Plastic’. Manufacturers can buy this plastic to create more environmentally aware products. There are lots of big companies using social plastic at the moment, including Aldi, SC Johnson and Shell. This creates a circular economy where plastic is bought, used and then repurposed. And here at doggoneplastic.com, we love going round and round in circles! Plastic Bank currently works in 558 different locations around the world and has recycled a staggering 22,775 kg of plastic! Given that the average person generates 84 kilograms of plastic waste a year, that’s a lot! Plastic Bank is not only changing the way that companies buy plastic, but is changing life in poorer countries too. Some schools in Haiti now accept plastic in place of tuition fees! Find out more at: https://plasticbank.com/
Safe Toys!
Did you know that the U.S. has zero safety regulations for the materials in dog toys? Our furry friends put plastic-laden and chemical leaching toys in their mouths every day. Even worse, when boredom strikes and our pooches have moved onto the next fun and fresh toy, the old ones get tossed in a landfill where they will never biodegrade, but continue to leach chemicals into our land, streams, and oceans. Argh. Thank goodness for www.HonestPetCompany.com, a company committed to making eco-friendly pet products consisting of natural and sustainable hemp fabrics, organic wool, and catnip. Their toys are durable, earth friendly, and made of safe materials. We’re proud to give them a 5-Paw Review! All products are made in the U.S. Josie loves them, and we think your dogs will too! Go #consumerplasticpower! Bark on!
Eco-Candy!
Got a sweet tooth but love to recycle? Don’t get your snickers in a twist! We’ve got you! Here is our guide to tasty eco-packaged candies. What’s the issue with candy wrappers? Many candy wrappers are made from a combination of plastic and aluminum. This makes the wrappers hard to recycle, and most recycling facilities won’t accept them. The good news is that are lots of yummy alternatives out there. 1️⃣ Go for foilFoil can easily be recycled, making sweets like Hershey’s Kisses a fabulous option. 2️⃣ Get candy in bulkYou can buy loose candy at some stores where they will pop it in a recyclable paper bag for you. It’s not the ideal choice for Halloween or parties as the individual candy isn’t wrapped, but it’s great if you fancy a cheeky bag of sweets all to yourself! 3️⃣ Buy candy in a paper boxAh, Milk Duds. Is a trip to the movies complete without them? The great news is the paper box that this candy comes in can be recycled. So, if you’re looking for green packaging, Nerds, Hot Tamales, Lemon Heads and Milk Duds are fantastic choices. Candy packaging is evolving all the time with companies coming up with lots of innovative ideas. Use your #consumerplasticpower to encourage companies to continue down this path! 🐶 Bark on!
Why Do People Litter?
By the Potomac Conservancy Polluted runoff is the fastest growing source of pollution to the Potomac River. So it’s understandably frustrating when people add to the problem by flinging their trash on the ground or not recycling properly. It’s easy to oversimplify the problem by blaming thoughtless litterbugs, but in reality, the story of litter isn’t as simple as “good citizens versus evil polluters.” If we want to understand why there’s a litter problem in our community, and how to fix it, we need to understand the mindset of litterers. So, why do people litter? Oftentimes, people litter simply because there isn’t a trash can nearby. Rather than uncomfortably carry trash away with them, people decide it’s easier to leave it behind, according to research done by the Allegheny Front. An easy step toward a solution, then, is to contact local park officials to ask about installing more trash receptacles. Furthermore, Robert Cialdini, a psychology professor at Arizona State University, says the decision to litter is based largely on environmental cues—or what people see around them. “It all comes down to norms, and you get those cues from the environment,” Cialdini told The Atlantic. “People litter for reasons of convenience. They don’t want this thing. The crucial question is why don’t they litter, since the easy thing is to litter. Why would people hold onto a piece of trash? Their attitudes toward the environment make a difference, but what they perceive as the norm is key.” In other words, the decision to litter is based on the actions of other people—for both good and bad. If an area is already highly littered, people are more likely to add more litter, while the cleaner an area already is, the less likely people are to disrupt the scene by littering. 🌟 Solution: Advocate for better local recycling programs or organize a Potomac River cleanup and help create an environment where people feel less discouraged and are less likely to litter! Why Don’t People Pick Up Litter? There is some personal responsibility involved in littering. According to a report done by Keep America Beautiful, people are more likely to litter when they feel “no sense of ownerships for parks, walkways, beaches, and other public spaces.” This sense of ownership, instead, is found around people’s homes and neighborhoods. A study done by the Trash Free Maryland initiative determined that many people, facing litter-filled communities, feel disappointed about the state of their community and wish it were cleaner. However, they hesitate to remove litter from their community because of sanity concerns such as diseases spread and contamination from hidden needles. They also feel a “sense of futility in picking up litter, as there is so much that a new batch of litter blows in almost as soon as the old litter is picked up.” 