VAST ON WHEELS PART 1: PEDALING THROUGH PLASTIC – INSIGHTS FROM OUR USA BIKE TOUR
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July is plastic-free! At least, that's the idea behind Plastic Free July, a global initiative by the Plastic Free Foundation. The challenge: go the entire month without or with significantly less single-use plastic - or at least become more aware of it. The official website of the movement offers numerous tips, resources, success stories, and interesting facts about the arguably biggest environmental villain among packaging materials.
Plastic Free July is over, but it's all the more important to continue the conversation. So, it's a perfect time to share some insights from our VAST on Wheels “New York and Back” bike tour. But what does Plastic Free July have to do with our experiment? Biking is known to be good for the environment because it saves CO2. But how “green” is a bike tour through the United States from Texas to New York? This spring, we ( Maren Wagener and Matthias Wagener ) gathered some experiences that we are sharing in a blog series. Today: What especially occupies our minds, inspired by Plastic Free July .
OUR GREEN ADVENTURE
Traveling the world by sailing as VAST Floating or cycling as VAST on Wheels is our great passion. Working remotely and being conscious of our environment drives us. That’s why, as a team with VAST GREEN, we want to do more than just compensate. Our goal is to act as green as possible on all levels of sustainability: ecologically, by reducing our emissions; economically, by strengthening our long-term business strategy with an efficient remote structure at Vast Forward; socially, by sharing our knowledge and advocating for an equal, democratic society. But above all, we aim to continually educate ourselves - because there are numerous aspects behind the word “sustainability”. One of them is plastic and its ecological disadvantages.
A quick disclaimer: There's certainly a lot of valuable information on this topic from other countries as well, and we definitely don’t intend to be preachy here. Since we recently traveled in the USA, we are simply sharing our experiences. Comments, corrections, and additions are always welcome!
SOME FACTS:
Why is single-use plastic harmful to the environment?
UNPACKING THE PLASTIC PROBLEM IN THE USA
In Germany, much has been done in this regard over the past few years: Among other things, plastic straws and disposable tableware are now banned in the EU. There are numerous package-free stores (“Unverpackt-L?den”) where we can fill and buy food in our own containers. Individual awareness of this issue is high, with many people feeling increasingly responsible for their own consumption.
In contrast, what awaited us in some American places, hotels, and restaurants was nothing short of a full-blown plastic disaster. At times, we never once held reusable dishes, such as ceramics or porcelain, in our hands. Everywhere there were disposable plates and cups, plastic cutlery machines, and even each slice of toast was individually wrapped in plastic. One might wonder: How is the American dream of going “from dishwasher to millionaire” supposed to work - if there are no dishes to wash?
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH SINGLE-USE PLASTIC IN THE USA?
Joking aside. We took this as an opportunity to take a closer look: Why does plastic usage differ so much between Germany and the USA? One reason is certainly the uniform EU and/or nationwide environmental laws and regulations. But these are also the result of growing awareness. If voters and activists did not exert political pressure, we might be in a very different place today.
Across the pond, however, the economic pressure from companies and the plastic lobby is likely greater. Despite its obvious ecological disadvantages, plastic is still the star of the show when it comes to cost and convenience. Hardly any other packaging material is as cheap and versatile. Thus, the incentive for the free market, especially in the crisis-affected hospitality industry, to switch to something else is not particularly high - especially if it's not rewarded with higher customer numbers or government subsidies. Moreover, in the United States, unlike Germany, there is no deposit system and no comparable recycling and waste cycle.
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FIRST LAWS TO REDUCE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC
So far, these are our experiences on much of the route from Austin to New York. But upon arriving in the Big Apple, the situation was quite different - we encountered significantly less single-use plastic. A bit of research quickly revealed why: New York City has introduced its own bans on straws and other single-use plastics. Even more promising: California has become the first US state to take a step towards plastic reduction. By 2032, a 25 percent reduction is planned.
This gives us hope. Also, Plastic Free July is catching on in many places, including the USA. We think it’s a great initiative to raise awareness from within, starting with individuals and small organizations, and eventually driving political transformation. We’ll continue to keep an eye on things and will report back from the second part of our VAST on Wheels “New York and Back” journey. Of course, with reusable camping dishes in tow!
Until then, have a wonderful, sunny, and as plastic-free as possible summer! By the way, for anyone who wants to follow more of our journey, check out our YouTube channel.
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Curious to learn more about our sustainability initiative? Check out VAST GREEN! ??
Sources and further resources on the topic of plastic: