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| Shopping on the first day of my Plastic Free July. |
10 steps to freedom from plastic:
- It's easier than you think at first.
- There is a rough reduction rule of, 80 - 15 - 5: the first 80% can be achieved with minimal effort, the next 15% takes real commitment, the last 5% is bordering on the obsessive.
- It feels good, very good.
Assuming you've already stopped buying drinks in plastic bottles...
- Compost - Find a solution to your organic waste: start composting. This frees your regular garbage bin of nasty smells so you don't need to use plastic bin liners so no excuse for getting plastic bags from the supermarket. This starts a chain reaction.
- Don't forget your shopping bags - Once you've unpacked your groceries, put your empty shopping bags by the front door so they go back in your boot or bike pannier.
- Home storage - Start a collection of storage containers to use when shopping and for home storage: Pyrex ones with plastic lids, jars saved from the recycling, tall glass tomato bottles with wide open mouth for carrying out with you to the shops to re-fill.
- Build your network - ..of retailers that supply what you need and how.
- Be bold - Ask your deli / meat supplier to use your own container placed on the scales then zeroed. You'll be surprised with how cool they are. Tip: weigh the items on the lid if the glass is too heavy to zero off.
- Buy in bulk - Set up your pantry to look like how your granny's pantry might have looked. Buy bulk cleaning products from wholesalers, Costco, etc, then re-fill your empty containers. You'll save a bucket-load too. Note: Something I am yet to do is explore alternatives to supermarket cleaning products (vinegar, bicarb, etc), that's why I haven't mentioned here.
- Bake more - Snacks, treats and bread, it's surprisingly easy.
- Keep it all for a month - keep all the plastic you use for one month, you'll learn a lot.
- Find your solutions as you go - One by one you'll encounter plastic challenges that you'll solve as you go.
- Don't sweat the small stuff - relax, small steps will take you far.
For more information:
How to:
https://zerowastechef.com/
http://myplasticfreelife.com/plasticfreeguide/
https://gippslandunwrapped.com/
Products:
www.lifewithoutplastic.com/
http://ethiquebeauty.com/
Everyday plactivism:
http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/
http://takeoutwithout.org/
Pinterest <--- great resource!
http://www.therogueginger.com/
What the World Economic Forum guys think of plastic:
https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-new-plastics-economy-rethinking-the-future-of-plastics/
Plastic in the environment:
A great article that sums up where the plastic outrage sits today - Nov 2018
O.
