It’s time for financial services to engage and act to support the end of plastic pollution

Tomorrow is World Environment Day.

With all we’ve heard and learnt over the past couple of months concerning the level of damage and devastation plastic and other non-recyclable materials continues to have on natural habitats globally, it is very encouraging that initiatives such as World Environment Day and Earth Day 2018 are committed to providing transparent information to help change the way we engage with plastics.

Theresa May’s campaign to ban sales of cotton wool buds and plastic straws is a step towards this goal. Indeed, given the sunny weather, we’ve been out and about visiting London’s drinking spots and thankfully noticed pubs and bars are joining the cause by serving paper straws – a small but impactful step.

We’ve also seen the world of financial services pitching in with the Bank of Aland launching a biodegradable credit card last year, which also tracks the carbon footprint of all its users’ purchases through the Aland Index.

That said, it’s clear there is still a lot of work to be done. But by recognising the efforts made both within financial services and the wider community we can make the necessary changes to preserve the world we live in – something that’s vital to all.