A pair of activists have begun placing stickers with plastic expiry dates on single-use plastic products in an attempt to raise awareness about long-lasting impacts that plastic has on our environment.
While certain plastic products degrade in years or decades, sturdier alternatives may take up to one thousand years before fully dissolving according to scientists.
To encourage people to do more reusing and recycling and less throwing away, Joe Foale-Groves and Gagandeep Jhuti started placing stickers claiming that the plastic packaging will expire in 2499 on products in several supermarkets across London.
As the pair revealed, they were encouraged to take action after realizing the hypocrisy behind products claiming to be ‘ecological’ and ‘bio’ while packed in sturdy, long-life plastic.
“We found while working on adverts for supermarkets that they want to say they’re doing their bit for the environment, but just a glance into the meal deal aisle says otherwise,” the pair expressed.
Speaking of their first-of-its-kind mission, Joe and Gagandeep added:
“So, imagine this. It’s the year 3019. Animals can now be tried in court. The prisons are overflowing with pigeons. You are no longer around. But the plastic water bottle you bought with your meal deal in 2020 has finally started to decompose. Even if the future isn’t quite as weird as that, it is true that your meal deal could be pretty much immortal.
“At the moment we’ve been sneaking Plastic Expiry Date stickers onto meal deal items ourselves since the start of January, but loads of people have asked to join us in spreading stickers to their local supermarkets.
“The ultimate goal would be for supermarkets to add the Plastic Expiry Date to packaging themselves, as well as hurrying to reduce single-use plastic packaging from their shelves.”
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Replaced!