12 Quick Ways To Use Less Plastic

Everywhere you look there is plastic. Every time you turn on the TV it seems like plastic is mentioned. It’s easy to realise plastic isn’t going away any time soon — it’s used in almost all packaging; in supermarkets, bottles of water, covering our fruit.

However, if you want to use less plastic it’s not as difficult as you might think.

Lets just give some brief information on the history of plastic. Plastic bags were invented by Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin in 1959. He created them to save the planet!

Plastic bags were meant as a reusable alternative for paper bags. Paper bags were seen as bad for the environment due to the forests being chopped down to make them. Just look where we are now with the plastic alternative.

Plastic is from the culture obsessed with convenience. It was seen as a source to make things quicker and easier.

Sometimes, it will be impossible to avoid plastic. But what can you do to reduce your plastic consumption?

Here are 12 quick ways to use less plastic:

1. Do Not Buy Bottled Water

2. Re-Use Plastic Bags/Use Tote Bags

3. Don’t Buy Pre Packed Vegetables

4. Use Re-Usable Utensils

5. Bamboo, Bamboo, Bamboo

6. Use Plastic-Free Food Containers

7. Toothbrushes

8. Bake Your Own Bread

9. Say No To Chewing Gum

10. Support Plastic-Free Brands

11. Refuse Plastic Freebies

12. Compost!

#1 — Do Not Buy Bottled Water

There is rarely a need to buy a pack of bottled water when there are re-usable and re-fillable options.

The best re-usable water bottles are made from stainless steel because they can easily be cleaned and sterilised after use.

You can get stainless steel water bottles in a wide range of shops. However, our favourite is SHO Bottles, who are on a mission to help both people and the planet: https://shoreusable.com/

(Not affiliated, we just like the company).

If it is tap water you are against you can always use a water filter or purifier. Refilling your bottle will not only save the planet but also save you money!

#2 — Re-Use Plastic Bags/Use Tote Bags

Everyone has that draw in the home that is stuffed full of plastic bags collected from over the years. Why not use them!

Keep a couple folded up in your car so they’re always there on hand if you need them.

If you don’t have that draw full of bags, a great alternative is to use tote bags. They’re often made from natural materials and last a very long time.

Some of your favourite brands will sell them. Or, we’ve been to plenty of events where they give them out for free! Keep an eye out next time you’re out and about.

#3 — Don’t Buy Pre Packed Fruit & Veg

Buying loose fruit and vegetables is the way to go. These come without any plastic wrapping, so it’s a lot more environmentally friendly.

This may not always be possible when shopping in supermarkets. We love peaches, plums and nectarines and it’s very rare we can buy them loose in a supermarket. Recently, however, we have noticed a wider range of fruit and veg available to buy loose. Which is great!

Change our shopping habits and supermarkets will change their ways!

If you have access to a greengrocers or a farm shop then 9 times out of 10 you will be able to buy loose fruit and veg. And you’ll be supporting local business!

#4 — Use Re-Usable Utensils

Forks, knives, spoons, straws. Plastic utensils are no where near as common as they used to be. Wooden and bamboo alternatives are now commonly used by places like takeaways.

It is still wise to have your own re-usable utensils readily available — especially straws. We always carry metal straws wherever we go. It is very easy to keep them in your bag. We know plastic straws don’t degrade but paper straws still go to landfill.

#5 — Bamboo, Bamboo, Bamboo

We absolutely love bamboo. Whether it be bamboo utensils, clothes, toothbrushes, building materials or bamboo shoots.

It is seen as one of the more sustainable materials in the world. Bamboo grows incredibly quickly and converts a huge amount of CO2 into oxygen. It also grows without fertilizers, doesn’t create soil degradation and only requires natural amounts of rain water.

Bamboo clothes are our favourite clothes to wear. They are excellent at heat regulation so keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They’re incredibly soft, hypoallergenic, protect against UV radiation, sweat resistant and crease-free.

#6 — Use Plastic-Free Food Containers

When your current plastic food containers inevitably break, invest in good quality glass containers that are long lasting.

Glass and stainless steel containers are great alternatives because they are sustainable, easy to clean, recyclable and non-toxic. You can also freeze food in them.

Beeswax wraps are also a great alternative to cling film and kitchen foil (for storage, not cooking with). They are natural and will last over a year. Just give them a wipe before the next use.

#7 — Toothbrushes

As you may have guessed, plastic toothbrushes can’t be recycled so they’re sent to landfill. Think about how many toothbrushes you’ve used in your life and multiply that by the billions of people in the world.

It is very likely that some of your old toothbrushes are floating around, polluting the ocean.

The answer? Bamboo!

Bamboo toothbrushes are available from most health and beauty shops, supermarkets and online. If reducing plastic isn’t enough of a reason to use a bamboo toothbrush — they’re also very aesthetically pleasing.

#8 — Bake Your Own Bread

Making your own bread isn’t as hard as you may think. Even the more daunting ones like Focaccia and Sourdough — Sourdough just takes a bit of time and commitment to make.

If you think about it, the majority of bread in a supermarket comes in some form of plastic wrapping. Homemade bread is much more delicious than store bought bread.

And making your own bread will create a delicious, warming and welcoming scent throughout your home!

Perfect.

If not, you can go to a local bakery and ask for their bread without the plastic wrapping.

#9 — Say No To Chewing Gum

This is something we only found out recently and were shocked by it.

Chewing gum is a single use plastic.

100,000 tons of it is chewed in the UK, every year! And 95% of our streets are stained by it because it doesn’t degrade.

Avoid chewing gum at all costs. You can chew liquorice or parsley as natural, healthy alternatives or pop in a plastic free mint.

#10 — Support Plastic-Free Brands

There are plenty of eco-friendly brands that are conscious about their plastic consumption and the products they sell.

The majority of these brands will also ship their products with zero-waste. Which means your order won’t come with any unnecessary plastic packaging.

Do research on brands that interest you or brands that offer plastic-free alternatives to what you are looking to buy.

#11 — Refuse Plastic Freebies

Everyone’s guilty of this. We’re guilty of this. How many times have you taken something offered to you in the street just because it was free?

And let’s be honest, 99% of the time it’s something we never use or need.

Instead of impulsively taking it , take a step back and think if you really need it. Try to avoid taking plastic freebies for the sake of it.

#12 — Compost!

Reducing the amount of waste we produce as households means less plastic bin bags.

Your food waste can be turned into compost, which can then be used to fertilise your garden or farms to reduce the use of pesticides and increase crop yields.

Just don’t compost meat, fish, bones or dairy products.

Fruits, vegetables, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, flowers, rice and grains are the ones to compost.

We hope this article has given you some helpful tips to plastic-free living. It’s really not as hard as some people may think it is. We think eliminating as much plastic as possible from our lives is a vital act in the journey to save our planet.

Keep an eye out for non-plastic alternatives, or at the very least, the alternative that uses the least plastic.

If you have any other tips to use less plastic, we would love to hear them!

Thank you for reading x