Plastic Overshoot Day
Small Changes That Can Make a Big Difference.
Plastic Overshoot Day is an opportunity to celebrate solutions and the many people, communities and businesses working towards a cleaner future. Each year, the day is there to celebrate this as well as serve as a reminder of what still needs to be done to create a more sustainable future for both the planet and people.
Every country has its own Plastic Overshoot Day depending on how much plastic it uses and how effectively it manages waste. It was created by the Swiss research organisation EA for Impact and marks the point when the amount of plastic waste generated exceeds the world's ability to manage it safely, meaning more plastic is likely to leak into the environment.
The Good News?
Plastic Overshoot Day has slowly moved later in the calendar over recent years, showing that improvements in waste management and plastic reduction really can make a difference (EA for Impact).
Copyright Knot Waste: Den Bosch, Netherlands - Plastic Bin Recycling
Solutions Are Already Working
Plastic pollution isn't just about stumbling across the odd crisp packet on the street. Urban Litter affects wildlife, rivers, oceans and sometimes even human health through microplastics.
Thankfully, countries are implementing solutions that are having a positive impact on reducing the amount of plastic pollution. As consumers we’re already seeing more reusable packaging or refill schemes available when we shop. Repair cafes are popping up on the high-street, and initiatives like Plastic Free July are gaining in momentum each year. Practical solutions like this are also backed by the Plastic Overshoot Day report because of their proven potential to reduce plastic pollution.
Then there are rules like the EU ‘Right to Repair’ coming into force. This encourages consumers to repair defective products, and gives manufacturers incentives to make products that last longer or can be repaired, reused and recycled (Consilium Europa).
Copyright Knot Waste: Vienna, Austria - The colourful Spittelau Waste Incinerator.
Vienna's Beautiful Waste Incinerator Shows Sustainability Can Be Inspiring
Long gone are the days when sustainable products looked uncool, but if I said waste incinerator and bin wagon, you’d probably still screw up your face. Well, a place that totally changed my perspective on that was a visit to Spittelau Waste Incinerator in Vienna. Designed by artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, it looks more like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory than a waste treatment plant… proving that even infrastructure can become a work of art!
Spittelau Waste Incinerator processes around 270,000 tonnes of household waste every year, generating district heating and electricity for thousands of homes while helping Vienna reduce landfill (Wien Energie).
I’ve never been so inspired by a waste treatment plant! So much so that I decided to sketch it by hand and turn it into my next embroidery pattern.
Rather than treating waste like a dirty word and hiding it away, it celebrates innovative thinking and reminds us that better systems (and better choices!) can help create cleaner, more sustainable cities.
Explore the ETSY KnotWasteShop for more inspiration.
Copyright Knot Waste: Embroidered Spittelau Incinerator.
Five Easy Ways to Reduce Plastic Every Day
1. Carry A Reusable Bottle Or Coffee Cup
One swap can replace hundreds of disposable cups each year.
2. Choose Refill Products
From shampoo to your go-to Fairy Liquid… More and more are now in refill options.
3. Buy Loose Fruit And Veg
Stick it all in a reusable bag to save on endless packaging waste.
4. Repair Before Replacing
Extending the life of products keeps valuable materials in use longer.
5. Support Businesses Reducing Plastic
Lack of trade might even force the polluting ones to change.
Nobody needs to be perfect. Thousands of people making small changes creates far more impact than a handful living completely plastic-free.
Copyright Knot Waste: Plastic Free July - Stitching A Whale With A Message
Every Stitch Can Be Part of the Solution
Knot Waste inspires people to reconnect with nature in urban spaces through creativity. From embroidery patterns and sustainable crafts to nature activities and travel inspiration, we not only want to help you to improve your wellbeing but also inspire positive environmental action.
Knot Waste embroidery patterns like our Spittelau Incinerator celebrate places where nature, creativity and sustainability come together.
Copyright Knot Waste: Vienna, Austria - Spittelau Incinerator.
At first, the concept of there even being a Plastic Overshoot Day seems quite scary but it’s good to learn that it’s gradually shifting to later in the calendar each year. Surely, that’s a positive sign that waste management and circular economy initiatives are beginning to have an effect.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but every reusable bottle, refill, repair, community clean-up and sustainable purchase helps move us one step closer to a future with less plastic pollution.
Copyright Knot Waste: Designing for better wellbeing and environmental action.
Make every month plastic free and read our tips from Plastic Free July.