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The Plastic Challenge

 

Do what?

The Plastic Challenge takes place every year in the U.K. in June.

It is organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCSUK).

The MSCUK is a UK charity “that cares for our seas, shores and wildlife”.

The Challenge

The MSCUK are deeply concerned about the amount of plastic polluting the sea and trashing the beaches. And understandably so. Since the ocean is downstream, much of the plastic trash generated on land ends up there. ” It has been estimated that 6.4 million tons of debris end up in the world’s oceans every year and that some 60 to 80 percent of that debris, or 3.8 to 5 million tons, is improperly discarded plastic litter “. Encyclopedia Brittanica.

You can read more here and see See lots of pictures documenting plastic beach pollution here…

But back to the challenge. The MSCUK “have a vision of a world where plastics don’t end up in our seas and on our beaches, where they persist and impact our marine life.”

So they challenge you to give up single use plastics for a month (June), and get sponsored whilst doing it. The money goes to support MSCUK projects which are many and very worthwhile.

Join In

Should you decide to join in, The Plastic Challenge web page has loads of information including;

  • ideas on fund raising and sponsorship forms;
  • a forum for posting questions and plastic free tips;
  • even a shop selling everything from highlighter pencils to menstrual cups;

Visit now to sign up and join in over at  @mcsuk and #plasticchallenge

Too Late?

Too late for sponsorship? Don’t let that stop you. No matter when you read this, cutting your plastic consumption will benefit you and the environment – whenever you do it. So even if it’s the last day in June… or the first of February… join in anyway.

Other Great Schemes

The MSCUK organise other projects to help combat plastic pollution including The Great British Beach Clean on the 16th – 19th September 2016.

Plenty of advance warning. Check out the details here.

Resources

Plastic Is Rubbish Facebook Group where plastivists discuss issues and share information about unwrapped compostable and reusable products. The fun never stops….

WiseOceans

We are a marine education company passionate about reducing plastic pollution

Our team Lent plastic challenge profoundly affected us all and we are now dedicated to helping others reduce or remove plastic from their lives which in turn helps protect our wonderful oceans and the creatures that live within them. We have regular blogs about reducing plastic as well as informative articles about marine life. 

WiseOceans is a leading resource in marine conservation jobs, advice, news, events, marine education, information and recruiting marine educators. We are a specialist marine education and conservation company, striving to spread awareness for our wonderful yet fragile oceans and the fantastic creatures that live within them. The oceans are facing many threats and plastic pollution is one of top issues. We passionately believe that education is the key to helping the oceans and the marine life it supports: “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught” Baba Dioum

If engaging in a plastic free/waste free life has encouraged you to do more for the environment then our jobs page has lots of information about jobs, internships and volunteer positions in marine conservation (for novices as well as marine biologists).

Main Website: www.wiseoceans.com

Plastic blogs: www.wiseoceans.com/?s=plastic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiseOceans-190387421023845/ 

Twitter: Twitter.com/wiseoceans

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiseoceans/ 

Please note…

This post was written by the contributor. and  is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…

Got a project?

It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

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Natalie Fee / City to Sea

So pleased to feature Natalie in the Plastic Free U.K. Directory.

Natalie Fee’s a TV presenter, author, songwriter and campaigner for cleaner seas. She founded City to Sea in Bristol to bring together the individuals and organisations working on plastic pollution to create a City-wide initiative for Bristol during it’s year as European Green Capital.
Plastic Challenge – launching City to Sea: a City-wide initiative to reduce the amount of single-use plastics used in the city, including: earbuds, plastic bottles and polystyrene take-away boxes.

City to Sea: a network of individuals and businesses in Bristol committed to lobbying for change in the way we manufacture and dispose of single-use plastics in the City.
Links –

More

This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

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Index Plastic-free July

Of course every month is plastic free for me but plastic free July is a time to make a bit of extra effort, promote projects, look at my bin and join with other people all over the world who are taking this time to rethink their relationship with plastic.

What is Plastic Free July

The aim is to cut your consumption of one use plastic, for one month – July. If that sounds a bit much bear in mind that definitions of one use plastic can vary. And how much you choose to cut is up to  you – read my take.
You can  take this opportunity to tackle one item. Maybe get your self a milkman, buy (or make) some produce bags for loose veges or get a refillable water bottle.
You don’t have to do it all at once!

But whatever and how much you choose to do, he plastic you loose is more important than the plastic you use!

