10 IDEAS TO HELP MAKE YOU AS PLASTIC FREE AS CAN BE
Lets raise awareness of the amount of plastic in our lives by encouraging people to eliminate the use of single-use plastic. We have put a list of tips together that will make this easy.
This article was first published on thebamboobrushsociety.com
1. SHOPPING BAGS
When you’re out of the house, you sometimes make a spontaneous trip to the supermarket without bringing a grocery bag. Here’s what you do! Always have a bag in your work bag, car, or other vehicle you drive. Maybe also leave a few at the office! This way you don’t end up buying another bag.
2. WATER BOTTLES
Let’s start with some scary facts: 53 billion gallons of bottled water are consumed globally. Only 1 out of 5 bottles is recycled. 40% of all bottled water is taken from municipal water sources. Bottled water costs up to 10.000 times more than tap water. Not convinced yet? Carrying around your own water bottle is very trendy these days! These are some of the brands we love; Mizu, Klean Kantene and Dopper.
In case you’re running a restaurant, first have a look at alternatives like PLA straws. Maybe don’t give out straws at all. For consumers: ask the waiter to serve your drink without a straw. It’s that easy! In case you really like a straw here are some cool ones; glas straws from Simply straw and paper straws from Aardvark straws.
4. COFFEE CUPS
Coffee cups are hard to recycle. Bring your own coffee cup, some baristas may even give you a little discount. And please take your cup like you most enjoy your sunbathing: topless. Do you really need that plastic lid?
5. GROCERY SHOPPING
Špeceraj, Zero Waste shop in Croatia
A lot of cities now have zero waste stores. But there are other alternatives to ‘regular’ supermarkets that use plastic packaging for almost all of their products:
a. Choose bread sold in a paper bag or no bag at all. Or get one these cool bags from Bag Again.
b. Return fruit and veggie containers to the store to be reused.
c. Bring your own containers to the store.
6. CHEWING GUM
Did you know almost all chewing gum is made from plastic? That’s right. When you’re chewing gum, you’re chewing on plastic.
Use a razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable razor.
Plastic lighters are made from heavy plastic and can travel around the world for years and years. Go back to matches or buy an oldschool lighter that you can pass on to the next generation.
Beeswrap; a great alternative for the plastic wrap.
Who doesn’t love homemade, unprocessed food? So why cover it in a plastic wrap?! Especially when you know the chemicals from the plastic can end up in your food. Using glass storage containers is the way to go here. Or check out Bee’s Wrap sustainable food storage.
10. CLOTHING
So many new products are made from synthetic materials: polyester, acrylic, lycra, spandex, nylon. In other words, plastic. Please check before you buy; there are so many cool brands that care about the stuff they use. And maybe you can buy a little less as well.