The idiots guide to cutting down on single use plastic

[icebearforpresident]

With all the (long overdue) fuss about single use plastics recently i’ve started thinking about the impact my family is having. We do the usual recycling etc but beyond that have probably been fairly blasé.

I realised recently just how much impact I personally must be having. I’m diabetic and my insulin comes in a flex pen, fully plastic and non recyclable. I probably get through about 2 of these a week. I know I can’t change that but I want to offset it somehow.

I’ve already switched to a menstrual cup —and will talk about it to anyone that will listen I love it so much—

Can anyone help me with the next steps. I’m all about starting small and working up.

Sad but true, don't stress yourself. Until soft drink corporations and crisp companies stop there is nothing individuals can do to make a difference.

I’ve started recycling crisp packets. There is a school I visit once a week to drop dd for brownies and they have a terracycle collection point. We get through a carrier bag full of crisp and biscuit packets. That is quite a lot but makes me feel I’m doing my bit and helping the planet. (I’m dreading September as we won’t have been to the school for 2 months, so will have bag loads of crisp packets!).
I also save bottle tops and took a bag full to lush last time I went up to the city. Because of what the plastic lids are made from, they can be tricky to recycle but lush turn them in to something so another easy way to help the planet.

I pay a bit more to buy loose fruit and veg and I bring my own bag for those.
I bring my own reusable tubs for pesto, olives etc - our local independent supermarket sells them that way.

We have switched:

Water bottles (no more buying bottled water)
Soft drinks - we buy cans or glass bottles as much as possible rather than plastic
Tupperware/beeswax wraps wherever possible rather than freezer bags and cling film
Buying loose veg/fruit as much as possible rather than bagged/in punnets etc.
Bar soap instead of liquid hand soap

I've switched to coloured pencils at work as the number of dried up felt tips that we were throwing away was horrendous. I also use pencils at home instead of bic biros for most writing jobs.

• Make your own bread

• Reusable wipes such as cheeky wipes

• Milk from milkman in glass bottles

• Buy loose fruit/veg or get veg boxes delivered such as Riverford

• Bar soap instead of shower gel, shampoo and hand wash

I refill shampoo, conditioner and washing up liquid.
I use soap instead of shower gel, and have reusable feminine products.
I'm trying to make more changes, but doing it gradually

In addition to things others have suggested, I've switched to solid shampoo and conditioner.
We also get milk delivered in glass bottles which has massively reduced how much plastic we chuck away.

That's a great start, I just ordered my cup. I have been buying our veg and some fruit at the farm shop or green grocer, and used no plastic. Butchers we take our tupperware. Cooking more from scratch. If products like mayo come in glass of plastic we get the glass one. Buying soap in paper instead of plastic bottles handwash. I now look at products and have put them back, after questioning the need and packaging. Recycling is great but it uses energy, it's consumption we need to reduce. I try and make small changes every few weeks as it is very hard to reduce and change your mindset in my opinion. I have also begun contacting businesses, companies about their efforts and suggestions.

Bar soap
Solid shampoo and conditioner
Refill washing up liquid and cleaning fluid bottles
No bottled water. Ever!
Reusable cup for coffee on the go
Glass bottles of ketchup, mayonnaise, honey, olive oil etc
Unwrapped fruit and veg
Refuse plastic carrier bags
Stop using cling film.

all very easy changes to make

Our recycling bin was full of yogurt pots. I make yogurt now - its surprisingly easy. We buy milk in the biggest container we can, and make yogurt from that. I decant it into small jam jars and add honey, jam or fresh fruit. I take my own containers to the supermarket deli to avoid single use containers.
I keep a basket full of flannels in the family bathroom and use these instead of disposable wet wipes. Changed to cloth nappies.
I have a vegetable box delivered weekly of locally grown veg (they do not use plastic)
I choose food brands that are packaged in paper - flour, rolled oats etc.
Buy second hand where possible to avoid plastic packaging.
I keep a reusable coffee cup and a knife/fork/spoon in my handbag for days out to avoid using single use items.
Use solid bar soap rather than shower gel.
It's really hard to give up plastic completely - but we've successfully made some conscious changes that have seen our weekly consumption reduce quite a bit.