A bit of history

Plastic Free July started in 2011. It is an initiative of the Western Metropolitan Regional Council (WMRC) in Perth, Western Australia and was developed by clever Earth Carers staff. In 2012 Plastic Free July expanded across Perth and in 2013 it went global. They have a great website and are all round good eggs.

My Plastic Free July

I cut all disposable plastics and just to remind you, that includes:
tins & cans:
tetrapaks:
glass jars with plastic/ plastic-lined lids:
Plastic lined cardboard:
Teabags:
Don’t know they had plastic in them? You can read all about sneaky plastics here
Plastic packed personal care and hygiene products. I will as ever be making my own. Sadly the ingredients came plastic wrapped but it can’t be avoided.
Any other plastic goods that I can’t think of right now.

Plastic I find myself using but Try not to
Booze. Itbis almost impossible to find plastic free booze to take out and there is usually at least one social occasion that requires a gift of alcohol.
If the morning after visiting said friends painkillers are required then they will be administered. As of course will any other necessary medicines.

Basically it’s what I do all year without the backsliding on the mayonnaise and wine front.

Keeping in Touch
Facebook groupf eatured

Join in at the Plastic Is Rubbish Support Group where people share plastic free tips.
And Twitter @plasticSrubbish

Hashtags
I encourage UK participants to use the  hashtag #pfjuk for British related posts. Mainly because it gets very dispiriting to hear of a fantastic bulk food store only to find it is based in Sydney.

 U.K. Participants

Every year UK based bloggers have joined in.
It’s really important to link up with U.K. based plastivists who will be sharing throughout the month. While some solutions like solid shampoo from Lush can be accessed UK wide,  many are local.

You can find a list of bloggers who have contributed  here.

Follow My Progress

2018  just starting

Past Years

I am proof that you can do this anywhere no matter the constraints.
2014 I did it while travelling  in a van. Here is how I did.
2015 I did it with a backpack  check out Plastic free Mongolia
2016  here
2017  On a desert island. read more  here 

More Resources & Info

Loads of plastic free products here… A to Z of plastic free products

And see all our past plastic free July posts here

N.B.

lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

And before you go…

If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

SaveSave

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Recycling plastic on the high seas…

Ahoy there me hearties! Have I got a project for you! These Uk designers trawl the beaches for plastic which they turn into chairs with their home made plastic recycling machine. I know… so sweet! Now they need money to develop the project further! They want to go to sea with their machine and make stools on the high waves! And they have got 18 days to raise the cash. Come on this has to be worth a few quid!

 

  • VOYAGE INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC GYRE WITH A SOLAR 3D PRINTER, TURNING OCEAN PLASTIC INTO BESPOKE FURNITURE – MADE AT SEA FROM THE SEA.

We have always been drawn to the sea, a fascination which led us to first conceive the ‘Sea Chair’ a project which is about making furniture using plastic that is polluting our oceans. We first heard about the huge problem of marine plastic in 2010, since then we have been designing a series of devices and contraptions to collect and process the sea plastic into sea chairs with tags indicating the geographic coordinates of where it was made.

The project began on a small beach in Cornwall, UK. We collected the plastic on the shore with self-made machines and turned them into chairs. Six months later, we went out to sea on fishing boats with a new improved furnace and made another sea chair with plastic caught in fishermen’s nets.

Since then the project has really grown and we have now designed and built a new machine – a plastic extruder which melts the plastic at sea with only the power of the sun, forming a 3D printer that is can be used either on sea or on land, far from any external power source and where plastic trash exists without the facilities to recycle them.

This October, we have an opportunity to go onboard the Sea Dragon – a 72ft vessel dedicated to research of plastic at sea. We will be sailing to the North Atlantic Gyre from the Azores Island to the Canaries. We are running this Kickstarter campaign to raise funding to join other scientist and ecologists on this journey with our new machine on board.

Gyres are where ocean currents converge creating a vortex of plastic fragments. A lot of awareness has been generated around the Great Pacific Garbage Patch but there isn’t a great public awareness or research about the problem in the North Atlantic Gyre. We want to take the project to the North Atlantic Gyre to make a design collection with the waste we remove, as well as a film that can really engage the public about the issue of sea plastic.

