Less Plastic, More Fantastic

We send over 850,000 tonnes of plastic to landfill every year. And that is just across Australia and New Zealand. With these figures only set to rise, there is no better time to stop and consider our plastic appetite.

There has been some headway in this space with major supermarkets in both countries banning single use plastic bags, however on the International stage, the European Union is paving its way through the plastic sea with the European Parliament voting last week to ban all single use plastic by 2021.

If you are looking for ways to reduce your plastic consumption, here are some of the main single use plastic items that can be easily swapped out with a more sustainable alternative:

Water Bottle - I’ve been travelling for a few months now, and aside from family, friends and my dog, the thing I miss the most is filling up a glass of water from the tap. If you are privileged (and it is a privilege) to have clean drinking water on tap, it makes no sense to be buying bottled water. Swap: Get yourself a reusable drink bottle. A stainless steel bottle should last you a lifetime and it will not leech chemicals into your water like some plastics. If you choose an insulated one, it will also keep your water cool.

Takeaway Coffee Cup - Coming in 2nd to plastic bottles for litter waste, Australians use an estimated 1 billion disposable coffee cups each year. Even cups which claim to be recyclable/compostable/biodegradable often contain a thin layer of plastic, which means they end up in landfill. Swap: Reusable Coffee Cups have come a long way and now there are some very non-dorky options on the market. I have the one pictured, bonus is that it’s made from natural bamboo fibre so it is really light.

Takeaway Containers - There are three main options here; 1. Dine in (I know that defeats the purpose, but worth mentioning) 2. Call ahead and ask the restaurant if you can bring your own containers to fill up - mason jars are great for this. 3. If you are really just looking for food to magically arrive at your door, and let’s face it, thats why delivery was invented, purchase from restaurants that are using sustainable packaging. If your favourite take-out still uses plastic, send them a note and ask them to consider switching.

Shopping Bags - It is estimated that 4 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually. Supermarkets are getting on board with banning these, but many are now charging for thicker plastic bags under the guise of ‘reusable’. Swap: Stash a few reusable totes in your car so they are always there for last minute trips to the store. Not just limited to grocery shopping, keep a spare tote in your bag or handbag for any other general shopping.

Produce Bags - Often hiding in the shadows of plastic shopping bags, these guys are just as bad. Firstly, many produce items don’t need to be bagged as they are easy to transport as they are. Some will be peeled anyway, and others will just require a quick rinse before eating (as you normally would). However, wrangling 8 loose apples is not practical. Swap: Reusable produce bags which are both lightweight and washable. Put these bags with your reusable totes in the car so they are always on hand.

Toothbrush - 99% of toothbrushes in use are made from plastic and Australian’s send 30 million of them to landfill every year. Swap: A bamboo toothbrush not only looks better, but it is naturally biodegradable. Whilst the bristles on these brushes are still mainly made of nylon, the overall plastic waste produced is significantly less.

Razors - 2 Billion disposable razors are thrown away each year. Swap: Double edge safety razors are a great eco-friendly alternative and the blades are 100% recyclable. Before you start hunting around on-line for these, check in with your parents or grandparents. Back in the day, item such as these were built for a lifetime.

Cling Wrap - It’s coming up 2 years since I used up my last roll of cling wrap. Initially I didn’t replace it with anything, I just got creative with containers and balancing plates on top of bowls. Swap: If going cold turkey isn’t for you, wax food wraps and food grade silicone wraps are a great reusable alternative. I eventually started using 100% food grade silicone wraps which have replaced cling wrap & baking paper.

Cutlery & Straws - Some food outlets are switching from plastic to natural options such as wood or paper, however these require energy and resources to manufacture them and they are still intended for single use. Swap: Carry a cutlery set with you. I have collected a bamboo set on my travels which consists of a spoon, fork, chopsticks and a straw. Still on the look-out for a knife, but I’ve got by so far.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored or affiliated with any of the mentioned, pictured, or linked brands. All opinions are my own.