Sustainability has become increasingly important to the future of life on our planet, and finding ways to be more sustainable is a personal challenge I enjoy rising up to. Steps which I have taken in the course of my journey to sustainability include: going vegan, flying less, being as paperless as possible, walking instead of using public transport, choosing products which have a minimum impact on the environment such as local produce, avoiding harmful chemicals, and reducing the use of plastic.
According to an article published by One Green Planet, 6 million tons of nondurable plastics (such as spoons, forks and knives) are discarded every year. Forbes estimates the number of individual plastic utensils wasted at 40 billion per year in the United States alone. After just one single use most of them are thrown away and end up in landfill and in our watercourses. These plastics are putting thousands of species in danger of extinction due to the threat plastic poses to them from entanglement, pollution, and ingestion. Whilst we should all recycle, it is simply not enough. In fact, 85 per cent of the world’s plastic is not recycled.
So what else can we do? Refusing plastic utensils, and using your own reusable utensils is a little change everyone can make. Before heading out, just get a fork or spoon in your purse or carry with you a bamboo cutlery set. It is that easy and we can inspire others to do the same. Finding out about the products of My Little Panda has been exciting and I am delighted to use natural bamboo products on a daily basis as opposed to their plastic counterparts. My Little Panda’s bamboo cutlery is made from 100% natural bamboo and it is biodegradable which means another win for me on my journey to sustainability.
I believe that every choice we make counts, and the sum of all of our choices creates the world we live in. For a better world, let’s make better choices for us & the environment.
Nicole Valentinova
Burges Salmon Law Firm
Real Estate Solicitor