During the expedition we will be collecting plastic on the beaches for the Azores and Lanzarote as well as at sea. We will document the plastic collected and sort it to be processed with a machine we have built. The machine uses a parabolic mirror to melt the plastic with the energy from the sun. The extruded plastic can then be 3d printed into a range of objects that will all form a touring exhibition about the voyage.

Sketch by Andrew Friend
Sketch by Andrew Friend

Previously with ‘Sea Chair’ project we received numerous awards as well as coverage from design world and beyond with articles in global newspapers such as the Huffington Post and The Atlantic. The project also was awarded the gold award at the Design Biennale Slovenia in 2013 and the the film about the project received over 1/4 million views and picked up the 2nd prize at Cannes film festival.

On the back of this publicity we distributed our open source manual for people to build their own low cost furnace and Chair encouraging local beach cleaning and action against plastic waste.

For the first time we are offering our sea chairs as rewards you can buy.

With this Gyre project we want to engage people in the issue, too often the scale of the problem frightens or depresses people into fatalism, as if it’s too late and we are on an inevitable course, which leads to people not wanting to deal with it. That is why when reporting the problems of marine plastic we need to make something inspirational and capture the imagination as well as very real solutions that people can act on.

REWARDS

 A complete illustrated manual of how to make your own Sea Chair + personal message from Studio Swine.

A postcard (6″x4″) from the journey with a personal thank you and a plastic sample from the North Atlantic Gyre.

Sea Tag keychain is made with collected sea plastic, with this reward you will also receive a password to access the Captain’s Log- a blog with behind the scenes footage from the boat.

Synthetic fibres breakdown when washed and particles of plastic find their way into the Ocean. These unisex socks are made with natural Bamboo fibre which also has the benefit of being naturally deodorising. Each pair is hand dyed and embroidered. + Password to access the Captain’s Log – a blog with behind the scenes footage from the boat.

A Sea Chair keyring with a brass shackle, monkey fist knot and a tag made with sea plastic + password access the Captain’s Log – a blog with behind the scenes footage from the boat.

A box set containing a keyring, postcard, sea plastic and DIY manual + password access the Captain’s Log – a blog with behind the scenes footage from the boat.

 A box set containing keyring, 2 postcards, sea socks, and DIY manual + password access the Captain’s Log – a blog with behind the scenes footage from the boat.

The Sea Knife is a sailing knife (13cmx2.5cm) with a high quality blade made from Japanese Stainless Steel. The handle is made from Sea Plastic with a granite-like appearance. You will also receive a photographic print and geographical co-ordinates of where it was made + password access to the Captain’s Log- a blog with behind the scenes footage from the boat.

A box set containing a keyring, 2 postcards, sea plastic, sea socks, sea knife and DIY manual  + password access the Captain’s Log – a blog with behind the scenes footage from the boat.

A chair made with sea plastic with chromed steel legs. You will receive a photographic print and geographical co-ordinates of where it was made + password access the Captain’s Log – a blog with behind the scenes footage from the boat.

The Original Sea Chair Design with Sea Plastic legs and tagged withgeographical co-ordinates + original framed drawing + photographic print signed by Studio Swine + Studio visit and invitation to exhibition private view + password to access the Captain’s Log. (travel not included)

You will be the Official Sponsor of the film made by award winning Director Juriaan Booij. You will receive prominent credit and be mentioned in international press, future exhibitions and film festivals around the world.

PLASTIC FACTS

Since the discovery of the Pacific Garbage Patch in 1997, which is predicted to measure twice the size of Texas, five more have been found across the world’s oceans with the Atlantic gyre predicted to be even larger. This plastic takes thousands of years to degrade, remaining in the environment to be broken up into ever smaller fragments by ocean currents.

More of a ‘plastic soup’ than a tangible mass, the gyre stretches from the coastlines of California to the shores of Japan. Recent studies have estimated 46,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometer of the world’s oceans. The number of plastic pieces in the Pacific Ocean has tripled in the last ten years and the size of the accumulation is set to double in the next ten.

  • Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times.
  • Over the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century
  • 50 percent of the plastic we use, we use just once and throw away.
  • We currently recover only five percent of the plastics we produce.
  • Plastic in the ocean breaks down into such small segments that pieces of plastic from a one liter bottle could end up on every mile of beach throughout the world.
  • Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags are used every minute.
  • 46 percent of plastics float (EPA 2006) and it can drift for years before eventually concentrating in the ocean gyres.
  • It takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to degrade.
  • Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences in the oceans making up about 40 percent of the world’s ocean surfaces. 80 percent of pollution enters the ocean from the land.
  • The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located in the North Pacific Gyre off the coast of California and is the largest ocean garbage site in the world. This floating mass of plastic is twice the size of Texas, with plastic pieces outnumbering sea life six to one.
  • One million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans.
  • 44 percent of all seabird species, 22 percent of cetaceans, all sea turtle species and a growing list of fish species have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies.
  • Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form
  • Plastic chemicals can be absorbed by the body
  • Some of these compounds found in plastic have been found to alter hormones or have other potential human health effects.

(Source – ecowatch.com)

For more information on sea plastic, visit 5 Gyres

Q&A

How will your money help us?

All the money raised from this campaign will go towards making this project happen. So far we’ve self funded the making of the machine, beach cleaning trips, travel, equipment etc. but the passenger fee on the boat is very expensive and we need your help to pay for our place on the boat. The money will also go towards making the rewards, the more rewards we sell the more plastic we can remove from the sea.

What happens if the funding exceeds the asking amount?

The money that is over the asking figure would go towards making our film. We are working with internationally acclaimed filmmaker Juriaan Booij who will make a beautiful short feature about the voyage, enabling us to share the journey with you and show the machine printing the product at sea. The film would bring the issue of Sea Plastic to a wider global audience and increase the calls for action.

Who is in the team?

Studio Swine – (Alexander Groves & Azusa Murakami) is a design studio based in London. We are interested in narratives, sustainability and vernacular design.

Andrew Friend – A keen sailor, mechanical genius and a designer. We have been collaborating with Andy to make the solar 3D printer for the journey.

Juriaan Booij – An award winning filmmaker. We have been working together with Juriaan for the past 3 years producing many exciting design films.

Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter

Project Risks and Challenges

Getting enough plastic

We will be collecting plastic everyday during the trip with a trawl net. In addition we will be collecting plastic from fishing boats on Azores and Canaries which have collected it in their nets and we will be joining beach cleans on both the islands. From experience beach cleaning in the UK we are confident we will recover more than enough plastic to make the rewards for more than double our funding goal. In the case that we far exceed our goal the funding would allow us to spend more time collecting plastic in the Atlantic.

Making the rewards

We have made all the objects offered as rewards already so we know the challenges and techniques very well. We make them in house so don’t rely on other manufacturers, getting funded would enable us to deal with sea plastic on a larger scale.

Making the solar extruder work

We have made countless solar ovens testing them in many different weather conditions on both on land and at sea, and have been successful at melting plastic with them.

In case of bad weather

We are travelling from Azores to the Canaries so there will be lots of sun. In case of poor weather conditions we will still be able to use the marine printer with a back up heating device.

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Campaigns, Media, Arts & Education

Any clever designers out there? Want to help design out plastic pollution and win a share of 1 million? Read on…

My name is Kate Rushton and I wanted to tell you about OpenIDEO’s current challenge: Together, let’s design solutions to keep plastic packaging in the economy, and out of the environment. In partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation,
we’re inviting participants in this Challenge to apply the principles of a circular economy to rethinking the design of plastic packaging that currently ends up in landfills or in nature, and exploring new ways of getting products to people without creating plastic waste. Top ideas will be in contention to win a share of a $1M prize.

Do any innovators come to mind who you think would be a good fit for this challenge? Whether they’re circular economy enthusiasts or have a circular economy startup already in the works, I’m interested! If so, I have two asks from you:

Would you share the names of those people/companies with me?

Would you share our challenge with your networks? Here’s a link you can post to Facebook/LinkedIn etc – http://bit.ly/2tCKrSU

Are you on LinkedIn? Have you considered joining the Circular Design Guide Group – https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8585051?

This group is about design & the circular economy. It’s run jointly by IDEO and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Links
https://openideo.com

More Campaigns

Educating, entertaining and exhibiting for a plastic free world!

