22/04/2018
April 22nd marks the 48th Earth Day, an environmental movement set up by a U.S Senator, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Today it is the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people every year.
This year’s focus is ending plastic pollution around the world, "educating millions of people about the health and other risks associated with the use of disposal of plastic, including pollution of our oceans, water and wildlife, and about the growing body of evidence that decomposing plastics are creating serious global problems."
Litter-pickers amongst beachgoers at Gorleston-on-Sea
Surfers Against Sewage Norfolk and Gorleston Community Beach Clean have teamed up today to clean the gorgeous beach in Gorleston-on-Sea, listed in the top 25 UK beaches by Tripadvisor in 2016.
Dotted amongst the tourists and locals were volunteers armed with litter pickers and bin bags, scouring the beach in the sunshine. Advertised on social media, in the local newspapers and on local Harbour Radio, they almost doubled the turn out of the last beach clean in October 2016. Over 100 volunteers partook, with sponsorship from Pokemon Go, litter-pickers and fruit donations from Central England Coop and litter-pickers, bin hoops and gloves supplied from the local council.
Some of the rubbish collected from the beach at Gorleston-on-Sea
The coast and beaches mean a lot to us here at Tingdene Lifestyle, with most of our parks within walking distance of an East Coast beach, including in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Lincolnshire and up to Yorkshire. We will be joining many companies like Marriott, The Queen's Palaces, the BBC and others by implementing an environmental policy and trying to reduce our environmental impact on the earth, with big plans for beach cleans on our local turf. Watch this space!
WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP
Refuse the straw (or any other disposable items)
Plastic straws are one of the biggest disposable items we use billions of every day around the world. The simplest thing is to say no to the straw when ordering a drink – you can buy reusable ones made from paper, glass, bamboo or stainless steel these days. Encourage your friends and family to do the same. You can also to the same for disposable cutlery, shopping bags etc.
Arm yourself with reusables
Plastic coffee cups and bottles are a huge problem in our waste. Over 20,000 plastic bottles being bought every second around the world, and only 1 in 400 coffee cups are recycled in the UK. Investing in a reusable water bottle or coffee cup would reduce so much waste, and you can even get discounts at major coffee retailers if you bring your own cup! Plus, the government has recently announced a scheme to have water more readily available on our high streets, so you will be able fill that reusable bottle much easier.
Avoid excessive food packaging
Buying loose fruit and veg makes buying less plastic a lot easier, if your local supermarket gives you the option! Opt for recyclable packaging where you can.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Reduce, reuse, recycle is the best phrase to live by. If we reduce the amount of plastic we buy, by investing in reusable materials and responsibly recycling or disposing of what we we do use, the plastic-free revolution will be well on its way.