World Oceans Day: We still consume too much plastic
Happy World Oceans Day to all - even if it is good so to speak. An anniversary desired by the UN in which to pay particular attention to our blue lung, a nickname that seas and oceans have earned by right considering that it is from there that 50% of the oxygen we breathe comes.
Home to 80% of living species, including animals and marine vegetation, and a source of sustenance and life for millions of people on our planet, the oceans are a very precious treasure for all of us, but unfortunately not inexhaustible. Suffice it to say that in the last fifty years, coral reefs around the world have begun to dissolve at a dramatic speed, compromising 25% of marine diversity.
The threat of plastic
The number one threat is plastics, especially disposable ones. There are 8 million tons of plastic that spill into the sea every year and, according to a sad prediction by scholars, by 2050 the oceans will be home to more plastic than fish.
The situation worsened further during the lockdown period, when entire families, housed 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, recorded a significant increase in the home consumption of this material, alas, still difficult to replace.
See also
WaterBattle: the platform that calculates our environmental impact
To get an idea of the impact that our average consumption of plastic bottles and consequent consumption of oil and CO2 emissions have on the environment, it is possible to go to WaterBattle, an online platform created by Culligan, a leader in water treatment. and always at the forefront to promote a more sustainable and responsible consumption of this precious resource.
An overview of the consequences of the quarantine on the use of plastic is available on the site. With an average daily consumption of 2 liters of water, a family of 4 used and accumulated 18 kg of plastic, resulting in the use of 34.2 kg of oil and the emission of 60.5 kg of CO2 for transport. of the bottles. Alarming figures that weigh not only on the environment, but also on the pockets of consumers, resulting in an average cost of € 219 for families of 4 people.
Despite the Coronavirus, it is urgent to pursue a plastic-free lifestyle
In order to safeguard the oceans, targeted actions and a concrete commitment are urgently needed that involve all layers of society, from companies to organizations, without forgetting the individual citizen who, in his own small way, can make a difference.
Giulio Giampieri, President of the Culligan Italia Group, whose systems are recognized in 90 countries around the world for the treatment of tap water and the only ones officially recommended by Legambiente, says that, despite the focus on the health situation, "it is important however consider the Coronavirus emergency as a warning to further respect nature for the good of our planet and all of humanity".Giampieri also urges to treat the reduction of plastic pollution as an absolute priority and, even more so today, stresses "the importance of reactivating as soon as possible all the good plastic-free consumption practices adopted in recent years, both at work and at home ".
The ocean is calling and we must respond.
