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10 Ways to Use Less Plastic

 

Hey friends
It’s time to talk about plastic. Well, it’s time to talk about plastic a little more because hopefully you’ve already been talking about it for a while. How’s this for a statistic (and just one of many):

“There are 500 times more pieces of microplastic in the sea than there are stars in our galaxy and by 2050 it is estimated there will be more plastic than fish”[The Independent]

And yes, it’s completely overwhelming, there are people on social media regaling us with tales of their #plasticfree lives and it just doesn’t seem possible on a large scale. BUT, here are few achievable ways that you can avoid single use plastic and make a difference this year.

At the Office and On-The-Go
– Get yourself a reusable coffee cup and keep it in your car.
– Grab and Go Water Bottle – spending money on plastic bottles of water is a huge waste of cash and it’s just bad for the planet. Get yourself a snazzy water bottle with a built-in filter and off you go.
– Keep your reusable shopping bags in the boot of your car so that whenever you go grocery shopping they’re right there and you don’t need to feel The Shame when you fill up dozens of plastic bags with your weekly haul.

Home Savvy
– Ditch straws (or have a stash of reusable ones), ditch cling wrap and get BPA-free tupperwares instead.
– Try using buying in bulk and using glass jars for storing all of your pantry staples, they might be a bit of an investment initially, but they make a difference in the long run, and they look pretty!
– Be conscious of packaging when you shop, opt for paper or recyclable plastic.
– Compost! It’s a great way to use up fruit and veggie waste from your kitchen, and it makes the most amazing plant food for your garden.
– Buy experiences and not things – I love this one, and it might not be ideal for a two year old, but if you have older kids I think it’s a beautiful thing to introduce.
– Go back to bars of soap (with paper packaging, there are lots of amazing options out there)
– Talk to your kids about the plastic and the planet. Our children find such wonder in the world and have an amazing instinct to fiercely protect it, so get them on board and they’ll soon be championing using less plastic in your home.

My favourite place for Earth-friendly, plastic-conscious shopping is Faithful to Nature (this is not an ad, I just love what they do).

Bea Johnson is a hugely inspiring global champion for Zero Waste, and lives by these 5 principles:

  1. REFUSE what you do not need
  2. REDUCE what you do need
  3. SWAP anything disposable for reusable
  4. RECYCLE
  5. ROT (make your own compost)