Repurposing Plastics

Ideas for Repurposing Plastic Items

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    Plastic waste persists as a pivotal concern when it comes to waste accumulation and pollution. Undoubtedly, single-use plastics and disposable items are a normative part of daily life, and they unfortunately cannot be broken down quickly through methods such as composting. Consequently, repurposing plastics, though not a perfect solution, becomes a viable method of reducing the quantity of plastic waste disposed of each day.

Here are some simple and functional ideas for repurposing plastic items:

Plant Pots 🌱

    A large portion of items that we buy come in plastic tubs, including yogurt, ice-cream, and even more so with the pandemic, disinfectant wipes. These can be easily turned into pots for small plants. This can be done by cutting bottles in half or on one side, or poking holes into the bottom of plastic containers using a heated metal icepick or screwdriver, a sharp object, or a drill. The plastic container can now act as a planter for kitchen gardens with seasonings and small vegetables, as well as for flowers and smaller decorative plants. 

Stationary Holders or Dividers 📏

    Additionally, plastic bottles, cups, and containers can easily be used to organize stationary, craft materials, or any other genre of supplies. Individuals can collect containers over time, and have organized sets of storage cups to categorize their possessions and keep organized.

Storage Containers 🍶

    Plastic containers, bottles, and jugs can be cleaned and repurposed as storage. They can be used as an airtight vessel for grains and dry foods. They can be used to store large amounts of water during shortages, and seasonal homemade drinks like sorrel during Christmas. They can similarly be used to store other food items, and organize miscellaneous items, such as coins.

Watering Cans ☔

    Larger plastic jugs and bottles can be repurposed into watering jugs or cans by poking small holes on a given point on the body. Watering cans are beneficial since they can assist with reducing overwatering, water wastage, and potential damages to fragile plants from heavier water streams.

Bird Feeders 🐦

Individuals can also turn plastic bottles and containers into bird feeders, containing nuts and seeds, as well as water. They can be cut, reconstructed, and hung on trees or around homes to provide a rest stop for birds. This also has greater environmental implications since it provides benefits to local wild-life.

Other Creative Crafting Projects include:

• Using and shredding plastic bottles to make brooms.
• Woven, stitched, or heat-sealed reusable plastic bags made from other plastic packages.
• Plastic scoops.
• Plastic bottle water sprinklers.

    There are many methods for repurposing plastic items, inclusive of cleaning and reusing containers, plastic bags, and zip-lock bags. Individuals can also ensure that if they are unable to repurpose plastics, their waste is still properly disposed of, or sent to a recycling center.

If you have any inventive methods of repurposing plastics then be sure to share them with us!

The 'Grow Your Own Food' Initiative

Why should you Grow Your Own Food?

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    The Grow Your Own Food initiative aims to encourage students and citizens alike to grow their own produce and food crops.  Gardens and green spaces do not necessarily require a large area or excessive amounts of time and labour to be effective and beneficial.

Why should we grow our own food?

• Imported food sources or foods that have to travel across a long distance contribute to the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. This includes the time that produce might spend travelling by means of air, land, and sea. On the other hand, growing your own food and buying local goods significantly reduce the amount of energy expended in transport, lessening our carbon footprint.
• Gardening fosters a stronger appreciation for and connection with nature. It allows individuals to better understand nature and natural ecosystems.
• Small-scale gardening and farming can provide a potential source of food, which reduces the economic strain of having to purchase produce for meals. This can alleviate food insecurity since it offers a sustainable food source that is inexpensive and relatively easy to maintain.
• It offers the opportunity of being more self-sufficient, as opposed to relying on external sources solely for food. This might be useful during natural disasters, embargos, or even apocalyptic scenarios where food might be scarce and prices inflated. 
• It provides a source of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other produce. This assists in ensuring a healthier and balanced diet is maintained. Fresh seasonal local produce offer better nutrients.
• Individuals can choose which crops they would like to grow and harvest, as well as maintain more control over what pesticides, fertilizers, and specialized garden practices, if any at all, are used in farming.
• Gardening can help develop an individual's community. For many, small-scale farming can help bring communities closer together through communal gardening or sharing different crops.
• It might develop into a hobby and provide a constructive avenue for both relaxation and productivity.
• It can become a skill that might develop into opportunities, such as a small or freelance business, and even inspire individuals to pursue a new academic or professional path.
• Gardening can make your yard and home look greener and more attractive.
• Crops and trees are beneficial to the environment as they provide oxygen, prevent erosion, offer protection and shade, and encourage biological diversity. Planting more of them can thus have a positive impact. 

Be sure to follow our blog and social media pages to keep updated with sustainable suggestions as well as more information and ideas for small-scale gardening!

Introduction to Sustainable Shifts

Sustainable Shifts: 

 A Brief Introduction 

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     The Caribbean region, like the rest of the world, is undoubtedly faced with a myriad of issues that affect its development and long-term sustainability. UWI STAT (The University of the West Indies Students Today Alumni Tomorrow) persists as an entity that aims to promote regionalism, enhance the academic experience of students, develop the leadership skills of students, and foster a strong community among the alma mater, current students, and university alumni. UWI STAT Ambassadors accordingly work to fulfil its mandates which collectively target some of the central areas of concern that arise around the development and wellbeing of the region. One of these essential areas is Disaster Mitigation and Climate Change. 

    

     Concurrently, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly hindered the capacity of people to come together and work collectively on large and impactful projects, as well as actively promote climate action and activism. This presents the need to convert climate activism to a virtually accessible mode of delivery that focuses on the role of each citizen in making individual but collective changes that secure the betterment of our environment. 

   

     Considering this, the Sustainable Shifts Blog aims to raise discussions and promote awareness on an array of topics surrounding realistic and sustainable shifts that can be made at the individual capacity to encourage healthier climate practices and environmental outcomes. It is fundamental that we acknowledge that small progressive changes at a large scale can create a positive impact. 

   

     One of the first sub-initiatives of this blog is the ‘Grow Your Own Food’ initiative. Food insecurity and a reliance on imports are significant issues among many nations, including third-world countries. Gardening and small-scale farming can become simple methods of reducing the severity of food scarcity among certain groups and might further reduce the reliance on imported foreign food sources through quick-growing seasonal food crops. Growing more local crops can encourage better environmental and health attitudes, and support local ecosystems. Discussions on crop-growth might also raise awareness on the impact of climate change and natural phenomena on plant-life. 

    

     Our second sub-initiative further seeks to highlight the importance of the five R's, which include 'Reduce', 'Reuse', 'Recycle', 'Repair', and 'Rot'. Each of these play a key role in fostering sustainability and maintaining eco-friendlier low-impact livelihoods. Discussions on the five R's can surround tips for repurposing both non-compostable and compostable waste items, as well as amplifying the importance of proper waste disposal and waste reduction. 

    

     The last primary goal of this blog is to highlight and make local eco-businesses more accessible to students and citizens who read this blog and that are interested in supporting them by making sustainable shifts. It is imperative that the application of environmentalism is made available to all citizens, so that they can do their best to make responsible and environmentally friendly choices. Supporting local and small-scale businesses is similarly a productive method of developing our region and creating a stronger community. 

     

    Additionally, other important and interesting updates might be featured on this blog that are relevant to our passion for environmentalism. Brief visual summaries of each blog post will be posted on our Instagram  page @uwistatsta. Follow our social media page and blog to learn more about things that we can do to help our environment, and to keep updated on our latest uploads! 

   This blog targets students and related groups, but is open to all climate enthusiasts and activists. We look forward to hearing any feedback, suggestions, and experiences that you might have to offer! ♻