What a great book. This is a fantastic read for anyone who wants to learn more about the plastic epidemic we have created and how to reduce our consumption of it.
‘No. More. Plastic.’ is a short and sharp essay, easy to read and straight to the point.
The figures are truly overwhelming. According to National Geographic, 8m tonnes of trash ends up in the world’s oceans each year.
It is such a huge problem that the MacArthur Foundation estimates that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.
However, following the shocking and eye-opening BBC Blue Planet II documentary last year, a number of new initiatives have emerged with the aim of reducing our plastic consumption.
Thankfully, some of these initiatives are extremely easy to adopt. The author, Martin Dorey brilliantly explains how everyone can make a significant impact while dedicating just two minutes a day to it.
For Mr Dorey, a keen surfer, it all started in 2009 on the North Devon coast. Plastic was becoming a permanent blot on the landscape, so he started collecting plastic from the beach on his own.
In 2013, overwhelmed by the quantity of waste spewed up on the beach, Mr Dorey created the #2minutebeachclean movement, which he estimates has helped to remove at least 130 tonnes of plastic waste to date.
Inspired by the momentum of this movement and the scale of the impact achieved, Mr Dorey explores a number of simple ways each of us can make a difference in our day-to-day life.
Not only is this book a mine of ideas, but it is also a fantastic call to action, which I have personally acted upon.
Since reading this book, I have substituted my plastic milk bottles for glass and purchased paper stem cotton buds. I have also asked my local MP to introduce anti-single use plastic legislation and contacted my local council to organise regular recycling plant visits for their constituents.
Read it, act on it, sorted.
Damien Lardoux is head of impact investing at EQ Investors
(Published by Ebury Press)
