Plastic Free

Hoorahhh, once again ‘Plastic Free July’ is upon us. Eleven years this initiative has been running and what a way to get the entire world involved, through every day little adjustments. 

A plastic free lifestyle is shifting to the forefront of most peoples minds, we use so much of it, 3.4 billion tonnes in Australia alone. That averages out to 130kg of plastic person, per year….yikes!

Whilst it’s not entirely avoidable there is good news.

You can combat this and reduce your plastic impact!

There are plenty of alternatives and you can be apart of the movement by making simple lifestyle changes.

Coffee cups

Ever thought about how many coffees you purchase annually? On average Australians throw out one billion disposable coffee cups a year and 90% of those are not recycled. By switching your morning cup of gold from a disposable cup to a reusable cup you’re already making a massive impact, kind of a non brainer hey?

Reusable straws

Ever heard of skip a straw and save a turtle? That’s because 3.5 billion straws are used every year in Australia. The scary part is that most are used on average for 20 minutes and left to make their way to landfill or the ocean, crazy right! By skipping a straw or utilising a reusable one you’re one step closer to keeping Australian beaches cleaner, which lets be honest imagine taking your snaps with litter all along the beachside, not so pretty hey!

Cotton Buds

Cotton buds. Dont ask me why, I’m sure its unhealthy but every morning I get the cotton bud out and as part of my routine, I clean my ears. When I transitioned to a more plastic free lifestyle I realised how many cotton buds I was actually using. That’s when I started using sustainable bamboo cotton buds. This is an easy swap, bamboo buds work exactly like the plastic ones, except they can be broken down in your compost or organic waste, so damm easy! 

Fresh produce

Vegetables wrapped in plastic! It still boggles my mind that massive grocery chains do this (and are allowed to). Let’s use orange’s for example. Oranges have a perfect exterior of their natural skin to protect the goodness within, they then get wrapped in plastic and placed on a polystyrene tray? Honestly whyyyy? To combat this i refuse to buy those types of vegetables, I buy loose produce only with my reusable produce bags, eventually the big chains will get the hint, unlike that ex of yours!

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‍Plastic bags

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‍We’re improving but by changing from plastic bags to a reusable bag or even better, a natural fibre reusable bag, you’ll be making a massive impact. Plastic bags start off as fossil fuel and almost always end up in landfill or the ocean. The American fossil fuel industry is preparing for a 40% rise over the next decade in production and by 2050 it’s estimated that there will be more plastic bags than fish in the sea, and I’m not even referring to the dating scene. The way to stop this is by simply stopping the demand for such products. Drop the plastic bag and take your reusable which can be utilised anywhere not just grocery shopping!

Plastic bottle

Switch it up and drop the bottle. Theres a reason why plastic bottles are in the top ten words offenders of ending up in landfill. Invest in a good water bottle, one that is durable and ethical. My advice get a stainless steel one, that way you can put anything in it (wine anyone?) and you can be the star winner at your next zoom meeting or pilates class! Ha ha 

Fresh Meat and bread

Did you know that you can take your own container to a deli and get your meat packed? I love this idea and it’s so manageable to switch. Also it’s ready to go straight into the fridge once you get home, winning! The same applies to bakery goods. Invest in a durable bread bag to take with you and your local bakery can pop it straight in. Not only are you helping the environment but you’re helping your small business bakery and keeping it local. Good. On. You!

Plastic wrap

Convenient but unfortunately an environmental nightmare and not to mention full of harmful chemicals. Discovered in the 1930’s by accident in a laboratory, plastic wrap was originally used for the military and their boots. I have no idea how this transcended to everyday plastic wrap used on almost everything but here we are. The solution, wax wraps. Some are made from bee’s wax, cotton and hemp and are a great alternative. What’s amazing about them is they provide the same freshness and convince of plastic wrap but they are biodegradable and can be added to your compost heap rather than landfill. So far my wraps have lasted me 2 years and I’ve saved myself money and the environment, it’s the win win for me.

Single use plastic cutlery

Unfortunately these petroleum based products last hundreds of years in our landfill and contain harmful components that once they start to break down will contaminate their surrounding area. South Australia led the way on banning single use plastic cutlery, straws and stirrers and they have proposed the ban of takeaway plastic food containers by March 2022. Transition to sustainably sourced bamboo or wooden cutlery or even better bring your own reusable cutlery set to get into good habits! Imagine being on a first date and your date brings out a reusable cutlery set, oh my gosh, vegan brownie points!

So it’s not all bad

Whilst I’ve given you some alternatives to every day environment killers, I think its extremely important to generally consume less and obviously create less waste.  Recycling unfortunately isn’t enough, it’s our bare minimum. Get creative and find ways to up cycle and reuse items. You may have a few wine bottles laying around (no one’s judging, it’s been an unusual time in the world) get up cycling and convert them to vase’s or at home water bottles. Head down to your local coffee store and collect their used coffee grains, mix some coconut oil with essential oils and you’ve created yourself a body scrub. You’re only limited by your imagination. 

You really can make a difference, but it all starts with you.

Sign up to push your state for a more plastic free culture through this WWF petition 

https://www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/plastic-pollution/2020-plastics-scorecard#gs.5zwpqe