International Plastic Bag Free Day

International Plastic Bag Free Day is going to be held on July 3. The aim is to raise awareness about the excessive and harmful consumption of this product deriving from oil. There already exist in the world more than 8,300 tons of it; however, the creation of this material stems from an era not long ago since plastic had not been invented until the end of the 19th century and it was not until the middle of the 20th century that it began to be produced on a large scale. The impact of this material on the environment is so appalling that, for example, it takes more than 500 years for a simple plastic bottle of water made from this material to decompose.

Unfortunately, thanks to that we have to struggle with the excessive quantity of this material; something that, if we do not put an end to it, may put an end to our planet. For that reason, the European Commission recently announced that single-use plastic products will be prohibited by the year 2021. At the same time, they have committed to making all packaging out of this material recyclable within 12 years.

According to the Foundation for the Conservation of Ibiza and Formentera, the volume of waste generated per person in Ibiza is double that of the rest of… A large part of this waste is plastic, which is why hotels, restaurants, beach clubs and discos are joining the cause to become companies that are free of plastic, in which the bottles are replaced by other materials. A total of 33 companies already claim to have become plastic-free in Ibiza and Formentera.

The fact that companies join in the correct and regulated use of plastic and eliminate single-use plastic is, without a doubt, a huge advance in this scourge. However, what each one of us does to improve the situation also counts for a great deal.