Parents to two young boys, we were horrified by how much damage plastic waste was wreaking upon the planet. We were alarmed when we assessed how much plastic was in our own lives and decided to do something about it.
We came to the decision that we needed to change our own habits and contribute towards a better future for our planet and for our boys.
This inspired the creation of The Wood Life Project whose mission is to replace plastic items from the home with beautifully made, eco-friendly, wooden alternatives which would be ideal for eco-friendly gifting.
Needless to say, the facts about plastic pollution are very harrowing, but what is equally alarming is the amount of micro-plastics we are inadvertently consuming in our diets.
A study commissioned by the WWF found that the average person consumes a credit card sized amount of plastic every week.
Marco Lambertini, WWF International Director General stated “While research is investigating potential negative effects of plastic on human health, we are all clear that this is a worldwide problem that can only be solved by addressing the root cause of plastic pollution. If we don’t want plastic in our bodies, we need to stop the millions of tons of plastic that continue leaking into nature every year”.
An alarming additional 104 million metric tons of plastic is at risk of leakage into our ecosystems by 2030 without a drastic change in approach.
There are ways in which we can reduce the amount of plastic that make their way into our ecosystem and potentially bodies. Avoid plastic tableware and especially avoid microwaving foods within plastic containers. Buy and serve homemade, fresh and wholesome foods, avoiding processed foods and food/meals sold in plastic containers.
The best way we can help protect ourselves from the effects of micro-plastic pollution is to be informed and take small sustainable steps that can go a long way toward keeping children and their families healthier.