This is our first meeting. It's a chance to bring the new team together, meet like minded people and brain storm some ideas. As part of the sick of plastic movement we will be taking part in the national day of action on the 13th of April. It is important that we mobilize as many people as possible on this day to put pressure on supermarkets and the government to implement new policies on single use plastic. By taking part in the national day of action we can show our support and demand for such policies to stop the unnecessary and unsustainable trend of single use plastic packaging. The main action for the 13th will be the Shop and Drop where customers, such as ourselves will remove unnecessary plastic packaging from our goods and leave them at the Shop. (fruit and veg is probably the easiest to manage in this action) In order for this to happen (in less than 2 weeks) a huge amount of work needs to go into organisation:
- Supermarkets need to notified so they can organise an area to put all the plastic in
- People need to be notified/informed and mobilize to take action etc
The meeting will also be a chance to come up with new actions and collaborate on other ideas too. We will be looking at how each of us interacts with plastic on a day to day basis and possible ways to reduce this on the individual level and on the larger institutional level (i.e how can we best lobby politicians and the government and companies to reduce plastic use). In regard to the individual level we want to take into particular account inter-sectional issues. For example we live in a patriarchal society, where the domestic division of labor between the sexes is completely unequal and undervalued. It is women who in the vast majority of heterosexual couples do "the shopping" regardless of how many hours they've already put in at "work" or looking after their kids. Work doesn't end at home and yet this work is largely un or at least under valued. Time is of the essence. So it's completely understandable if plastic or sustainability aren't top concerns or even on the radar and if they are well then that's amazing. By taking into account issues such as this we can be more effective and (most importantly) compassionate. We need to look at the issues affect people that could stop them from raising their voices with us and work on ways to get around these issues, so they can be empowered to take the actions they believe in, in a way that is attainable within the constants of their lives. This includes disabilities, illnesses (both physical and mental), poverty, dietary restraints, cultural practices, religion, the list goes on.
Park Plastic Use aims to be an inclusive movement and we seek to empower people from all backgrounds to raise their voice and join us in calling for a more sustainable future. However, we are also a human movement, so we will no doubt make mistakes. When are failings are pointed out we will acknowledge our flaws and take action to learn, grow and rectify our mistakes.
Everyone is welcome to this meeting. We have not got a location yet as we have no idea of numbers etc. If it suits best we can have the meeting over the phone through a conference call or google hangout but we are hopeful we will be able to have a face to face meeting (at least in part)
If you're interested in coming please contact us by email: [email protected] instram: @parkplasticusecork or you can phone me Orla Murphy on: 353863687249
Whether you feel like you've something to add to the conversation or you'd just like to come and listen or learn please come along.
