Microplastics, as the name suggests, are tiny pieces or fragments of plastic which are 5mm or less in size. And because they’re so small, they’re just about everywhere and you’ll likely not even notice them.
However, because every piece of plastic ever made still exists in some form, these microplastics aren’t going anywhere anytime soon either. Instead, they get into our environment and our oceans and are causing serious damage, or even death, to those who rely on it.
14 million tonnes of microplastics are already on the ocean floor. Enough is enough. You can play your part in preventing any more being added by making conscious choices, ensuring you’re recycling materials in the correct way, and minimising your environmental impact in every way you can – we can’t all do everything, but we can all do something.
When it comes to reducing microplastics, even the smallest change can help, and there is a super easy way that businesses within the ecommerce industry can help.
Thermal labels are widely used throughout the UK and indeed the world as they are a reliable, high performance shipping label; ideal for ecommerce and online retail. But did you know that thermal labels contain phenols and bisphenols? A synthetic material that is unable to fully break down, and instead, creates microplastics. That means that the vast majority of the 8.2 million parcels that are sent every day in the UK are likely to be contributing to the microplastic problem. But now there is a new way to send your parcels without causing environmental damage, and that comes in the form of phenol free EcoLabels. Eco-friendly thermal labels that work in the exact same way as standard thermal labels, but without the phenols and the damage to the environment and oceans. Priory Elements EcoLabels have ditched the synthetic phenol coating in favour of a natural, renewable coating made from vitamin C. By switching your thermal labels to EcoLabels, you could significantly reduce your environmental impact and make a huge difference in reducing the amount of plastic and microplastic residing in our oceans.
For help with minimising your environmental impact as an ecommerce business, please get in touch through our contact page, or leave us a comment below.
Sources/References
‘Plastic in the ocean statistics‘ – Condor Ferries
‘Hundreds of fish species, including many that humans eat, are consuming plastic’ – The Conversation
‘How to eat less plastic’ – Consumer Reports
’14 million tonnes of microplastic are on the ocean floor’ – Harvard University