SA’s Beaches Flooded by a Tidal Wave of Plastic Trash

The Sunday Times reported on 13 December 2015. It covers what all of us living along coastal areas have been seeing and feeling disturbed by for a while. It’s great to see the issue of plastic trash on our beaches featured in a major newspaper.

This is a worldwide problem and it is hard to know how you can make a difference. There are things you can do. Start simply by noticing how much plastic trash you are personally responsible for and then see if there are changes you can make that will reduce it.

Quite often, simple changes can make a big difference, for example keeping reusable bags, buying a reusable water bottle and switching to buying your veggies unpackaged. Anita Horan has documented her journey into reducing how much plastic she uses really humourously and well. It doesn’t have to be a chore – it can be an adventure into simple living.

And if you are responsible for packaging products, there is food packing that is made from plant based raw materials instead of fossil fuels. It is compostable, which allows for a different kind of approach to waste management. Food and organic waste can be turned into compost which in turn can feed the soil and be used to grow healthy plants.