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Most people are now aware of the environmental danger of plastics. From government, to royalty, to media, to celebrities, to children all over the world – we all seem united in our fear of the growing environmental catastrophe.
Three facts are clear:
1. 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the world’s oceans every year.
2. 80% of marine litter originates from land
3. Public littering is almost ‘normal’ in the UK and Romania.
4. It is certainly expensive: UK councils spend almost £1bn every year in trying to clear it up. That is the equivalent of 5 billion lei.
Analysing the cause of this catastrophe must be the starting point to finding constructive solutions.
In our analysis, we concluded that it stemmed from the management of single-use plastics. Some are entirely unnecessary and eradicating them would be astonishingly easy. We wouldn’t even notice their absence. In fact, we will! The world will be financially, environmentally, aesthetically and even healthily, better off without the existence of many of them.
In our sights, first of all, is the plastic stirrer. We aim to make them obsolete by 2020.
100s of billions of plastic stirrers are discarded every year, after being used for four seconds they then pollute for 00s of years. Would you like that not to happen?
In stunningly beautiful Romania, 95% of waste goes to landfill, rather than recycling or incineration.
Landfill site, outside UNESCO-listed Sighisoara
That means that if Mihai Eminescu, Beethoven, or William Shakespeare had stirred their coffees with a plastic stirrer, and then discarded it – it would still be around today. “There is no situation in which a plastic stirrer is necessary, so let’s get rid of them for good” we say. And on the 22nd March 2018, we are starting a campaign called #StirCrazy . We are working with coffee chains, consumers and governments on the smallest, smallest of things, but our ambition is enormous, it is huge – to make these pointless, harmful things obsolete by 2020, around the world. Already, Professor Maurer of the EU commission has said “The long march toward a properly managed plastics economy starts with small steps. One small step is this #StirCrazy campaign. I hope it has a lasting global impact on our single-use plastics behaviour, and leads to other successful campaigns. I wish it every success.”
We need more of your help, please – help from government(s), business and individuals.
Individuals- tell us on social media and on twitter @clearpubspace use #StirCrazy where you see plastic stirrers being offered and available to you, the customer. In the last month I have seen them everywhere -from the Bucharest Stock Exchange Awards ceremony, to the premium Starbucks store in Bucharest, Wizz Air getting there, Pret-A-Manger in London, Brussels….I could go on and on! Social media is the place for this. And sign our petition, at https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stircrazy-1-pret-a-manger-plastic-stirrers-why
Businesses – sign up to the #StirCrazy declaration and help us with campaign costs? This campaign and supporting it will strengthen the sustainability of your business. You are more likely to keep employees and attract new customers.
Government – please contact us to discuss this and plan what you can do with #StirCrazy.
Join with us: with DEFRA, the Romanian Government, the Romanian Royal family, the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce, the Council of British Chambers of Commerce of Europe, Romanian County Councils, and many more. ‘#StirCrazy’ is a succession of campaigns focusing on single-use, disposable plastics, and it is a collaboration between Clear Public Space and Asociaţia Un Viitor fără Gunoi , the managers of the project ‘A future without Rubbish’.
Learn more about #StirCrazy campaign here.