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All The Ways To Reduce Plastic Waste At Home
As Covid19 has changed the rules by which most of us play, and a large part of the population is still impacted by pandemic restrictions - meaning that we might not be able to bring our own bags, cups, jars or that the bulk sections of our markets might still be closed - it might feel like a step backwards when it comes to reducing plastic.
I want to say to everyone that is currently struggling with this, that there are a dozen more things that you can do to help the world and reduce your waste, starting with your home. In this article, we wanted to share tips and ideas to lower your plastic consumption without putting yourself and others at risk for infection.
To start fresh on the subject : only 7% of the millions of tones of plastic we create every year gets recycled, the rest goes to landfills. Because plastic does not break down, it slowly turns into micro plastics, that we can now find everywhere from our oceans, rives and lakes to our food and inside our bodies. 8 million tones of plastic are dump in our oceans every year, and 90% of all the trash floating on the ocean surface is plastic. It is harming eco systems, it is leaking toxins into drinking water, it's hurting land and marine animals, and is polluting our earth at an alarming rate.
Wether you are participating in plastic free July or simply reached a point in your life where you feel that it is time to act against this ever growing problem of ours, I hope that these tips help you realise that you can reduce your plastic consumption at home, even under pandemic regulations !
HERE IS HOW AND WHERE TO GET STARTED -
1# BUY LESS
LOUISE HERE !
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If it sounds easy, well it's because it is. The more we buy, the more waste we create, not only from the packagings and cost of making our stuff, but from the small amount of use it will get before ending up in landfills and therefor creating more waste.
We are a society of over abundance, anything that we could possibly need, we have invented and is available for purchase. We do not need so much stuff ! Every time you are choosing to buy less, there is less demand for the system to produce and you have less to dispose of in the end.
A good exemple is paper towels. Those are a new invention that came with our century. We were told we need paper towels to keep our homes clean and tidy, but this job was fulfilled perfectly by rags and towels just a few years ago. Single use paper towel is made from trees, bleached, wrapped in plastic, and driven for hundreds of miles to stores, just to be used once and thrown out. And these are just the tip of the iceberg..
Some of the things we are doing without in our house hold :
- Paper towels
- Store bought cleaners - we use a white vinegar solution to clean everything in our house from floors to toilets or counter tops, it kills 99% of bacterias and is so safe to use you could eat it ! It has saved us hundreds of euros in special cleaning products and does the exact same job.
- Plastic water bottles - we use reusable ones
- Body lotion and liquid soap - we use bar soap that I make myself (recipe here) but you can purchase bars of soap everywhere, and I make my own body lotion too, although you can use anything from coconut oil to Aloe vera to keep your skin moist without needing all the chemicals and toxins or the plastic bottle.
- Tissues - we use handkerchiefs that are super soft on our noses and can get washed and reused forever.
- Tampons and pads - I have been using a cup, and it has changed my life ! You can also use period underwear and reusable pads.
- Convenience food - we don't buy any of the items that are pre-cut such as fruits and salads, sauces and dips that are pre-made, cakes and tortillas that come wrapped in plastic etc. Those are all things you can learn to make yourself in batch, or chose options that are sold in glass jars or cardboard packagings.
There are many many things you can switch and change in your every day life, and If you want to get more ideas, I invite you to set aside a special trash just for your plastic for a week, and go through it on the last day to see how much you could actually do without. You'll find that for every thing that comes pre-made and packaged, a sustainable alternative exists !
2# ASK QUESTIONS
As a society of over abundance, a lot of the time we shop because we are bored, because there is a great deal or because we feel the need for an upgrade. Whatever it may be, we could all stop for a second and ask ourselves if we really need it. Is there an alternative that does not use plastic ? Is there one in glass or that is sold in a cardboard packaging ? Is there a reusable alternative ? Does it fit my ethics ?
We are all so quickly swept off our feet by the wonderful job done in marketing services that we tend to forget what we are trying to achieve. Let's take a second, think it through and choose what resonates best from within.
3# WHAT'S THE END GAME
There are so many questions you can ask yourself concerning the end game of a product you are thinking of buying. Will it only serve once ? Can it be repaired ? Will it last long ? Is it useful for many years ?
Fast fashion is a great example of this. The fashion industry is our biggest water polluter, it is responsible for so much toxic waste and plastic waste and is not made to last. Clothes are made cheaply and fast, making them stretch, lose colour and form after a few wear, usually right on time to shop for the new season, the new style, the new fashion cycle.
By choosing to purchase clothes made ethically, locally or out of recycled materials, you are voting with your money for a greener fashion. You can also shop second hand, which is our preferred way, as you are taking items that would have gone directly to landfills and giving them a new life, avoiding more waste.
So a good thing to ask yourself is what would be the end cycle of the product you want to buy, since at some point it will need to be repaired or discarded. Where will your purchase end up ?
4# SWITCH YOUR MINDSET
Mindset affects everything. You can chose to see how annoying it is to carry a cup for your coffee or say no to straws when you order drinks, or you can chose to see that you are making a difference and you are inspiring others to do the same, you are living according to your believes, you are reducing your plastic footprint greatly and keeping tones of toxic waste to be dumped in landfills and blown into the ocean on your behalf.
On thing you can do to make sure you stick with it is to set yourself up for success. By making a few efforts before leaving your home, you are insuring that you won't have to miss out on anything and still live according to your low waste values. If you are going to run around all day, pack a snack, pack a water bottle, pack an extra fork just in case you might want to sit down in a place that serves with disposable cutlery. Make sure you have everything you need to respect your ideals without missing out on experiences
Despite the fact that we are still living in a world that favours disposable and in so many places, don't offer plastic free options, there are always ways to get around the bulk of the plastic we are consuming, and lightening our plastic foot print. No matter what, please be kind with yourself, don't get discourage if you feel like you are failing, and adopt change little by little, to make sure you don't get tired of it and give up.
Sending you all some extra love for reading this and making efforts to make our world a greener place.
We are all in this together ! xx
I'M LOUISE
Thanks for giving this a read ! I'm a writer, photographer & self proclaimed environmental warrior, excited to share solutions, ideas and recipes to bring sustainability into our lives.
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