The UK Marine Conservation Society have kindly laid on a Plastic Challenge just for us during Buddhist Action Month in June!! 

They are inviting people to go for a day, a week, a month without single-use plastic - I tried this last year, and was sobered how very hard it was to do; but it is real eye-opener. A great action to have a go at for BAM with some friends or your sangha, and it will certainly raise awareness, both in our homes and in Buddhist Centres. See the info pack attached and they have a helpful page on their website "The Plastic Challenge Tip Swap".

for your info, from the mcs's website ...... Why give up single-use plastic?

We use single use plastics for just about everything, from brushing our teeth and showering to buying and storing our food and other products. It's durable and lightweight, but it's these properties that allow it to persist in the environment for hundreds to thousands of years.

FACT: Plastics are among the most persistent synthetic materials in existence and are now a significant and extensive marine pollutant. 

Many types of plastic can be recycled, but much of it isn't. We want people to stop taking it for granted, take responsibility for the resources they are using, and encourage others to do so as well. We want Plastic Challengers to spread the reduce, reuse, recycle message to reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment. We're challenging people to give up their lifestyle of convenience, giving up their pre-packed sandwiches, their ready meals and their drinks on the go during the challenge. We want to change people's attitudes towards single-use-plastics, and to encourage people to just buy what they need. People taking on the Plastic Challenge are often shocked to find out just how much single use plastic is used every day. Do the Plastic Challenge and you'll never look at your shopping in the same way again!