The planet is at a critical point, with even Sir David Attenborough warning that we have to change our attitude to plastic bottles in order to survive.

1 billion elephants

It’s estimated that there are already around 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste on earth, which is the equivalent of 25 Empire State buildings. Or 1 billion elephants.

If we don’t do something to change this soon, it’s estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our seas than fish. Dame Ellen MacArthur, who has seen more of the world’s seas than most mortals ever will, backs up those figures in a report from the Ellen MacArthur foundation. As much as a third of the plastic produced globally will end up in the sea, while only 5% is effectively recycled.

Not so blue planet

Plastic is slowly but surely starting to kill off some species of fish. This has an obvious impact on our diets, as fish forms a substantial part of what we eat. Far more importantly, it fundamentally affects the balance of life in our oceans which could have a catastrophic effect for future generations.

David Attenborough’s extraordinary Blue Planet 2 sent out a rallying call to protect our planet from the threat, with Sir David closing with the chilling message: “The future of all life now depends on us.” No-one knows at this stage exactly what the outcomes will be, but it’s clear that we need to act now to avoid another environmental time-bomb.

#plasticreduction

In response to the increased awareness of the threat posed by plastic, a new movement has sprung up which has seen, amongst other things, high street chains and holiday centres banning plastic straws. Many towns have started to offer ‘refill’ schemes to encourage local residents to re-use plastic bottles rather than throwing them away after just one use. And everyone will now be familiar with the 10p levy on plastic bags at the supermarket.

Those of us who live in hard water areas often turn to mineral water in plastic bottles because we don’t like the taste of the tap water. Fitting a water softener will tackle both of these problems at the same time. The calcium and magnesium minerals will be stripped out, leaving clean, clear, fresh water with no unpleasant taste. So you’ll be able to enjoy water straight from the tap rather than contributing to the plastic mountains building up in the oceans.