This Heritage Month, the SA Plastics Pact members are encouraging consumer to take an active role in contributing towards the transition to a circular economy for plastic packaging in South Africa. A key insight is that all actions matter and small steps do ultimately shift systems! Any positive behavioural changes the consumers make add up, and help to push the needle in the direction we need it to move.
One of the easiest steps an Active Citizen can take is to relook at one’s own consumption patterns. In our world of convenience, many of our choices have short-term outcomes but with long-term negative implications. Plastics that are designed for single-use are a great example – they serve a short-term purpose, but they leave a long-term (negative) legacy. Very often, as consumers, we have the power to refuse these items, thereby possessing the potential to play an influential role.
When it comes to plastic, Individual actions make a difference and small steps shift systems
When making choices, consumers should ask themselves the following questions:
- Do I really need this item?
- How long will I use this for?
- How many times will I use it?
- What will happen to it after I have used it?
- Can it be recycled?
- Will it be recycled (a different kind of question to the previous one)
The answers to these questions should reveal the truth about both the necesity and appropriateness of the consumption of that item.
An active citizen REFUSES unnecessary plastic packaging items, REUSES packaging items where possible, REFILLS where possible and RECYCLES when it comes to disposal.
This Heriatge Month, take up the challenge of building better behaviours into your everyday actions to play your part in incrementally shifting our systems.
