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The 3rd of July each year is Plastic Bag Free Day, a global initiative that aims to end the use of a single-use plastic bags.
On average, plastic bags are used for just 25 minutes. Yet, depending on the type of plastic used, it takes between 100 to 500 years for a plastic bag to disintegrate. You can see the problem when you realise that globally 1 million plastic bags are used every minute. And they don’t just end up in landfill, sadly 80% of the litter polluting our oceans is plastic.
In our recent blog ‘6 ways you can help save our oceans’ we found that around 8.8 million tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans every year.
That’s why at Host we’ve nominated Planet Patrol as one of our charities of the year.
Planet Patrol are an amazing charity that operate across the globe with the mission of eliminating single use plastic, by doing so they aim to combat the plastic crisis that is affecting our world. You can find out more about the work of Planet Patrol in our charity Spotlight.
By 2050, the weight of plastic in the ocean could be two times the weight of all the fish that live there. With a statistic like that you can see why we need to eliminate our use of single-use plastic and there’s no easier way than ditching those plastic bags.
In the UK we’ve already started doing our bit to end the use of single-use plastic bags by charging for everyone we use.
In England retailers who have 250 or more employees have to charge 5p for every single-use bag used. While Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have gone a little further, with all retailers required to charge a minimum of 5p.
The Republic of Ireland charge a 22-cent levy for each one, however some countries have gone even further with Italy for example banning the use of single use plastic bags completely.
The Government have also set legislation to ban the sale or supplying of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England. This ban should have come into force in April but like many things Coronavirus has put it on hold. What’s more concerning to the battle against plastic is that recent studies have found the use of single-use plastic has actually gone up since Coronavirus hit the UK. Concern about infection driving customers back to throwaway packaging such as disposable cups that are made from single-use plastic.
Sadly, plastic is all around us and at times can be unavoidable. But don’t worry too much. To give you a helping hand we’ve previously pulled together a few things you can do to reduce your plastic usage.
Did you know that plastic free bag day is part of a wider Plastic Free July? Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution.
To become more ‘environmentally friendly’, Host is launching the #HostEnvironmentalPledge campaign to encourage responsible behaviour and drive sustainability across our sites throughout the UK and Ireland.
It’s a simple campaign! For every percent we reduce our overall utilities (electric, water and gas) consumption by we donate to one of our nominated charities.
Show me all newsWhen it comes to choosing student accommodation in the UK, most people focus on price, amenities, or whether it's en-suite or shared. While these are important factors, one element that can make or break your student life is location and commute time. It's more than just a pin on a map - it's about how your daily life will feel.
It might feel like you’ve got plenty of time before uni starts, but trust us - when it comes to student accommodation, early birds aren’t just getting the worm. They’re getting the best rooms, the best deals, and peace of mind long before the chaos of results day kicks in.Each year, thousands of students scramble to find the perfect place to live - and by the time they get around to it, the most popular rooms are already long gone. So if you’re heading to university this year, here’s why getting your accommodation sorted early might just be the smartest move you’ll make.
