Is it me, or has the ocean of plastic we use in our daily lives increased exponentially over the last few years?
A regular shop at the supermarket and the scenario when I get home is always the same. Remove the plastic wrapping or container and throw it away. What could I do with it anyway? Even stranger and I am ashamed to say, some of the aforementioned items, before being put into the refrigerator, are then transferred into a box from the plastic box drawer—yes, we all have one!
Above are some examples of plastic wrapping from food stuffs I bought recently. It's hard to find anything in a supermarket without a plastic covering these days. Even a cucumber has a plastic wrapping—can someone tell me what that's all about?
Eventually, the empty packets, yes you guessed it, get thrown away in black plastic bags and buried in dumps for all eternity. Or their contents find their way out into the oceans, to float around like macabre algae, until they end up inside and killing marine life and birds.
Did you know most plastics will take anywhere from 450 to 1000 years to biodegrade? There are even some that won't biodegrade ever—so, what are we thinking?
Mild attempts to reduce the plastic bag flow are made by some supermarkets, with a money back incentive, to encourage you to reuse the bag on your next visit. Methinks this is merely lip service and a ploy to make you revisit their shop.
As remarkable as I think human achievements are and continue to be, when it comes to destroying the planet we seem to be experts in it and turn a blind eye to its ever increasing plight.
So, from now on, I've decided to change my shopping habits. I'm going to use the little shops and markets more often and go in search of food that isn't wrapped in plastic—who's with me?
You may also be interested to hear, as an artist, and in the light of environmental challenges, I'm currently writing a creative E-Course. Due to appear later in the year or early 2018. In it, the problem is addressed through hands on creativity, along with sources, resources and an informed environmental awareness.
It's an E-Course for adults wishing to take time for themselves creatively as well as meet others of a like mind. Regardless of artistic experience or creative level—so that includes you!
If you'd like to be kept up to date on my E-Course as it progresses, or have always wanted to take part in a creative class, with an environmental flavour, please, sign up for my newsletter to be kept up to date on my progress: here
The newsletter is a digital feast that will arrive in your inbox monthly, it also includes my most current illustrative work.
Thank you for reading!
