Every second, 20,000 plastic bottles are produced worldwide! Each year, 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans. A plastic bottle takes 600 to 1,000 years to decompose, depending on the conditions. As plastic decomposes, it releases chemicals that subsequently seep into groundwater and surface water. Plastic bottles can float on the water for a very long time, facilitating the spread of new, invasive species that, unfortunately, most often destroy natural ecosystems.
One way to at least somewhat reduce the effects of using plastic in everyday life is to collect plastic bottle caps. Such caps are suitable for recycling. Recycling companies process bottle caps into secondary raw material: pellets, which can then be used to make, for example, PVC pipes, clothes hangers, frames for children's strollers, flowerpots, garden furniture, packaging and even computer cases.
Because plastic bottle caps can be recycled, collecting them and taking them to a collection point ensures that they will not end up in the forest, while the funds raised can be allocated to a charitable cause. The educational aspect is also important. By sorting waste and separating caps from bottles, we can show the youngest children how important it is to care for the environment. Additionally, by combining this with, for example, helping people in need, we make children more sensitive to such issues and teach them to help others.
“As volunteers of the POLSKA 2050 association active in Bolesławiec County, we would like our activities to strengthen the awareness that small communities also have an influence on the world and people around us,” says Kinga Gęsicka-Biały. “We believe that achieving climate neutrality is in our hands. That is why we decided to design and finance, using our own efforts, a decorative heart-shaped bin into which city residents, students at educational institutions and visitors can throw plastic bottle caps, thereby caring for the environment while also helping people in need. The little heart was made for us by Dariusz Lewandowski from Warta Bolesławiecka. To finance the bin, we launched a fundraiser so that everyone could contribute to this project. The bin is already standing, but the fundraiser is still open and we encourage people to support it. We plan to put up one more such bin in our city, so if anyone would like to support us, we would be grateful,” adds the community activist.
Fundraiser for a heart-shaped bin measuring 1.5 m x 1.5 m x 0.5 m, with mounting.