Plastic waste in the ocean. Image: iStock.
“While we are all going through something so challenging like the COVID-19 crisis, my hope is that we will remember to take much better care of the planet we live in, all together as mankind,” said SodaStream CEO Eyal Shohat, in a statement on Wednesday.
Echoing Shohat’s sentiments, Miss Earth South Africa 2020 Lungo Katete says there are millions of people in South Africa and, if everyone does one good green deed a day, it would go a long way to eliminating environmental pollution.
“We all need to be mindful of our habits, to make sure our environment is safe and clean,” said Katete.
With much of the world under lockdown and many humans out of circulation due to strict social distancing policies, video and posts on social media platforms show that the earth is healing albeit at a snail’s pace.
Some of the online content shows how the Himalayas are now visible for the first time in decades in parts of neighbouring countries, while swans are back in the canals of Venice, and leopards and penguins are roaming the streets in parts of South Africa.
But pressing concern remains around our production and use of plastic.
It is estimated that, globally, over 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year, 50% of which is for single-use purposes.
While these plastic products are often only used for just a few moments, they remain on the planet for at least several hundred years – and their impact on the environment and animals are far-reaching.
SodaStream says 14% of all litter comes from beverage containers and more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. When taking into consideration the caps and labels from these containers, the number is even higher.
In line with this year’s Earth Day theme of ‘Climate Change’ Shohat says SodaStream is committing to avoid 67 billion single-use plastic bottles over the next five years.
To seal their commitment, the world’s leading sparkling water-maker brand is making a donation to global non-profit WaterAid, which provides clean tap water for drinking and washing hands.
Additionally, the beverage supplier says, starting early next year, they will also be switching all their flavours from plastic to metal bottles. This, it estimates, should avoid nearly another 200 million single-use plastic bottles over the next five years.
As a special tribute to Earth Day 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis, SodaStream released an emotional video that states the importance of caring for our planet even in these complicated times.
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