World Earth Day, the bad habits we must drop now to learn from past mistakes

Human activities have drastically transformed the Earth's ecosystems over the years. Oblivious of the consequences, many generations have lived according to unsustainable patterns of behaviour, which today call for a true reassessment of the environmental impact of the smallest of our daily actions. The role of each one of us together with greater awareness and sensitivity to our surroundings is at the heart of the new social media campaign of Grazie Natural, the 100% ecological paper brand of the Lucart Group made from recycled Tetra Pak®-like beverage cartons.

The contents posted on the brand's Facebook and Instagram channels will show how "We have all contributed to damaging the planet" and will portray the actor Matteo Caremoli, on the journey of awareness that led him to reconsider how he used to behave as a youngster and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle while growing up with the hashtag #oracontribuiamoasalvarlo (“and now let's save it”). It is a clear message inviting everyone to become aware of their environmental responsibilities, emphasising how we can all contribute to creating a sustainable future through virtuous behaviour.

The six bad habits we must drop now

Although major efforts are still needed to protect our planet, on World Earth Day Lucart has drawn up a short list of the six bad habits we must drop to learn from past mistakes.

1. Too much hairspray: when beauty is harmful to the environment
   A study by the University of York and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science highlighted the environmental impact of hairspray, deodorants and other aerosols. The products contain the same chemicals as those emitted by cars and fuels. More than 25 billion cans are consumed worldwide per year and are responsible for emitting about 1.3 million tonnes of pollutants. The figure could rise to 2.2 million tonnes by 2050. The use of hairspray and aerosols boomed in the 1980s when they were even more harmful because they contained ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons banned by the 1987 Montreal Protocol.

2. Too much plastic made (and thrown away)
   Just think how often you have seen someone in a passing car peel the cellophane packaging from a packet of cigarettes and toss it out of the window? Still today, a truckload of plastic ends up in the sea every minute threatening to change our oceans forever. A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, has shown that there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050. Already today, our oceans contain some 165 million tonnes of plastic, the equivalent of dumping one rubbish truck into the sea every minute. What is the main source? Only 14% of all plastic packaging is recycled and recovering more could help marine ecosystems considerably.

3. Sand and shells, look but don't touch
   As harmless as it may appear, collecting shells at the seaside is illegal in Italy. It is also illegal to take sand, water or any other material away from beaches. The aim is to preserve the landscape and the ecosystem of our beaches. Removing shells leads to a decrease in the organisms that depend on them. Depriving the seabed of its shells and sand can lead to coastal erosion. This habit has put the balance of many stretches of coastline at risk.

4. Stop the indiscriminate use of pesticides in agriculture
   A study published in BioScience has added fireflies to the long list of endangered species identifying  loss of habitat caused by rapid urban development, light pollution and excessive use of pesticides as the main threats. More in detail, neonicotinoids are the main culprits. They are one of the most widely used classes of systemic neuroactive insecticides in the world and their use is restricted in the European Union today.

6. Switch off your engine
   Experts have observed that the average temperature of the Earth has been increasing since 1950. This global average increase depends on the concentration of greenhouse gases, including CO₂ emitted by humans, in the atmosphere resulting from energy production using fossil fuels and the excessive use of vehicles. The global emissions of CO₂ totalled 21.4 billion tonnes in 1990. The most recent IEA analysis analysis shows that an all-time high of 36.3 billion tonnes was reached in 2021, an increase of 6% on the previous year.


7. The use (and abuse) of energy produced from fossil fuels
   Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity consumes all the resources produced by the planet in a given year. The date has moved earlier and earlier over the years (it fell in December in the 1970s) demonstrating the increasingly unsustainable pressure of humankind on the environment. A solution? #MoveTheDate, say the experts, that is setting the goal to shift the date of Earth Overshoot Day by at least five days a year, which would allow humanity to achieve some sort of compatibility with the planet before 2050. Significant opportunities can be found in five key areas: cities, energy, food, population and planet. For example, reducing CO₂ emissions deriving from burning fossil fuels by 50% would mean shifting the overshoot date by as many as 93 days.

“With this campaign, we want to invite everyone to reflect. We often tend to distance ourselves, even unconsciously, from our environmental responsibilities, placing the burden of change on someone bigger and greater than us. This is a serious mistake. Initiating change is first and foremost an individual responsibility. We must all be aware of the importance of our daily choices because we can progressively influence the development, growth and well-being of the community as a whole. Each of us can make a positive and lasting impact on humanity and the planet. We have all made mistakes in our youth, but now it's time to make up for them, starting with the small everyday choices", commented Giovanni Monti, Corporate Sales & Marketing Director Consumer at Lucart.

“This continues the positioning programme kicked off in 2018 with the boldly ironic tone of voice that distinguishes the brand's campaigns”, said Alessandro Modestino, CEO & Founder of Meloria. "We started talking about sustainability before it was a hot topic to touch on the issue of environmental responsibility with a smile ".