News story: World Environment Day 2018

As we move towards becoming a fully fledged environmental restoration company, World Environment Day gives us the opportunity to highlight the practical things we all can do to help.

Millions of us watched the unflinching pictures of the impact plastic waste is having on the world’s oceans in the BBC’s ‘Blue Planet II’.

Sir David Attenborough and team highlighted the avoidable waste and single-use plastic in our seas that is damaging the environment.

Calum Jack, graduate environmental advisor, Sellafield Ltd said:

The sight of a sperm whale trying to eat a plastic bucket is a devastating one and made me take a look at what I can do to make changes and reduce my plastic use.

Simple things I’m doing are buying loose fruit and veg instead of packaged produce, using bars of soap and shampoo instead of those in plastic containers, putting my sandwiches in a Tupperware container instead of wrapping them in cling film, getting my milk delivered in reusable glass bottles as opposed to buying plastic bottles, no longer using disposable razors.

And the call is for us all to consider our impact on the environment for this year’s World Environment Day (5 June) and World Ocean Day (8 June) as the theme for 2018 is beating plastic pollution.

There are more than 10,000 employees working directly for Sellafield, thousands more as contractors and in our supply chain. Just each of us making a small difference could have a huge impact.

We have become over reliant on single-use or disposable plastic with severe environmental consequences.

Did you know?

  • around the world 1 million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute
  • 500 billion disposable plastic bags are used worldwide every year
  • 50% of the plastic we use is single use

World Oceans Day aims for us to work together to protect and conserve our shared oceans. The theme of plastic pollution continues:

  • every year up to 13 million tons of plastic leak into our oceans
  • the plastic that ends up in the oceans can circle the Earth four times in a single year and it can persist for up to 1,000 years before it fully disintegrates
  • plastic also makes its way into our water supply and thus into our bodies.

The challenge is on for us all to do something to help take care of the environment. It can be at a local, national or global level; and be a team effort or solo contribution.

What can you do?

Here are some ideas:

  • reduce your use of single-use plastics: Refuse any single-use plastics that you don’t need such as bags, straws, cutlery, and cups. Instead take with you reusable versions of those products when possible.
  • recycle: Use the recycling bins provided at work and the council provided recycling boxes to segregate and recycle waste at home
  • participate: Consider helping with organised litter picks or beach clean ups
  • spread the word: Stay informed on environment issues and challenge others to be a part of the solution