»The heroes of plastic»
Clara Tortini is a coworker at Aticco, she is Italian and is doing a master's degree at UPF. She has a blog called Plastic-Free Heroes, which tries to raise awareness about the excessive use of plastic in our society and how to reduce it. In this interview he gives us his point of view on this issue and how from his perspective we could improve it: How did you get started with the whole plastic movement and why did you decide to start a blog? I have always been interested in the environment. I grew up in a family where we were all very aware of this issue. So I think my interest was born at a very young age. But it was in Holland, when I was living there for six months (I was 20 years old) that I started to realize that the problem was very serious. I started reading a lot of books about it, watching documentaries and living in the Netherlands, which is quite a green country, taught me a lot. But In particular, it was a TED Talk on Youtube of a girl telling how she lived a zero-impact life in Brooklyn that helped open my eyes. So I started to get interested, read, inform myself and talk to people, to ask for their opinions.. I wanted to suddenly change my life, but what I lacked was the will and the drive I needed to make this big change. Travel, laziness, fear stopped me for three more years. I believed that a life focused on reducing plastic consumption was not compatible with our lifestyle. It was China and Barcelona that changed everything. Thanks to these experiences, I realized that I was trying to defend my planet, to be an environmentalist, but in reality, in practice I was not. My life was the first one I had to change in order to be consistent with myself and true to my ideals. I was the first one to make mistakes and if I hadn't started to change things, I would have regretted it all my life.. Sure I could not change the future of the planet, but I could inspire people, raise awareness about the issue and live a life more in line with my principles and values.. So I started my blog last fall and, since then, everything changed. I said no to most disposable plastic and slowly started to realize that in our life there are a lot of things that we don't really need. This path helped me to realize what was around us, our way of living, our way of seeing the human being as the center of the world. The blog I think was my way of raising awareness, influencing people in a positive way and "changing" the world. But it was also a way to start a new chapter in my life and to do it for real, without postponing it anymore. After a few months one of my best friends, Dominika, who now lives in Poland, joined this project. With her I have always been able to talk about the environment. We share opinions, principles, ideas and the same way of seeing the world. I always talked with her about the blog and the plastic issue. From the very beginning she helped me a lot. So we decided to join forces and now we are both in this project. Her arrival changed a lot of things for the better, on a practical level, but also on a spiritual level, let's say. She helped me to fix a lot of things with the blog and the Instagram account, but it also represents a fundamental moral support.. We are a team and she fills my shortcomings let's say. What do you think is the situation we are currently in with the plastic issue? The situation we are currently in is more serious than we think. There are studies that say that, if we continue like this, in 2050 we will have more plastic in the sea than fish. In addition, a recently published study has said that every week we eat plastic equivalent to one credit card. Micro plastic is everywhere, in the water we drink, in the cheese we eat, in the fish... There is plastic in our cosmetics and our clothes are made of plastic. We are not aware of how our lives revolve around this material.. What made me think a lot, when I started this change, is the unconsciousness of people and the inability to feel concern for our future, not only of human beings, but also of biodiversity in general. We are irreversibly damaging the future of the planet and future generations. And what we think is to look for another planet to live on, without thinking about saving this. Do you think that a start could have been made earlier to change this situation? Yes, without a doubt. We are just now beginning to awaken this concern, but it could have been started much earlier.. I think we have waited for a solution from governments, from people who have power, but we have not thought about what we can do as individuals. ¿Can you give us some tips on how we can help reduce the plastic in our lives? First, be patient. It is not a change that happens overnight. It is a journey that takes time. Second, as I said before, I believe that there are many things we think we can't live without. In reality this is not the case. Sometimes we also lack the curiosity, the desire or the means to find alternatives. The question you have to ask yourself is "Do I really need this object?" "Are there more sustainable alternatives?" I have started by saying NO to all disposable plastic that I can avoid, no problem. For example, plastic bags, packaging, forks, sanitary napkins, toothbrushes, straws, plastic film, gillette etc.. For all these objects there are sustainable alternatives. For example, straws, we don't really need this item. But in case we really need it, there are more sustainable alternatives, such as paper, bamboo or steel. If you go to a bar, you can politely ask if they can bring you your drink without a straw. What helps, too, is to explain why you are asking for this, to show what alternative you have. Sometimes people need to listen to your explanation, to realize that what you are asking for is not a nonsense or a whim. Another obstacle is the fear that people will think we are weird. But we have to remember that all of this represents a positive impact for the planet. Third, be curious. Start discovering what alternatives we have. To know stores that can allow us to reduce our plastic consumption.. For example, when I came here to Barcelona, I discovered that this city is eco-friendly in many ways and gives you the opportunity to reduce your plastic consumption. Third, stop being lazy. Many times we go to the supermarket and forget to take our cotton bags with us. Or we eat out and forget our reusable forks. These are actually small actions that are very easy to integrate into your daily life. We just have to get used to it. For example, you can start with carrying a reusable bottle to avoid buying plastic bottles. Carry cotton bags when you go shopping. Give up plastic packaging that we don't need. Buy more local produce and seasonal fruits and vegetables.. Choose solid shampoo and conditioner, to avoid all plastic packaging. Discover options for a more sustainable rule. Bring a reusable mug if you want to take your coffee to go. And stop thinking we can't make a difference, because we can. Another thing is to learn to reduce, reuse and recycle. We have always thought that recycling could be the solution, but it is not.. First, recycling requires an exaggerated amount of energy and water. Second, because of its economic and energy costs, many cities do not really recycle. Also, imagine this situation: your bathroom is flooded, what would be the solution: turn off the tap or mop it up? I think this metaphor sums up very well the situation we are in now. We have the ocean drowned in plastic and we continue to produce and consume, without thinking that the solution is to reduce or stop consuming and producing. We have not turned off the tap. So, to go back to the 3Rs rule (reduce, reuse, recycle), we first have to reduce, that is, leave all the objects that we do not really need or that we can replace with sustainable alternatives.. Second, reuse to give a second life to the products we already have. This part also helps you to awaken your creativity and be curious. And finally, as a last resort, recycle.Aticco and sustainability
At Aticco we are also we are also working to reduce the negative impact on the planet.. From the design of our buildings to waste management.- All our spaces have large windows through which a lot of natural light enters. This allows us to enjoy sunlight most of the day and reduces energy consumption. The private offices and meeting rooms are glass boxes that also receive light from the outside. In addition, we have installed motion sensors that only activate when they detect the presence of someone, and prevent the lights from being left on by mistake. Our terraces have light sensors, so that they turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn. This way we avoid leaving them on by mistake. All lighting is energy efficient.
- The choice of energy supplier is also a key factor, especially when energy consumption is high. In our case, we chose a supplier that would certify that all the energy we consume comes from renewable energies. This ensures that we are not wasting renewable resources.
- We want to reduce the use of plastic containers. That's why in the welcome pack we give to our coworkers when they enter Aticco, we include a reusable bottle so they can put water or drinks in it without having to buy new plastic containers. We are also reducing plastic consumption at our events by using reusable cups instead of single-use plastic cups.
- All our centers have waste sorting systems to facilitate recycling. In the kitchens there are containers for packaging, organic waste, glass, cardboard and other waste. In addition, paper containers are located near our printers.
- All containers found in canteens Aticco are biodegradable.
- We encourage our coworkers to use electric scooters to move from one place to another by reserving them in our spaces. It is an agile and sustainable way to move around the city.
