Plastic Free July

What is Plastic Free July?

Here at Cardiff and Vale UHB we are taking part in Plastic Free July, an annual global movement that is supported by communities all over the world, in the attempt to reduce plastic consumption.

The aim of the month long campaign is to encourage people to reduce the amount of plastic they use for the entirety of July in the hope that it will lead to a culture change within the workplace and in turn, the way people go about their day to day lives.

To engage in the campaign, people are encouraged to avoid using plastic products as much as they can. This can be from bringing your own reusable bottle to work, to switching from products with plastic packaging to those that use paper packaging. The Plastic Free July campaign educates people about the various types of plastic that there are in addition to providing information on ways in which they can be recycled.

The Harmful Impacts of Plastic

Plastic is incredibly harmful for the environment. The main reason being that it is non-biodegradable, meaning that it doesn’t break down completely when disposed of. When plastic arrives at landfill sites, the sheer amount of it, coupled with the fact that it is unable to be broken down, causes overflow of the landfill site, leading to the destruction of habitats, and pollution. In turn, tiny plastic particles are left behind to be swallowed by farm animals, or fish – it can even end up in our food!

Here at Cardiff and Vale UHB, we are passionate about the environment and protecting the land in which we live in for future generations, therefore it is important now more than ever that we try to eradicate the use of single use plastics (50% of the plastic we use is only used once before being thrown away) to preserve the environment in and around Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Plastic is non-renewable and unsustainable, although it is used for almost everything, including bags, straws, food packaging and water bottles.

Plastic production is increasing at an alarming rate, with more than 99% of plastics being produced from harmful chemicals derived from oil, natural gas, and coal. Did you know that plastic has only been in use since 1907, and all of that plastic is still on earth!

This shows that whilst awareness of this topic is on the increase, it is essential that people are educated and reminded of the harms of using plastic as well as the importance of making these changes.

Fun Facts about Plastic

There are some positive facts about plastic use that show we are starting to make the right choices:

·        The recycling rate for plastic drink bottles in the UK is approximately 74%

·        Some cups and bottles are now being grown from vegetables – meaning that they are more environmentally friendly and sustainable

·        Plastic bags and straws have stopped being used in many countries all over the world, alternative measures have been introduced, such as shops charging for plastic bags

·        McDonalds and Starbucks are among many corporations who have banned plastic straws

There are many more fantastic achievements that have been accomplished, with much more in the pipeline, this all helps in the mission to reduce plastic consumption. At Cardiff and Vale UHB we have several initiatives planned to help move to a more sustainable workplace, keep an eye out on our website and social media channels for further info.

Easy Ways to Reduce your Plastic Consumption

·        Take your own reusable shopping bags to the shop

·        Refuse plastic straws and use paper ones instead

·        Reduce. Reuse. Recycle

·        Switch to bar soap instead of liquid soap

·        Keep your own reusable food dishes in work~

·        Promote Plastic Free July in your workplace

There are copious amounts of things that you can do to help reduce the amount of plastic waste that is produced. This can either be in work or at home, no matter how big or small, every small change helps in the mission to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Think of ways that you can do you your bit to contribute, there are plenty more useful facts and essential information that you can find at https://www.plasticfreejuly.org.

Choose to Reuse at our Hospital Sites

As part of on an ongoing project funded by Cardiff & Vale Health Charity, water refill stations have been installed at Barry Hospital, St David’s Hospital and in the Lakeside Wing at the University Hospital of Wales. These refill stations are linked to the Refill Scheme App, which enables our local community to fill up their reusable water bottles for free. These refill stations are part of an ongoing project to encourage our staff and community to choose to reuse, with a total of seven refill stations planned to be installed across our sites. The further refill stations will be installed in Cardiff Royal Infirmary, one in the new Llandough Centre for Specialist Spinal and Neuro Rehabilitation at University Hospital Llandough, as well as the Breast Centre, also in University Hospital Llandough.

Plastics in Healthcare Delivery

A lot of single use plastics are used in the delivery of healthcare. Here at Cardiff and Vale UHB we want to tackle this by switching to using more reusable products and devices. For us to look at ways in which we can do this, it would be beneficial to be informed of any products and devices that are being used successfully by colleagues in other health systems.

If you know of any recent innovations or new products and devices that you think Cardiff and Vale UHB need to know about to assist with improving sustainability in healthcare delivery, contact news@wales.nhs.uk, with the subject line ‘Sustainability in Healthcare Delivery’.