Milk in glass bottles has been the really big one for me. Also reducing the amount of hand wash in pump bottles (DH won’t use bar soap, but the rest of us have switched).

But still much too much single use plastic in my Tesco delivery - and not much I can do about it.

Of course there are things we can do, Whatthe. Some excellent examples in previous posts. Hopefully the main offenders will get with the programme before too long.

stop eating crisps and drinking soft drinks. There are loads of foods you could have instead. Cutting down consumption of snack food and drinks which are unnecessary will actually force manufacturers to change.

About getting glass containers instead of plastic, I went to a sustainability talk and actually glass has a bigger carbon footprint because it's much more costly to recycle than plastic.

I use and eco-egg for washing clothes which I adore. It'll last about a year or so and then is just refilled so haven't bought or used detergent in about 6 months now.
I also use lemon, vinegar and bicarb for cleaning most of the house.
Also, drink gin instead of juice and save on plastic bottles

Talking about crisps you can make your own so much easier and they last up to 2 weeks in a Tupperware container. (Gives the kids some veg which they think are crisps and they don't actually last 2 weeks.

www.thespruce.com/homemade-and-natural-cleaning-products-1900456

Reusable drinks bottles. Never again buy bottled water!
Reusable bags.
Tin foil rather than cling film if you haven’t got enough Tupperware - takes a while to build supplies and costs.

Washing powder in a box- more more economical too than the liquids.

I'd start with your weekly shop. Bring your own bags for produce,
your own containers/waxed wraps for meat and cheese and, if you don't already, bring reusable bags.

And I disagree with @whatthewhatthewhat. Almost all of the largest fast-moving consumer goods companies are acting on this already, but there are some huge challenges in their supply chains that will mean this transition is not immediate. Changing consumer demand will absolutely accelerate the transition, especially if we show that we are receptive to different (waste-free) ways of consuming.

We have changed to:

Buying our soft drinks in cans rather than bottles.

Getting soap bars instead of bottles of shower

Using lunch boxes instead of plastic sandwich

Having milk delivered in glass bottles rather than buying plastic from the supermarket

We went to a farm shop earlier to buy our veg and I buy the loose items when I can
I eat less meat and more veg
I use Tupperware instead of foil for most things.
Waterbottle when I go out instead of buying a drink, I will still buy drinks but not as often
Avoiding food waste as much as possible including asking to take my leftovers away when I know I can use them.
Unfortunately I like things like seeds and dried fruit and there isn't a bulk store near me so I do have to buy things in plastic as does everyone as most things come in it

If appropriate these are easy changes people can make
Buy local fruit and veg from a farm shop
Make your own bread
Buy from a bulk shop (if there's one near you)
Order milk in glass bottles, they often will deliver veg as well
Avoid using foil/cling film and use Tupperware
Bring your own bag for shopping and to get your loose veg
Bars of soap/shampoo
Charity shops/second hand clothing stores (there are online ones)
Buying things in bulk like a large tub of yogurt and putting into smaller reusable tubs at home

All I can think of for now and not everyone can do all - what you can when you can is the most we can ask of anyone

I contact manufacturers to ask them to cut their plastic use, even if just a quick tweet.

Bar soap rather than handwash.

Bamboo toothbrushes.

I decline cutlery and plastic bags when I buy lunch out (why are food places still handing out plastic bags free?!). I try to choose lunch at work based on who has the least packaging.

Trying to cut down on takeaways because of the plastic.

No more disposable coffee cups, we have two simple reusable ones in the car and proper travel mugs for long trips as well.

DD got a metal cup for the fruit ice smoothies she loves in Summer.

We bought a water carbonator instead of bottled water as we go through sparkling water a lot.

Ideally no wrapped veg and fruit, not always possible but I try as much as I can.

Obviously no more plastic straws.

Cans instead of bottles for soft drinks

Sorry but I just want to ask, what's a good shampoo bar? And conditioner?