Giving up plastic

[StrongLegs]

Hi,

I just saw Boris Johnson's comments on giving up plastic and it seems sensible to me.

I wondered if anybody had any tips on how to do it?

We always seem to have a lot to go in the recycling bin every week.

I get groceries delivered, and my worst sin is that I have gut problems that mean I can't drink tap water and have to buy bottled. I'm working very hard on sorting that, but haven't managed yet.

Thanks!

What I am doing is trying to cut plastic one room at a time. Working on the idea that no single-use plastic is allowed through the door of that room. I started on our bedroom and bathroom first and we are now plastic free in there.
Things I have done:
Switched to facial soap and toner and moisturiser in glass bottles (difficult to find)
Refillable deoderant
Reusable make-up pads and sanitary towels
Switched DH to bamboo razors and shaving cream in glass jar
Bamboo toothbrushes and toothpaste tablets
Bar soap, shampoo and conditoner
Gone back to nespresso capsules instead of plastic ones as they can be recycled (expensive) We have a coffee machine in the bedroom.
Splosh cleaning stuff
No plastic bin liners - I use the cotton bags that new bedding comes in these days.

The most difficult things to track down were non plastic moisturiser and particularly toner, non plastic daily shower cleaner and decent bar conditioner.

We usually use Marseille soap instead of shower gel but I noticed it's now started to be shrink wrapped in plastic so it's back to the drawing board on that one.

I

A good use for a single use plastic bag would be for Boris Johnson to stick it over his own head. 😂 He’s trying to push through new oil and gas projects, in direct contravention of scientific consensus on tackling the climate crisis. He doesn’t give a shit about the environment. Hopefully his days are numbered and we can vote in a party that stand for real environmental progress.

Brilliant thread! Yes to strangling BJ thank goodness he's on the way out we may get proper action on the environment now (well I can dream!). I've cut out plastic for my beauty routine. I use lavender essential oil mixed with almond oil for deodorant also for little spots and bites etc. (they're in glass). Also I refill shea butter using a bag that the shop gives out, which I use a lot because I have very dry skin, it works so well. Especially in the hot weather`!

I use refill detergent\washing up liquid etc. too. Yes I only buy in charity shops now and mend my old undies etc. I've given a lot of clothes that don't fit to charity too.

Our local supermarket lets you take your own container for the butcher, deli counter etc, so I try to buy cheese, meat etc like that.
Try to buy fruit and veg loose, but not always possible.
Toilet roll with paper packaging delivered on subscription.
Bar soap, laundry powder in a cardboard box. But dishwasher tabs still have plastic, and can’t get on with shampoo bars, but do try to use refills for shampoo rather than a new bottle.
Switched to reusables for sanpro, dd has used washable from the start.
I use tea towels to mop up kitchen spillages instead of kitchen roll, and once they are really on their last legs they get used as dishcloths.
Plastic food containers get used for planting seedlings - ditto large yoghurt pots.
Loose leaf tea instead of tea bags.
We used to drink a lot of bottled sparkling water, but now have a soda stream.

But still get milk in plastic bottles, have tried milkman before but milk never seemed to last.
And the cat is adamant she won’t eat tinned food, has to be a particular brand of single serve pouch or she goes on strike

Yes glad BJ has resigned!

My fussy cat is the same! Won’t eat anything other than pouch food or proper chicken.

Otherwise we are doing quite well at reducing plastic. One bugbear is all the plastic pots that plants come in, as they can be reused but some are not very robust and break, then my local council cannot recycle black plastic.

Plastic plant pots are sometimes taken back by garden centres. We have a local chain that takes them.

Thanks to the links for the soft plastic recycling, I didn’t know that supermarkets did that.

That’s a good idea - I’ll ask the garden centre