Once a month, we like to offer a community eco suggestion. The health of the planet is everybody’s concern, and as Jews we have the special responsibility of Tikkun Olam.
This month, we’d like to suggest the idea of picking up litter, especially plastic litter.
Litter isn’t just unsightly on our streets (though it is certainly that), but what many people don’t know is that everyday litter often ends up in the sea.
Plastics in the ocean is a significant ecological problem, and yet we can make a direct difference from very close to home.
There’s no need to travel to the coastlines to intercept marine litter. Since it reaches the sea via natural waterways (such as the River Clyde in Glasgow and the Water of Leith in Edinburgh) and storm drains, every piece of litter captured is equal to a piece removed from the sea.
Next time you see a discarded plastic bottle or coffee cup lid, consider the long-reaching benefits of picking it up and putting it in a bin.
On a directly-related note, Sukkat Shalom’s Rebekah Gronowski took part in last year’s Big Plastic Count in which “schools, households, community groups and businesses up and down the country counted their plastic waste for a whole week in March to reveal the state of the UK’s plastic waste problem.” The study now estimates that UK households are throwing away 1.7 billion pieces of plastic per week. As well as capturing litter, it makes sense to reduce your plastic consumption where you can.
