Last night I had a bit of an epiphany as I walk round the supermarket I realised than in less than fives years all the plastic would be gone. No joke and for than moment right then and there I believed it. Does that every happen to you where you just get this magical glimpse into the future and you see it loud and clear "that is it".
A few weeks ago I was watching Who Do You Think You Are. This episode was following Jeremy Clarkson who had ancestors the invented and made the Kilner Jar and historically became billionaires purely through the production of glass. Anyways apparently packaging is a very good business to be in. Apparently we will always need it. As a child I used to remember the joy of finding sea glass either broken down into beautiful transparent jewels of the sea or very occasionally an old glass bottle or segment of one. Now bottles like that are almost treasure in and of themselves. Glass is back in fashion. I also remember as a child that the river that I grew up on and most of it's tributaries were so polluted you wouldn't dare swim in them. Luckily in the late 80's and 90's there was a great drive to clean up our water sources. Now people often brag about the wild salmon in the river Kelvin that runs through the centre of Glasgow. Nature can recover if we make a commitment to change and make positive impact on our local environment. Beach clear ups and all the rest. Even now most people are at the very least aware of recycling. Now the big question is what are we going to replace plastic with who ever has got the solution is well on their way to boom town (and I don't mean the festival). I also have a funny feel that metal fabrication is going to explode too. I mean we are well on our way to banning plastic. Think of all those household appliances too. Why we might even end the designed obsoletion tragedy and in no time at all we will be mining those rubbish dumps for resources.
Recently I've been impressed locally by a few shops my way who are beginning to get on board with plastic reduction. There is a local health food store who will sell you loose grain if you bring in your own jars and bags. This year I have been collecting jars as a result of getting married and wanted jam jars for the table decorations. Before that though I have been making a conscious effort to reduce plastic. Eliminating plastic completely is a whole new challenge weirdly as far as I can tell it would mean not eating meet at all. Veg and grain you can get away with, meat as far as I can tell. It's always wrapped in plastic. Personally cutting meat from you diet and grocery list is a good thing. Two birds with one stone reducing plastic, carbon emission and the added bonus of saving the rain forests too.
The real challenge is that plastic doesn't biodegrade. Nor does detergent by the way. How do we get it out of our oceans? And what can we use it for that it would never end up there again?
A few weeks ago I was watching Who Do You Think You Are. This episode was following Jeremy Clarkson who had ancestors the invented and made the Kilner Jar and historically became billionaires purely through the production of glass. Anyways apparently packaging is a very good business to be in. Apparently we will always need it. As a child I used to remember the joy of finding sea glass either broken down into beautiful transparent jewels of the sea or very occasionally an old glass bottle or segment of one. Now bottles like that are almost treasure in and of themselves. Glass is back in fashion. I also remember as a child that the river that I grew up on and most of it's tributaries were so polluted you wouldn't dare swim in them. Luckily in the late 80's and 90's there was a great drive to clean up our water sources. Now people often brag about the wild salmon in the river Kelvin that runs through the centre of Glasgow. Nature can recover if we make a commitment to change and make positive impact on our local environment. Beach clear ups and all the rest. Even now most people are at the very least aware of recycling. Now the big question is what are we going to replace plastic with who ever has got the solution is well on their way to boom town (and I don't mean the festival). I also have a funny feel that metal fabrication is going to explode too. I mean we are well on our way to banning plastic. Think of all those household appliances too. Why we might even end the designed obsoletion tragedy and in no time at all we will be mining those rubbish dumps for resources.
Recently I've been impressed locally by a few shops my way who are beginning to get on board with plastic reduction. There is a local health food store who will sell you loose grain if you bring in your own jars and bags. This year I have been collecting jars as a result of getting married and wanted jam jars for the table decorations. Before that though I have been making a conscious effort to reduce plastic. Eliminating plastic completely is a whole new challenge weirdly as far as I can tell it would mean not eating meet at all. Veg and grain you can get away with, meat as far as I can tell. It's always wrapped in plastic. Personally cutting meat from you diet and grocery list is a good thing. Two birds with one stone reducing plastic, carbon emission and the added bonus of saving the rain forests too.
The real challenge is that plastic doesn't biodegrade. Nor does detergent by the way. How do we get it out of our oceans? And what can we use it for that it would never end up there again?
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