🌟 Solution: We can combat the feeling of futility by advocating for systemic fixes to stop litter before it gets to our homes, like legislation promoting reusable, non-plastic products. How does litter affect our mental health? While being outside is one of the best ways to boost your mental health, that effect is dampened when the outdoors is trashed with plastic and litter. A 2016 study found that littered coastal environments were less liked, resulting in a lower mood, and were less likely to be restored. So how do we work with community members to solve this problem? According to the Trash Free Maryland study, many community members feel disheartened by the litter in their neighborhoods and wish they were part of trash-free communities. 🌟 Solution: This is good news because if people long for a nicer community, all it takes is organizing to turn that willpower into action! So let’s do our part, lead by example, and share with neighbors and friends the simple ways we can all contribute to a trash-free environment. Want to break the cycle of harmful litterand keep the Potomac River clean? Volunteer at a trash cleanup! SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER 🚮 Correction: In a previous version of this post, we mistakenly stated that the state of Maryland has passed a plastic bag ban. We sincerely apologize for the error! Here’s what actually happened: Maryland’s state House has passed a single-use plastic bag ban with wide support, but the state Senate voted it down two years in a row. The bill would have gone into effect July 2022. The good news is that cities and counties in Maryland are leading the way! 1) Plastic bag bans are in effect in Takoma Park and Baltimore County 2) Straw bans are in effect in the District, Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties 3) Foam container bans remain in the District, Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties A special shout-out to our friends at Trash Free Maryland and Maryland LCV who have been leaders on this issue and working with Potomac Conservancy and the community to fight for litter-free waterways. Together, we’ll continue to strengthen water protection laws!
Life Without Plastic
If you’re looking to start a #plasticfree lifestyle, you may be wondering where to begin. If this is the case, this book offers an awesome way to get started in ditching the plastic! Life Without Plastic was written by Chantal Plamondon and Jay Sinha, who developed the idea for the book when looking for alternatives to plastic baby bottles when their son was born. It begins by recognizing the significant role plastics have played in shaping our lives, but acknowledges that we now have to move away and search for alternatives. Life Without Plastic delivers an easy-to-follow crash course in the different types of plastics out there, what alternatives you can use, as well as lots of fantastic resources. The book takes us from room to room – illustrating all the ways we can adopt alternatives, whether for brushing our teeth or taking out the trash. Thankfully, this book isn’t preachy or demanding. Chantal and Jay urge us to remember that the journey to move away from plastics will take time, effort, and a lot of hard work. The book itself is #plasticfree too as it is printed using BPA-free ink. How cool is that?! Grab a copy of this book today, and let it help unleash your #plasticfree lifestyle! You can buy copies of the book as well as environmentally-friendly treats on Chantal and Jay’s website: http://www.lifewithoutplastic.com
Ocean Plastic: Small Changes Matter!
Did you know that most of the garbage in the ocean is plastic? According to a recent study by Nature Sustainability, 14% of trash in the ocean consists of single-use plastic bags and 12% plastic bottles. Food containers, wrappers, and plastic caps can all be found bobbing around in the water too! Plastic doesn’t biodegrade in the water; it just breaks down into smaller pieces called microplastics. There is even a place in the Pacific Ocean called the Pacific Trash Vortex, which is just a big pile of plastic that spins around and around. Phew, it’s making us dizzy just thinking about it! Microplastics are really dangerous. Wildlife like fish, birds and turtles can mistake microplastics for food, causing them to suffocate. Microplastic can also get into our water supply, contaminating it and causing illness. So, what can we do to stop plastic polluting our oceans and rivers? The main thing is to start taking small steps to stop as much plastic as possible from going to landfill. When plastics are sent to landfill, they are so lightweight that they can blow away, and end up in the rivers, seas and oceans. Stopping products going down the drain helps too. Even little things like flushing cotton buds down the toilets and washing synthetic fibres in the washing machine can contribute to ocean pollution. Let’s take small steps together to help turn this tide!
Wag for Bamboo Toothbrushes
Here’s an easy #plasticfree trick to make your tail wag – swap out your plastic toothbrush for a biodegradable #bambootoothbrush. What’s the treat? A fantastic toothbrush plus the joyful satisfaction of knowing that your simple action removes a stick of plastic from the mountain of one billion plastic toothbrushes tossed in landfills each year – over 90 million piled up to date! Also, the satisfaction of knowing that bamboo is a fast growing plant that requires no pesticides, fertilizers, and little water to grow really quickly. Most #bambootoothbrushes have soft nylon bristles that effectively remove bacteria from your teeth and mouth. And, product reviews consistently affirm that #bambootoothbrushes also #whitenteeth super well. Many online “eco-retailers” sell bamboo toothbrushes – just search and choose one that appeals to you. Buying from these small businesses will help fuel the growth and awareness of #plasticfree products. Please, think about it, try one, and unleash your #plasticfree lifestyle. Bark on! Kirby, Dog Ambassador