The Plastic Challenge

Do what? The Plastic Challenge takes place every year in the ...
Read More

WiseOceans

We are a marine education company passionate about reducing plastic ...
Read More
-

Natalie Fee / City to Sea

So pleased to feature Natalie in the Plastic Free U.K ...
Read More

Index Plastic-free July

Of course every month is plastic free for me but ...
Read More

Recycling plastic on the high seas…

Ahoy there me hearties! Have I got a project for ...
Read More

Eco Thrifty

I write a blog about slashing my spending but not ...
Read More

Ecotales

EcoTales is a not-for-profit environmental arts organisation using film, art ...
Read More

My Zero Waste

Rachelle Strauss of Zero Waste My Zero Waste is the ...
Read More

The Rubbish Diet – slim your bin

Karen Cannard is a blogger - columnist - broadcaster & ...
Read More

Jo Atherton & plastic flotsam

Jo Atherton - Artist Scouring the Norfolk coastline for flotsam, ...
Read More

A great way to try plastic free living is with friends, for a limited period. Plastic Free July is an annual worldwide campaign that encourages people to give up plastic for a month. It has a great website and loads of useful tips. And there is lots of support from others doing it.
www.plasticfreejuly.org

Surfrider Foundation (US and Worldwide) support local, regional, state and national campaigns on plastic pollution.
Website: www.surfrider.org

Surfers Against Sewage (UK)campaign against marine litter. Have a look at No Butts on the Beach, Return to Offender and Think Before You Flush“.
Website: www.sas.org.uk

The 5 Gyres
Founded in 2008. Raises awareness through science, art, education, campaigns programs and expeditions. Loads of resources and some great DVDs.
Website: www.5gyres.org
Algalita (US)
Amongst the first to raise concerns. It was founded in 1994 by Captain Charles Moore after discovering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They have lots of resources. Website: www.algalita.org

More?

If you know of any that should be on the list please add the details in the comments section. Or submit an entry for the directory. here

The Plastic-free U.K. Directory

Showcasies U.K. based  business, people and organisations that are plastic aware, in their own words….
Sadly I don’t have time to cover all the great people and businesses out there… and I always feel a little shy about write ups. Suppose I miss the point. So I ask people to contribute their own posts. The only provisos are that you have to be U.K. based and of course it has to have a rubbish element. Not necessarily anti-plastic but certainly plastic problem aware.

Hodmedods – British Grown Beans, Grains & Pulses

Did you now you can get homegrown British beans, lentils (soon) and even Quinoa. Many of them organically grown…. Introducing ...
Read More

Find more #plasticfree projects listed in the Plastic Free U.K. Directory homepage

 

 

 

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Eco Thrifty

I write a blog about slashing my spending but not my principles! In July 2011 whilst on maternity leave I decided that I didn’t want to return to work, but that I couldn’t afford not to. Among other things, I didn’t want to compromise my eco-friendly principles, so I started working out how to be genuinely eco-friendly on a budget. I found that the two go really well together and have been happily unemployed for over a year now!

I try to avoid disposable plastic items wherever possible and write about the alternatives on my blog.
Currently I am carrying out a Year of Eco Challenges (read more here ) and one of those challenges will be to go single use plastic free for July-14 (http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/).

I have been preparing for it for a while now and have a ‘going single use plastic free – to do list’ page on my blog, where I am keeping track of my progress.

Links –
@ecothrifty
https://www.facebook.com/EcoThriftyLiving
www.ecothriftyliving.com

More

This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

 

 

Ecotales

EcoTales is a not-for-profit environmental arts organisation using film, art and storytelling to raise awareness of plastic pollution. We produce inspiring films and run a successful arts led educational events programme.

We are passionate about raising awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution to the marine environment and its wildlife and the health implications of plastic on all of us.

EcoTales began with the making of our five time award winning film  “Gloop”, a twisted fairy-tale about the meteoric rise of plastic from its conception to its present day wide-spread use, and carries the message plastic NEVER goes away. “Gloop” was the springboard to start our environmental arts projects, helping us to engage schools and families through creative events, activities and challenges to raise awareness of plastic pollution. Stanleytross at Downing St

Since the conception of EcoTales in 2012, we have hosted a film festival in SW London. In front of a backdrop of recycled plastic art created by local school children, Sir David Attenborough handed out prizes to the young film-makers who created brilliant short films about plastic pollution. In September 2013, we joined other organisations at Downing St to campaign for a plastic bag ban in England.

We are currently running a poetry and illustration challenge in schools across the UK and all over the world which will result in an ebook publication. We are uniting children aged 16 and under with celebrities who are all contributing poems, illustrations or comments on the subject of how plastic pollution affects our planet.

Our website is packed with educational resource packs which are free to download and provide lots of suggested lesson plans and activities.

