In a time when plastic usage is higher than ever, it’s always a good idea to try and be more conscious about how much plastic we go through on a day-to-day basis. After all, there are currently billions (that’s right, billions!) of tons of plastic in landfills worldwide, and that’s something we should all try to combat.

So, if you want to do your part for the environment, reducing your plastic usage is a great way to begin. Here are just a few of our top tips to help get you started!

Reuse or ditch plastic bags

Fortunately, reusing plastic bags or ditching them entirely is a practice many people have already embraced, but a gentle reminder never hurts! Especially when it takes one thousand years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. A scary fact indeed! So, next time you go to the shop, make sure you go prepared with a plastic bag already in hand… or better yet, ditch the plastic and simply go for a non-plastic reusable bag from now on instead!

Take cutlery with you

Whether it’s for your lunch at work or grabbing a bite to eat on the go with friends, taking reusable cutlery with you is a great way to cut down your plastic usage. After all, many cafes, food stalls and vendors still provide plastic cutlery, all of which will ultimately just end up in a landfill and do harm to the environment. By using your own cutlery instead, you can prevent hundreds (or even thousands) of plastic knives, forks and spoons from being added to the global plastic waste pile throughout your lifetime.

Say no to plastic straws

Though some restaurants and bars are now providing metal or biodegradable straws in place of plastic ones, there are still far too many plastic straws in circulation… and in landfills! You can do your part by buying a reusable metal straw, or prioritising biodegradable when you go out to eat or drink wherever possible. Hopefully, we’ll all soon live in a world where plastic straws are nothing more than a distant memory… but we’ll only get there by coming together and saying no to them!

Use your own water bottle

While we’re on the topic of taking your own utensils out and about with you, why not also ditch plastic bottles for reusable ones too? It’s far more eco-friendly to keep your own reusable stainless steel water bottle at hand. This will keep you from throwing away plastic water bottles on a regular basis. Plus, by using metal bottles, you don’t have to worry about chemicals from plastic leaking into your water, giving you a much cleaner and healthier taste!

Refill your toiletries

Water bottles aren’t the only bottles and containers you can reuse and refill! Many toiletry and self-care companies, such as The Body Shop, have started utilising refillable bottles for products to help combat plastic waste. So next time you’re buying shampoo, moisturiser or something similar, make sure you keep an eye out for any potential refill stations!

Avoid frozen foods

Frozen foods are notorious for how much plastic packaging they often come in. Pizzas, chips and countless other similar items almost always come in plastic bags and containers, which is why avoiding them is a great way to shrink your plastic footprint. Instead, try to buy fresh foods that are either package-free or come in recyclable cardboard packaging. Besides, eating fresh foods is better for your health, so shopping fresh benefits your body as well as the planet!

Swap shower gel for soap

Finally, another handy way to reduce how much plastic you go through is cutting out the shower gel from your weekly shop. This is because shower gel comes in plastic bottles and containers, making it yet another product that can have negative effects on the environment. Instead, try using bar soap – preferably bar soap that doesn’t also come in plastic packaging too, of course! There’s plenty of bar soap available now that comes in plastic-free and biodegradable packaging, and the many scents and brands available are just as varied as shower gel… if not more so!

If this blog has inspired you to take steps towards a more eco-friendly way of life (which we hope it has!), why not take a look at our blog post on 20 easy ways to help save the planet? We all share the same world at the end of the day, so we might as well treat it right!

Tags: eco-friendly, Environment, plastic free