A drop in the ocean

Inspired by our how-to-live-greener ideas, starting on page 42? Caroline Quentin is also taking small but important steps to do her bit for the planet…

Prima columnist Caroline Quentin is doing her bit to help the planet

Afew months ago, I went for a walk on a beach near Tel Aviv in Israel. I occasionally stopped to pick up bits of sea glass. For as long as I can remember, I’ve collected these cloudy jewels. I’ve got glass jars full of them and keep them on a windowsill so the sun shines through, turning each jar into a miniature stained-glass window, a misty kaleidoscope of memories from every beach I’ve ever visited.

I haven’t just collected glass – I’ve picked up a silver buckle from a beach in Brighton; a toffee-coloured stone with a hole in the middle from a walk near the marshes in Suffolk; numberless pink shells from a holiday in the Caribbean, when I was young and in love.

These bits of flotsam and jetsam are only valuable to me. When I look into them, I see fragments of my life, a mosaic of treasures, seemingly insignificant objects yet important reminders of days gone by.

Increasingly, though, I am seeing pieces of plastic washed up on the shore, whether I’m on a beach in Sussex or in far-flung lands by turquoise waters. Even in paradise, plastic is intruding.

We’ve all been reminded recently of the perilous state of our oceans, the damage being done to marine life and the long-term effects of plastic waste on our lives. At this moment, from where I’m sitting in my kitchen, I can see the very things I’d hate to find when I’m walking on a beach: a toothbrush, pen lids, coffee pods, a colander, plastic shopping bags… you know what I mean. So, what is plastic? The dictionary says: ‘A synthetic material made from organic polymers, such as PVC, nylon, etc, that can be moulded while soft.’ Plastic is fantastic – it’s so versatile and cheap to produce. I’ve tried to imagine life without it and figure there are many ways I could reduce my dependence on it. But some areas of life would suffer without it. If hospitals had to manage without antimicrobial plastic, we’d all suffer. It helps stop the spread of disease and can even kill bacteria. The manufacture of sterile and reusable plastics is on the increase, keeping the waste out of landfill sites. Plastic’s not a bad thing in itself, and it’s here to stay. And that’s the problem – it stays FOR EVER.

I’m going to make more of an effort. I don’t need plastic cutlery when I’m eating a takeaway, I’ll carry my own fork. No more plastic water bottles,

I’m going to refill a flask and think hard about what I’m buying and how it’s packaged. I’m going to recycle more, buy less and purchase more thoughtfully. My tiny efforts won’t make a big impact on such a huge problem, they’ll be a drop in the ocean, but it’s a beautiful ocean and it’s time I took more responsibility for it.

‘Even in paradise, plastic is intruding’