Small Victories

Six months ago I wrote to the RIBA Journal suggesting they look to change their plastic wrapping on their magazines to a compostable one, like so many have done this year.  They published my letter in the journal and said they would look into it.  True to their word they did look into it and this month, much to my joy, my magazine arrived in a potato starch wrap!   A small little victory for sure. 44,000 members, 12 magazines a year that is over half a million fewer single use plastic bags in the year to come. 

Do you have any magazines delivered to your door in plastic?  Maybe write them a letter - You never know it may be the final thing that make them take the leap. Until then you could do as I do and neatly cut the plastic bag off your magazine so you can reuse them as bin liners.  

My next mission is to see if the magazine needs to be sent out at all.  All of the content is online on the website so the need for a hard copy is not necessary for everyone.  I think an opt-in tick box when renewing membership in January would save not only plastic bags but also the energy, material and cost associated with paper, printing, manufacture of the potato starch and then the delivery.