Did you know that one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute? That is crazy, right?
Plastic is everywhere we look and we can’t seem to live without it. What’s worse is that plastic which we only use once and then throw away makes up 50 per cent of everything we get through. We believe that plastic pollution seriously harms God’s planet and want to do something about it. It’s exciting to see so many new and innovative ideas springing up for how to get round our dependency on plastic. Check out some of the ideas below and let us know what you are doing to #BeatPlasticPollution.
1. TAKE YOUR TUPPERWARE SHOPPING
Sick of fighting through layers of plastic film to get to your cheese or ham slices? If you shop at markets or places where there are special counters for things like meat, fish, cheese and deli items, you can ask them to put the goodies in your very own tupperware. Some specialist shops even sell loose pasta, rice, lentils and beans so you can fill up your own jars and make sure your cupboards stay stocked up.
2. SAY NO TO THE STRAW
Do you really need a straw to enjoy a drink? As cute as they maybe, plastic straws are one of the easiest things to cut out of your plastic diet. With 60 festivals already saying they are going to get rid of all plastic straws, we might as well get used to strawless lives. Okay, if you really can’t live without them check out some of these fun reusable options.
3. KEEP REFRESHED WITH A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
There’s no need to get dehydrated with so many stylish reusable bottles on offer now. Saves you money and helps protects the planet – what more of an incentive do you need?
4. GOING DOWN: PLASTIC BAGS, GOING UP: TOTE BAGS
Yay! The 5p charge on plastic bags has seen a dramatic drop in the number of plastic bags being used across the country. Now scientists have discovered that there’s been an estimated 30 per cent drop in plastic bags found on the seabed since the time these charges started around Europe. Of course you can still splash out on a 5p bag and most smaller shops will still offer you a plastic one, so make sure you have your tote bag out with you at all times in case of any last-minute shopping trips.
5. GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL GREENGROCER
There’s no need to buy your fruit and veg wrapped in excessive amounts of plastic when your local greengrocer probably doesn’t use any. Lots of plastic used with groceries can’t be recycled so just ends up in landfill or drifting out to the ocean. We guarantee your local greengrocer is friendlier than the self-service check out and they may even knock a few pence off the total if you give them a big grin.
6. DITCH THE TOOTHBRUSH
But not the brushing of course. Now you can keep your pegs clean with biodegradable bamboo brushes and even ones made from pig hair! If you can’t handle that you can also get one made of wood or recycled plastic. It’s pretty shocking to think that our plastic toothbrushes will outlive us long after we’ve binned them. So maybe now’s the time to make the switch to sustainable for good.
7. KEEP IT HOT IN A KEEPCUP
Or any other kind of reusable cup for your lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, hot chocolates, infusion teas and proper brews. Many takeaway coffee cups are coated with a plastic film so are not easily recyclable. Some coffee shops even offer a discount from the price of your drink now if you bring your own cup with you. Nice.
8. WHO NEEDS CLINGFILM?
Beeswax, cotton, sillicone, glass jars, plates…There are so many alternatives to clingfilm it’s an easy plastic to do away with. Get experimenting and let us know what works best!
9. GET A LUNCH BOX
Make double your dinner and eat the leftovers for lunch. It solves the issue of plastic-wrapped sandwiches and sushi (see earlier post) while also saving you money. You could even make a triple-sized portion and share some with a friend at work, school or uni the next day.
You don’t have to change everything all at once so you could just try one of these plastic alternatives for a week. Every action you take makes a difference and when we make these changes together, the impact is even greater. Let us know which ones you go for @wearetearfund.