7 TIPS FOR GOING PLASTIC FREE
Going plastic free is not really a 'new' thing. Most of us would have made the transition across to some of the basics items over the past few years without even blinking an eye (go you)!
Others find it a little more daunting, and get overwhelmed with it all. As we always say, a little bit goes a long when when making the transition over to more eco friendly living.
Our advice: pick one thing - do it well; and then move on to the next. It might feel small making the switch to a bamboo toothbrush, but when you look at the fact that every year in Australia, we throw away over 30 million plastic toothbrushes that end up in landfill ! It's actually a BIG deal.
We have pulled together some of our favourite (and easy) ways that will help you on your plastic free journey.
1. BYO bag
Always take your own shopping and produce bags to the supermarket or shops. If you do forget your produce bags, go bagless or use the paper mushroom bags instead.
Our TIP for not forgetting to put your BYO bags back into your car; once you have unpacked your shopping put your bags with your keys at your front door. That way you have to walk right over them next time you go to your car.
Don't forget you can recycle any soft plastics you accumulate in the collection kiosks in Coles and/or Woolies though the RedCycle program. They even take baby food and yogurt pouches with lids attached.
2. Use a reusable cup
If you're a lover of takeaway coffee or smoothies, remember to take your own cup and avoid adding to the plastic-lined cardboard rubbish pile. COVID has put a bit of a spanner in the mix, but most cafe's usually appreciate not having to buy their own cups to hand out. Some cafes even have a reusable takeaway cup system or will even give you a discount!
Check out some of these great initiatives :
3. Avoid individually wrapped products
How about instead of buying 15 mini packs of biscuits or chips for school lunch, buy a large single packet and portion it into containers. You can also bake your own treats at home to avoid prepackaged bars, cookies or cake.
Extra points if you get all your ingredients at a bulk whole foods store.
Also, try and avoid buying your fruit and veggies wrapped in plastic!
4. Have a bottle on hand
Plastic water bottles are one of the most common waste items in the world. Don’t help perpetuate the market for this ridiculously wasteful product; take your own drink bottle when you’re on the go. Water comes out of the tap for free, so why on Earth would you pay for it?!
5. Refuse the straw!
These little suckers are one of the worst offenders. Taking over 200 years to break down. As the plastic degrades, it also exudes harmful chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA), that have been linked to environmental pollution and health problems. They also cause significant harm to our wildlife both in and out of the water. It's time to say NO THANKS to the straw, or even better, invest in a reusable straw to pop in your handbag, like one of our Bamboo ones.
6. Buy refills
The refill revolution is here. Rather than buying a new product each time, start buying refills for your cleaning supplies. There are so many amazing business out there offering this option for all of your home cleaning and even personal care. One of our favourites in Aussie owned business Zero Co. Check them out.
7. Invest in cloth nappies
Can you believe that 3.75 million disposable nappies are used each day in Australia and New Zealand? Up to 4% of landfill in Australia is full of nappies, which aren’t likely to decompose in your child’s lifetime – or even your grandchildren’s lifetimes (about 150 years).
If you have a baby it might be time to invest in a set of good cloth nappies instead. The CHOICE website has some of the best information about nappies if you want to learn more.
There are even nappy rental business popping up around the place!
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