THE DUBLIN-based Clean Coasts group are calling for people on the Southside to put an end to single-use plastic items they thought they couldn’t live without, by finding plastic-free alternatives.
The group has been busy tackling plastic pollution on Dublin’s beaches for over 20 years.
Through their social media channels, the group has been trying to also raise awareness about how long plastic lasts with a series of “retro rubbish” images of items they find on their beach cleans — everything from plastic bottles, wrappers and packaging dating back to between 30 and 50 years ago, as can be seen from the price or expiry date on them.
The aim of the group is to highlight how plastic never dies and can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.
These plastic items can harm marine life, as they can get entangled in plastic items or ingest them.
And recent statistics show that Ireland is the number one plastic waste producer in the European Union, with 54kg of plastic waste per person produced each year, as well as being the country with the fourth lowest recycling rate.
The #BreakUpWithPlastic initiative aims to raise awareness of the impact of plastic pollution on our planet.
Speaking about the campaign, Sinead McCoy, Clean Coasts said: “We once again are asking people to stop and think how they are using plastic and to educate themselves about plastic and its impact.
“If we continue with the use of plastic as a single use item, we will continue to create immense waste issues and high demands on our natural environment,” she added.
Clean Coasts will be sharing on social media and their website some downloadable resources, easy daily swaps, blog posts and more.
Join the campaign on social media @CleanCoasts and at www.cleancoasts.org.