My Tips On How To Reduce Plastic Use

Plastic is fast becoming enemy number one for a lot of people. It already has become enemy number one for the likes of Lauren Singer of TrashIsForTosers.com, who keeps her waste to the bare minimum and when I say bare minimum I really mean bare minimum, over the last four years she has accumulated exactly one mason jar of rubbish. It just goes to show what can be done. Here’s the thing, there’s a lot of rubbish that we don’t exactly know how long it will take to naturally decompose, as most of the rubbish we produce today, we didn’t have 100 years ago, so we have never had to deal with it. The impact we have on todays environment is far worse than that of the all of the previous years of history put together and it is time for change. It is time for everyone to become more aware of the difference ‘consumer impact’ has and ‘consumer demand’ can make in how companies go about retailing their goods and how they manufacture them. But each of us can make small changes that generally lead to bigger better changes world wide. Below are some changes I made and make to live with less plastic, they are easy and little changes you can make to your daily life.

My Top Tips On Using Less Plastic

1. Stop using plastic bags.

   

   If you know you are going shopping and will need a bag to take your goods home, bring your own bag / tote. Plastic bags can take 10-20 years to disintegrate.

2. Buy Secondhand.

   

   Buy used clothes/ second hand clothes or go to clothes swap events and always bring your own bag to avoid wasteful plastic bags or even paper bags. Check out second hand bridal gowns, or even new bridal gowns sold in second hand shops. Buy second hand furniture and if needed …..and……..

3. Upcycle.
   

   

   Have something old, that you don’t want to get rid of?? Make it new again and up cycle. Check Ebay or Buy&Sell. You will mostly likely get what you want for half the price too… if not cheaper.

4. Email. 

   

   Where possible request to be emailed instead of posted letters. You can do this with bills, bank statements and various other day to day letters. This can be beneficial to not only reduce your environmental rubbish, but to also keep what you need on record for as long as you need to. It will be stored on your online email.

5. Food prep responsibly 

   

   Take a packed breakfast/ lunch/ dinner with you in a reusable food container and also if you know you are going to get food on the go, try to take your own food container with you as styrofoam can take 50 years to disintegrate. Styrofoam is the white container food can be put into.

6. Bring your own coffee mug.

   

    Get a reusable coffee & tea cup for the mornings to put your own hot drink in or asked for your coffee to be put into said mug at cafes, I don’t drink coffee so I don’t know if this is a thing, but wouldn’t it be great if you could get a reduced price on your coffee if you brought your own mug with you??

7. Menstrual Cups.
   

   

   This one is for the ladies. Ladies, switch to a menstrual cup. I know everyone for some UNKOWN reason has the reaction of “Eww gross and eww some more”, but really what difference is a cup to a tampon?? Bar that the impact a cup has on the environment is astronomically better and also works out better for your pocket. They come in different shapes and size’s to suit you.

8. Get rid of paper towels, very simple swap here. Buy a pack of clothes that can be used and used again and washed when needed.
9. Keep any food leftovers. 

   

   Keep any food leftovers to be used again in reusable containers in your fridge.

10. Try to shop at local farmers markets.

    

     Farmers markets or shops that keep plastic wraps to a minimum and allow you to fill your own containers and price your products based on weight.

Do you ave any other tips you can add to the mix?

x

Saoirse.