I’m not big on resolutions. It’s no secret that Cornish Rock Pools HQ is powered by chocolate and would crumble without it. This year I do have one resolution though. It’s something I do already, but I know I can do more.

This year I’m going to cut down on plastics. (Thankfully I can still buy chocolate that isn’t wrapped in plastic).

I’m going to be ruthless in my avoidance of plastic bags, bottles and excess packaging. I’m not going to be embarrassed to hand back the plastic bag I didn’t ask for in the shops. I’ll be getting out there doing beach cleans – always leaving a beach cleaner than I found it.  I’m also going to step up my involvement in campaigns to reduce plastics because there’s a limit to how much we can do without policy changes.

There’s no such thing as throwing plastic away – there is no away with plastic. Even if it breaks down, you simply end up with smaller pieces of plastic in the environment, tiny pieces which are highly dangerous to wildlife. The deepest, remotest stretches of seabed are now contaminated with plastic – plastic that carries toxins; plastic that animals mistakenly consume, plastic that kills marine life. There is a great tide of plastic flowing into our oceans and landscapes and we have to find ways to stem and reverse it.

So that’s my New Year’s resolution.

I hope all of you wonderful people who love our Cornish rock pools and wildlife will join me. We can make a difference with our choices and our voices.

Cut The Plastics Checklist:

If you’re up for the challenge, here are things you can do… even if you just do a few it all adds up.

• Say no to plastic bags
• Choose to buy items with no plastic packaging – or as little as possible
• Carry your own water bottle.
• Avoid microplastics – tiny plastic beads in cosmetic scrubs, etc. Take the pledge here to put pressure on beauty product manufacturers to stop using plastics in this way.
• Pick up and bin a bit of waste plastic each time you’re out
• Join a beach clean – see my links page for organisations that run beach cleans
• Join the campaign to avoid free plastic bags and make the new 2015 5p charge in England apply to all one-use bags, not just large businesses.
• Find out more about the problem by watching these films: David Attenborough and Plastic Oceans. Visit the Plastic Oceans website for more information and further links
• Tell others why you’re avoiding plastics and encourage them to do the same

If you have other ideas and suggestions, please do share them on Cornish Rock Pools’ Facebook page.