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Seas & Straws Spotlight, Issue #007 -- Declutter your home with the 4R method
March 28, 2021

In the issue: Declutter your home with the 4R method; 100% recycled Easter gift ideas, Get ready for Earth Day



Hi,

How is your mood? Do you feel spring in the air already?
I love this time of year; the sun heats our skin, nature comes to life, and you feel a surge of energy in the air. Let's use this energy for a thorough spring cleaning. I feel like it's an excellent time to - declutter!



Declutter your home with the 4R method



Ever heard of 4R? It's the principle of waste minimization and management. When you live by the 4R method, you show your commitment to making this world a better place for us and the next generation.
It is also an excellent method of decluttering your home and could make it easier for you to take the first step into a plastic-free lifestyle!

#1 - Refuse

If you want to control the chaos in your home, learn to say no.
Yes! Learn to say NO! Refuse all single-use plastic items that you don't absolutely need. You use them for a few minutes, and the decomposition takes up to several hundred years. So, consider if you really need to buy another bottle of shampoo, use a plastic straw in your smoothie, or buy your veggies in a plastic packaging. Refusing disposable plastic items will bring way less clutter to your home.

#2 - Reduce

Less is more. I don't know about you, but I feel overwhelmed if there is too much stuff around me. In Springtime, everything seems to me so fresh, light, and new, and I feel the urge to reduce the stuff I own. Less clutter helps me to think clearly and creatively. Don't know where to start? You can try to reduce the amount of plastic by following these 3 steps:

  • Always take your reusable shopping bag and start buying your essentials on the local market.
  • Avoid single-use plastic water bottles and coffee cups by bringing your own reusable ones.
  • Quality over quantity. Choose products with as little plastic content as possible and focus on a few high-quality, durable products. Give away your old ones to someone who might be in need. It feels great!

#3 - Reuse

Throwing out is an integral part of cleaning. During the spring cleaning, you might fall into a kind of madness, and you want to throw everything away. But you already know that, when it comes to plastic, there is no such thing as away; it doesn't just disappear.
Instead, be creative and repurpose old plastic things. Create, for example, a cool flower pot, cheeky pencil cup, or a bird feeder.
Alternatively, you can sell quite a lot of things that you don't use anymore. Your favorite stuff will surely find a new home - and you make some money on the side.

#4 - Recycle

Did you know that only 9% of your recyclable plastic waste actually gets recycled? The rest ends up in landfills, in the environment or is incinerated. If you don't live a plastic-free lifestyle yet, try to buy products made from recycled materials and that are easy to recycle, and rinse your waste before throwing it into the bin to avoid contamination. Otherwise, it can't be recycled.




100% recycled Easter Gift ideas

Some of you know me quite well and know that I love the ocean and marine life. So I would like to draw your attention to three things made from plastic from the ocean’s waste.

Ocean-friendly pet products

RSPCA Veterinarian Steph Stubbe founded AniPal after treating a number of wildlife suffering terrible injuries due to human pollution. Their accessories are made from recycled ocean plastics and environmental waste. All of us have some people who love their pets and giving them something so precious can change their way of thinking forever.

Eco-friendly Jenga

Everyone’s favorite tumbling tower game now comes in an eco-friendly option. Jenga® Ocean has been made from 100% recycled fishing nets, and each set is made from over 25 square feet of net. These guys do a really great job. They partner with nonprofits, schools and companies for educational events, presentations, and beach cleanups. If you want to read more about their mission check their blog.

Surfboard fins made from recycled waste

The ecoFin FCS Thruster set is the first sustainable surfboard fins made with recycled plastic waste from Indonesia. The ecoFin is both a performance recycled surfboard fin and a symbol for change. Supporting the Australian project Five Oceans means that you take part in a global movement to save our oceans.

You can find 14 more ideas on WWF website. Click here: 17 Cool Products Made From Recycled Plastics




I hope you are still with me ;) Are you? Great!! One more thing...

Save the date: 22nd April - Earth Day

Susan Hopgood, President of Education International, said, “The fight against climate change  must have an  education face  and a teacher’s voice in every area of the world.  The planet is  in  crisis  and I  strongly believe that teachers and educators have a critical role to play in  combating the environmental destruction, human suffering and  social injustice that will  certainly occur if climate change continues at current rates.”

If we do our job and we educate the younger generation, there is a chance that they might see wildlife in their natural environment. You can join thousands of organizations as Earthday.org call on the world to come together and take action for our planet across these issues:

  • climate action
  • science and education
  • people and communities
  • conservation and restoration
  • plastic and pollution.


You can read more about EarthDay.org on their website.



I am delighted you managed to stay with me to the end! I really appreciate that!

Let me quote Jane Goodall as a final word in this month’s newsletter.

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you.
What you do makes a difference,
and you have to decide
what kind of difference you want to make.”




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Thank you and see you next month!
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