Avoid Single-Use Plastics

Nature friendly products for nature lovers

02-Aug-2021

There are some incredibly easy things you can do to reduce the amount of single-use plastic you are taking. Here is a list of EASY approaches to life which will make you much more eco-friendly.

 

1. Support the Break Free Pro Plastic Pollution Legislations, which would phase out throwaway plastics, hold the industry responsible for its waste and pause construction on new plastic-making plants. 
2. Practice waste prevention first and choose to reuse whenever possible. Make sure to always bring a reusable bag when shopping. By regularly washing your bags and drying them thoroughly, you can reuse them over and over.
3. Individual choices—and the collective shifts they bring about—add up quickly. Making just one simple swap, like purchasing a reusable water bottle, can spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles each year. Here are a few more tips for ridding your life (and your community) of single-use plastics for good.

• A refillable water bottle – stylish, simple and effective. You don’t need to buy a plastic water bottle each time when you can have a stylish refillable bottle and save money at the same time. 

• Reusable coffee cups – perfect to grab your favorites hot bevvy on the run. You may even get a discount for bringing your own cup!

• Always pack a reusable bag when shopping. (And yes—reusable totes are better for the environment than plastics, recent media claims aside.)
• Use your own shopping bag – there are many different options for bags. Try to avoid heavier duty plastic options if you can – going for fabrics such as cotton, canvas, silk, bamboo or jute bags. Jute bags is the best alternative because its manufacture is less environmentally intense – but it is bulky. You can also get fabric shopping bags which can be folded up into tiny pouches, which fit easily in your handbag, rucksack, and occasionally your pocket!
• Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers.
• Buy in bulk. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs.
• Though buying online sometimes has a lower carbon footprint than shopping in a store (skip the express delivery option, if you can), online shipments are still chock-full of plastic. Your best bet to reduce your footprint and plastic waste? Walk, bike, or take public transit to buy in-person.
• Avoid plastic wrap altogether by storing leftovers in reusable containers. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option. Or go with the stackable reusable lidded container – glass, metal or even sturdy plastic is OK here.
• Wooden/metal straws and utensils – there are now many alternatives to your plastic straws, knife and fork, or party plates and cups. Again, these items will fit in your bag and just need a quick wash after each use. Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go.
• Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. Ask if they have non plastic alternatives to plastic straws, stirrers, or bags.
• Speak out in support of local plastic bans, whether by calling your local government representative, submitting an op-ed to your city’s newspaper, or simply starting conversations with neighbors.
• Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. Tweet, call, or send letters to these companies to ask them to switch to more durable, recyclable, compostable, renewable, and/or recycled-content packaging with less fossil fuel–derived plastic.

 

 what about the single-use plastics you haven’t been able to avoid?

 

We appreciate there is lots of single-use plastic packaging that’s very hard to avoid.

And lots of it is what is known as ‘soft plastic’.

 

So, how can you make a difference?

 

Step 1 is to separate your hard and soft plastics when it comes to binning them.

Soft plastics are items that crush really easily. Classic examples are cling wrap, bread bags, biscuit packs and the trays inside the pack, plastic pouches, any and all plastic bags, celophane style wrap and straws.

Examples of hard plastics are bottles [which you can redeem for 10c everywhere except VIC – so cash-them-in!], takeaway containers, lots of utensils, fruit and vege bulk item boxes [e.g., mixed grapes].

Step 2 is to make sure you dispose of your plastics properly

Hard plastics go into your yellow bin.

Soft plastics now have a new home – it’s a ‘redcycle’ bin which can be found at major supermarkets nationally. So, bag up your clean, soft plastics and take them with you next time you do a food shop. And a hot tip for those of you who use supermarket home delivery – the delivery person will take you bagged, clean soft plastics for you!

Essentially, this had been a quick guide to single-use plastics and how you can make a positive step to being more environmentally friendly. Hopefully some of the confusion around single-use plastics has been addressed. Remember to let your friends and family know as well, so that we can all reduce our impact on the earth and live a healthier life!