World Environment Day: Beat Plastic Pollution for a more sustainable world

Every year on June 5th we celebrate World Environment Day across the globe to contribute to raising awareness around the importance of protecting and taking care of our planet and the environment. This year’s theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution”, one of the greatest environmental challenges we currently face.

On this day we reflect on the changes we can make to our daily routines and lifestyle choices to reduce our plastic footprint. Thinking about a typical, normal day, we come to realize how much single-use or disposable plastic we use, every day. In fact, 50% of consumer plastics are single use. Plastic pollution has disastrous consequences to our seas and oceans, with 13 million tons of plastic leaking into them each year, killing 100,000 marine animals. Therefore, we all must come together to commit to this global cause and take innovative actions to reduce the impact of plastic pollution in our environments.

At Whirlpool Corporation, we want to play our part in protecting our planet and we are committed to making a sustainable difference. We regularly monitor the environmental effects of our business by developing high performing products and improving our manufacturing and distribution process, using materials that minimize the impact on our planet.

In 2014, we set four Global Sustainability Goals related to the reduction of energy intensity and water intensity, which we exceeded three yearly early, as well as zero waste to landfill and material transparency.

Specifically, regarding plastic, since last year we are actively and proudly working on three PolyCE projects funded by the European Commission to enhance the use of recycled plastics in washing machine tubs and fridge liners.

Most recently, we endorsed the EU Plastics Strategy, joining the European Commission call to action in voluntarily pledging to help reduce plastic waste and boost the use of recycled plastics. While 80% of waste generated by the home appliance industry is already collected across the EU (1), either by industry or other commercial actors, we believe we can do more. That is why we are pledging to ensure most of the components of our appliances will be made of 100% recycled plastics by 2025. Our efforts to tackle plastic-related challenges are not just within our company. We are also committed to educating our customers on the importance of plastic recycling.

We all play an important part in preserving our environment and every action, big or small, can go a long way in saving our planet. Here are some simple ways we can all reduce the use of plastic in our everyday lives:

Use your own shopping bags at the supermarket

Globally, up to 5 trillion plastic bags are used each year. We can all significantly reduce this number of single-use plastic bags by using your own reusable bags or by simply re-using plastic bags we already have at home.

No straw please

This small plastic tube is actually a lot more harmful to the environment than we think. It cannot be easily recycled and thus ends up polluting our oceans. That’s why you should say no to plastic when you order your next drink!

Say no to plastic cutlery

Nowadays we can replace plastic cutlery with eco-friendly alternatives like bamboo cutlery or, alternatively, serve finger foods that don’t even require cutlery in the first place.

Stop using plastic bottles

Globally, 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute. Not only do plastic bottles take nearly 450 years to decompose, it has been found that 90% of bottled water contains plastic particles. Meaning that plastic bottles are harmful not only to the environment but also to human health. A simple good practice to follow would be to always carry a bottle or glass jar with you and refill it whenever possible.

Pick up plastic at the beach

We have all seen plastic items left on the beach at the end of a day. Not only is this an eye sore for the beautiful landscapes but it is plastic that has easy and direct access to our oceans and seas. Picking up any plastic you see laying on the sand is a simple gesture that can go a long way in preserving the world’s beautiful landscapes and habitats.

We can all make a difference and I truly believe we can all work together for a more sustainable and healthier planet by beating plastic pollution.

(1) CECED Material Flows of the Home Appliance Industry (2017), http://www.materialflows.eu/assets/Material_Flows_of_the_HA_Industry_LR.pdf (pg 39)

Karim Bruneo, Corporate Responsibility and Government Relations Manager, Whirlpool EMEA