Community Engagement
Hello my Green Beans, Welcome Back!
We are still on the theme of plastic and the damage it can do.
This one is a tough one but if we are committed, we can do anything!
Plastic caps are among the top five most commonly found items of litter on beaches worldwide. I think it is followed up by plastic utensils. This is a result of humans going to the beach, enjoying a beautiful day the earth has to offer and thanking it by leaving our garbage behind. I will admit I have seen very little at the Merb!
Not for the faint of heart…..
My heart broke when I heard about the turtle in Costa Rica with a plastic fork lodged in its nostril. Fortunately, he was found by a researcher. Had he not been noticed the turtle would have died. To me it is no longer a question of how the plastic cutlery made its way to the ocean, the bottom line is – we all have to stop using that stuff. Nobody intentionally throws out a plastic fork and worries about where it will end up but we need to start thinking that way and take responsibility for our actions. It really is about being mindful.
It's fairly simple to stop buying plastic cutlery; I personally loathe it. However, it’s a little harder with bottle caps, I mean summer BBQ’s without a beer – hmmmmm, not sure about that. I am certainly not suggesting you give up the beer, just the bottle it comes in. I have never been a fan of cans but here’s the scoop ‘according to google’ – once an aluminum can has been collected it can be found back on the shelves in as little as 60 days. Then it gets recycled again. There are pros and cons and I seriously had a headache muddling through it but this is as deep as I’m going to share:
A ton of recycled bottle saves:
- 42 kilowatt hours of energy
- 19 litres of oil
- 54.3 cubic ft. of landfill space
A ton of recycled cans saves:
- 15,000 kilowatt hours of energy
- 6,545 litres of oil
- 270 cubic ft. of landfill space
Bottom line for me is the bottle caps; unless I can figure out what to do with them, I am switching to cans, at least all of the can gets recycled. The decision is up to you - whether you recycle or return them to the depot, be mindful of the bottle caps.
As for reusing the caps, I did some research and it is amazing how many crafts use bottle caps. If you are still committed to your bottles maybe you could contact day care centres and see if they could use them in crafts for the kids. If you happen to be a crafty adult, check out some options – What to do with bottle caps? I found some fun ideas:
For those of you who post things on your fridge, make them into magnets.
If you are looking for something fun to do with your children or grandchildren, make little flowers out of them.
Create little snowmen and snowwomen 😊 These little crafts are always favourites with little ones.
If you have a side table with a dingy top, cover it with bottle caps.
If you have a mirror with rusty edges, make a border with them.
I even saw one where you can make a garbage can totally out of bottle caps.
Just remember, be mindful and Re-Think before you toss!
"I walk silently toward the window. The darkness is lifting. A thin shaft of lavender has creased the horizon, setting the edges of the trees on fire with morning light. I pause and bow my head. For this brief moment, I am held in the hand of God, and I am sent forth into the morning with the poetry of possibility beating in my heart." - Kent Nerburn, Small Graces
Until next time, Stay Green!