The 2019 holiday season is here!  A multitude of informal gatherings, brunches, buffets and office parties etc. will be taking place at a frantic pace. As such, countless millions of plastic cups, utensils, plates and glasses will be used to celebrate long into the New Year. On average, most of these plastic items will be used for less than an hour and then unceremoniously thrown away.

Not all plastic should be banned.

Let’s face it, going back to the day when butcher’s paper was used to wrap a turkey makes no sense. The point is, when used intelligently, plastic can be advantageous.When it used in a frivolous manner it is a curse to the environment and all forms of marine and animals life. 

So, what to do, what to do?

Since you genuinely care about reducing single-use plastics, here are a few common sense tips for making it through the holidays without further impacting our environment.

1. First you need a plan.

Before the party or event begins designate which baskets will be used for PLASTIC ITEMS ONLY! You have already planned the menu, the guest list, etc. now give some thought to responsibly disposing of the plastic party trash.

2.  Decide how much plastic is really necessary for the event.

It wasn’t that many years ago when we used our best china plates, crystal and silverware to celebrate the holidays. I can hear the howls now, but the majority of homes have dishwashers which you will be using anyway. It’s time to consider bringing out your best. 

3.  Can some of the single-use items can be replaced with the “real thing”?

In large gatherings, disposables may be the best option, but maybe not. Give this a little thought. Some of today’s plastic dinner plates and serving pieces are made from hard plastic and are very good looking, posh even. Some might even consider re-using these items in the future. In which case, review tip number two, again.

4.  Ask your guests to help.

You will be surprised at the number of people who are attuned the single-use plastic crisis. Many of your guests will be happy to assist you in your efforts to keep the throw away plastic items separated so they can be responsibly disposed of.  Just ask!

With a little thought and planning this holiday season can proceed with  abundant joy and good will and with a lot less plastic impacting the environment.

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  • Idea: Reduce number of plastic bottles sold at British airports. Shame the airport authorities into providing multiple and well signposted water fountains in the airport terminals so that once through security passengers can refill their water bottles. Airports elsewhere in the world manage do this, particularly in Far East. Water is a human right. To make us pay for it in airport terminals is an example of crass commercial greed. Let’s work out the saving on plastic use if even 50% passengers refill water bottles instead of buying a single use plastic bottle. Given that by flying, passengers are already guilty of a higher than average carbon footprint, they may be very willing to embrace an environmental campaign.

  • I don't understand. What does this have to do with saying no to plastics..
    - From an international first time visitor

  • I'm not anti-vegetarian, nor am I going to become one because some extremist treehuggers think I should.

    For thousands of years, mankind has killed animals for fur, for meat, for weapons, for medicine. In Neolithic, the people then killed mammoths and smilodons for their fur, and meat for food. They used their bones to make into weapons, which they could then kill more animals to survive.

    As time went on and we enter the Biblical era, mankind still killed, but they used camels and asses to travel. They still killed the animals at that time to feed their families and to use the fur for clothing.

    We are now entering the medieval era. Deer are alive and booming. We are killing them once again for food, but now we use DOGS to kill RABBITS. OMG, WE'RE FORCING ANIMALS TO COMMIT ANIMAL CRUELTY!!!!1!!!111!1!!1!!11!!!!! Yeah, big whoop. Deal with it.

    Now we are in the 1800's. Native Americans are following their customs and using every bit of the animal to live. The people living in towns and cities hunt for money and trade. The french kill caribou, wolves, and foxes for fur trades with the Indians.

    And now we are in the modern era. If you haven't noticed yet, people in the South and North of America are still hunting, people in Africa hunt, the natives of Australia are hunting, People in Canada hunt, there are livestock in Europe sold for meat and profit, and Asia kills chicken. Heck, Japan makes Sushi from Octopus and Shark. Problem, extremists?

    People where I live hunt hogs, deer, rabbits, squirrel, and duck. They aren't going to stop because a few buttnaked chicks holding baby animals and flashing their breasts and rears in the images are preferring to go naked than wear fur. They aren't going to stop because KFC has their own way of killing chicken. They aren't going to stop because a whole cow isn't fully used for food. They aren't going to stop because people are vegetarians?

    Why?

    BECAUSE WE'VE LIVED LIKE THIS SINCE THE DAWN OF CIVILIZATION.

    If you can't learn to live with history, then live as a hobo or go kill yourself. Just because you love animals so much you wouldn't want to kill one doesn't mean we'll do the same thing. If I had to kill to live, I would. I'm fullblood Carnivarian, I don't eat plants. It's how I live, it's my custom. I'm not converting because some naked models want me to.

    Opinion stated. If you have a problem with it, email me at Icreate@aol.com . Other wise, grow up. I'm 16, and I act more mature than half you PETA extremist lovers do.

  • Canadian Recycled Plastic Products Directory. Assists private public sector in locating products made with or packaged in recycled plastic.... Uniting diverse plastic lumber producers and other industry-related plastic lumber producers to promote recycled plastic lumber and other recycled plastic lumber products.........

  • Personally, I feel everyone should choose, i am vegitarian, i personally suppourt most aspects of PETA and that is my desicion. I have no intent to convert anyone, all meat eaters have made their desision too but here is something I'd like to clear up because im frustrated about some anti vegetarian comments.I can't tell you how many times i have and will hear these phrases in my life. Not only are the phrases frustrating to me but it is very rude, even if your anonymous behind your computer!

    1. "not eating meat, wont stop the slaughter"
    Well actually if everyone turned vegetarian (not that, that SHOULD happen) the demand for meat would stop and slaughter house's would go out of business...

    2. "Humans are made to eat meat!"
    Yeah well in some aspects its not the fact im trying to change the world or say humans arent made to eat meat, but maybe i just don't want or like the idea of a dead animal on my plate?

    3. "Stop getting attention, meat tastes good, you know it does!"
    When people use this excuse, i cant help thinking, this is my damn desison! and if you want to argue about it, Saying "meat tastes good" is like hitting lets say... a toddler with a hammer then saying "but it feels good!

    4. "if we didnt eat cows/pigs/sheep/rabbit/etc they would overpopulate"
    why not try leaving the population control to the predators and its hardly gonna help population control if we're farming them! also see number 2

    Last thing-“If PETA would stop its extreme methods this wouldn’t happen.”

    I doubt it.
    I don’t think cruelty and slaughter were started by PETA.

    Thanks- this is my opinion, and you are entitled to yours. Just think before you comment or judge

  • all you people who complain that PETA is such a bad organisation because they dont mind bad publisity are IDIOTS!!! why dont you get off your ass and fight for something instead of complaining about it!!! i for one llove what peta is doing, not everyone needs to be a vegetarian. but if everyone fought for something that meant alot to them then maby the world wouldnt be so fucked up.
    PLEASE WATCH THE MOVIE THE COVE!!! it shows how cruel people can be and how people can say that their practises are humane , but in actual fact they arent. thanx