Joining the global efforts to lower the amount of plastic, the city of Gdansk says no to foil bags. As a result, the city will share special cotton bags for free.
Is plastic really a problem?
Though in our everyday life we might not even notice the results, the excessive use of plastic is harmful to the planet. We are surrounded by plastic. According to the BBC, 400 million tonnes of come to use each year. What’s more, 40% of this we use only once before throwing away.
As the inhabitants of the seaside, the responsibility grows. Millions of tonnes of plastic get into the seas and oceans escaping from the land. As a result, 100.000 sea animals die due to plastic each year. Around 90 percent of seabirds have harmful material in their digestive systems (and we love our seagulls, don’t we?)
Moving from plastic to fabric
Foil carrier bags may be convenient at times, but we see them flying around very often. After landing in water, they may be mistaken for jellyfish by sea animals and eaten. In answer to this problem, many decide to change their shopping habits. They decide to have their own fabric carrier bags with them all the time. This is however just one of the 10 rules which help to take care of the environment.
Gdansk without plastic – 10 rules:
- Take a cotton carrier bag for shopping
- Drink tap water in a glass or a metal bottle
- Order beverages in reusable cups, without plastic straws
- Pack your takeaway food into glass or metal containers
- Store food in glass containers
- Buy multipacks
- Don’t use plastic cutlery
- Buy clothes made of natural fabrics
- Chose high-quality toys and share them with others
- Avoid cosmetics with synthetic ingredients
Free Cotton carry bags
In addition to the environmentally-friendly suggestions, the city hall will give away 1000 cotton carry bags. The distribution will take place on Thursday, the 23rd of January.
The bags with an image of a crane and a logo of the action will be available from 8:00 am in the City Hall. Make sure to be there on time, as 1000 bags may end very fast.
It is the second such action of the City Hall of Gdansk. In June, the hall distributed more than two thousand ecological carrier bags.
