The fight against plastic pollution

Plastic pollution is a huge problem, not just because of the vast amounts of plastic waste that we produce every year, but also because plastic is one of the harder materials to recycle.

Other materials such as glass and metal are easier and cheaper to recycle which makes the recycling rates for those so much higher. A million plastic bottles are purchased per minute across the globe and most of this plastic ends up in the ocean, which is hugely damaging and simply unacceptable. But what can we do to help reduce plastic pollution

1. Limit our plastic waste
We should be mindful of only buying products that are packaged in plastic when we absolutely have to in an attempt to keep plastic waste to a minimum. This goes for everything from bottles to tubs, bags to wrap.

2. Opt for cans instead
Wherever you can, choose metal drinks cans rather than plastic bottles. They are more easily recycled which means they are less likely to end up where they shouldn’t, damaging the environment.

3. Take your own drinks in reusable bottles
Try to plan ahead so if you’re going out and think you may need a drink during your trip, take your own reusable bottle with you. This saves on any disposable packaging at all and will also save you money. Remember your travel mug if you’re planning to grab a coffee at Costa too!

4. Ensure any disposable plastic gets binned
If you do need to buy a bottled drink, make sure that your bottle ends up in the bin! There is no excuse for it not to.

5. Recycle
When binning your plastic bottle, seek out a recycling bin rather than a general rubbish bin if you can – it is more likely that it will be recycled this way. If you can’t see a recycling bin, consider taking your bottle home to recycle – then you can give it a rinse too! If everyone did a small thing like this, it would make a big difference!

WHAT ARE TJ DOING TO HELP?

Recycling plastic

TJ is working in partnership with two local companies to help direct plastic ice cream tubs into the recycling process. Jude’s Ice Cream are one of TJ’s clients and when TJ established a new recycling process for certain types of plastics, they soon realised that Jude’s unwanted plastic ice cream tubs and offcuts would be ideal for it.

Jude’s confirmed that they were happy for their plastics to be recycled and instructed TJ to organise this for them. When the plastic ice cream tubs are recycled, they are made into a new product – pellets – which will then be moulded into new plastic products. The latest equipment for recycling plastic materials is used in this recycling process to ensure that the highest quality products are maintained.

Assisting with ocean health preservation

Last year, TJ formed a partnership with local non-profit community interest company The Final Straw Solent, whose work revolves around highlighting the impact of plastic pollution on our environment, local seas and wider oceans. TJ feels strongly about this issue and supports efforts to improve the situation however they can.

TJ provided waste management services for two beach cleans at Eastney beach, Portsmouth, organised by The Final Straw Solent. They provided a 17-yard roll-on-roll-off skip on both occasions to provide a place for all the waste collected. Once the beach clean was complete, TJ removed the skip and took it back to their materials recovery facility in Tipner for sorting and recycling.

The Final Straw Solent also has a big metal fish structure called Nellie, that acts as a recycling bin for plastic bottles and is positioned in various places around the county, usually to encourage recycling during events. When Nellie was recently in Winchester city centre and full of waste, TJ stepped in and emptied her for free after others refused to help.

Lissie Pollard from The Final Straw Solent said:

“TJ has been an incredible supporter to our campaign and has been fantastic at dealing with our last-minute requests for help! It’s great to know that we have them on our side trying to help clean up our local areas and they have really pulled out all the stops to give us a hand whenever they can – thanks guys!”

We offer commercial waste management services, which includes recyclable materials. Find out more or give us a call on 08000 463 964 if you wish to discuss your requirements.

Photo source – The Final Straw