 

More

This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

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My Zero Waste

Rachelle Strauss of Zero Waste

My Zero Waste is the personal blog (and now popular resource) for householders who want to reduce their landfill waste. If you want to know how to reuse or recycle those awkward plastic items, check out their site.

By sharing her personal journey towards becoming a zero waste household, Rachelle Strauss has found alternatives to plastic packaging, campaigned to manufacturers, raised awareness and even set up a crisp packet recycling scheme (sadly no longer running). In 2008 she set up a national awareness campaign called ‘Zero Waste Week’ which takes place the first week in September. It’s your opportunity to join an online community of zero heroes and to challenge yourself to slim your bin.

Rachelle Strauss is founder of MyZeroWaste.com and ZeroWasteWeek.co.uk
Both are leading websites for helping householders reduce landfill waste. Her work has attracted media stories and engagement in documentaries, film and radio both locally and abroad.
http://myzerowaste.com

http://zerowasteweek.co.uk

@myzerowaste

Please note

This post was written by the contributor. It is not a Plastic Is Rubbish review, does not represent my personal opinions and I have not used this product or service. Instead it is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

In 2014 I hope to feature 12 UK-based initiatives featuring refuseniks, trash slashers, businesses and the rest.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

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The Rubbish Diet – slim your bin

Karen Cannard is a blogger – columnist – broadcaster & creator of The Rubbish Diet.

She first delved into the topic of waste when she attempted a local council Zero Waste Week challenge in 2008 and only threw out a plaster.  It was a challenge that aroused her curiosity about rubbish, creating a desire to help others reduce their waste and discovering what really happens to our recycling and the technological and social innovations that are needed to drive solutions forward.

Karen’s passion is uncovering great examples of what’s possible, what’s happening now and the leaders who are inspiring change. Whilst recognising varying degrees of local limitations, The Rubbish Diet Challenge is a motivating slimming plan for bins, which helps householders and communities to take control of their trash in four simple steps.  Most dieters reduce their waste by 50% in just a few weeks.

Karen is also a trustee of the Zero Waste Alliance UK and ReusefulUK (formerly known as ScrapstoresUK)

Links:

The Rubbish Diet Challenge – www.therubbishdiet.org.uk
Personal Blog – www.therubbishdiet.blogspot.com
More about Karen: www.karencannard.co.uk
Twitter – @karencannard

More

This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

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Jo Atherton & plastic flotsam

Jo Atherton – Artist

Scouring the Norfolk coastline for flotsam, Joanna collects fishing line, netting and other unexpected items for her colourful tapestries.

I collect marine debris from the North Norfolk Coastline to include in my artwork. I am clearing the beach of material and reinventing it into colourful art objects as a means of challenging people to think about the impact of plastics in our oceans.

Scouring the Norfolk coastline for flotsam, Joanna collects fishing line, netting and other unexpected items for her colourful tapestries.Initially the weavings are striking, but on realising they are comprised completely from marine debris, their existence becomes all the more alarming.

Marine detritus is symptomatic of a growing problem and worryingly, Greenpeace reports that the quantity of small plastic fragments floating in the Pacific Ocean has increased 100 fold in just 40 years.Every tide brings with it a new collection of orphaned objects, disconnected from their origin and curated by the waves. We imagine every object’s untold story – who owned them and how did they arrive on a Norfolk beach? Like those chance meetings or unexpected events deposited on the shoreline of our memory, the sea, now a soup of forgotten fragments, presents the unexpected and ignored; a second chance to be reinvented and woven into new narratives.

Find her at
Flotsam Weaving website – www.flotsamweaving.com
Twitter – www.twitter.com/flotsamweaving
Facebook – www.facebook.com/weavingwithflotsam

om/weavingwithflotsam

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This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

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Mandy Barker photographer

Mandy Barker Photographer – Fine Art

My work aims to engage with and stimulate an emotional response in the viewer by combining a contradiction between initial aesthetic attraction and the subsequent message of awareness. All plastics photographed have existed in the sea and have been collected from beaches around the world.

Collect/clean plastic debris from beaches. Photograph collected debris for images to provide awareness to a wider audience about issue of marine plastic debris.

Recent project image, ‘Tide Time’ to promote the Environmental Social Responsibility programme for The Schofield Watch Company. (see link)

Find me
website; www.mandy-barker.com

Follow me posting a piece of marine plastic debris EVERYDAY
blog; mandy-barker.blogspot.co.uk
twitter; @plasticpieces

More

This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here