Inspired by David Attenborough’s Blue Planet 2 on the BBC in 2017, Plastic Free Day is taking place on his birthday and aims to raise awareness of how much single use disposable plastic we use in our everyday lives and how this is damaging the planet.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service has been driving down its use of single use plastics and has recycling facilities in place to send recyclable materials, including single use plastics, to be processed into new products to lessen the use of raw materials. It will continue to look at ways in which it can be more environmentally friendly and has achieved this so far by:
- Issuing reusable water bottles to staff to reduce the amount of bottled water used during training sessions and whilst out of the office
- Replacing plastic drink stirrers with wooden alternatives
There are many more ways we can all be environmentally friendly and we are encouraging you to join the challenge of refusing to use single use plastics for the 24 hours on 8 May.
Here are some ideas of how to reduce your use of single use plastics:
- Swapping to home milk deliveries in glass bottles
- Swapping to a reusable water bottle
- Using reusable shopping bags or cardboard boxes
- Shopping at a greengrocer
- Choosing loose fresh produce
- Using brown paper bags
- Using a thermal mug for coffee shop refills
- Refusing to use a plastic straw
- Choosing glass/cardboard packaging
- Using refills
- Shopping at the deli counter/butcher/fishmonger
- Using beeswax paper coverings
- Using reusable storage containers/lunchboxes