Get drastic with plastic
Reduce use to save the planet
IT seems a day doesn’t go by without more bad news about how plastic is ruining the planet for future generations.
Just yesterday, we heard one person dies every 30 seconds in developing countries from diseases caused by plastic pollution. And a team who went to the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean, the Mariana Trench, were shocked to find plastic waste there.
Add the statistics that 10% of all waste is plastic and every year more than one million tonnes of plastic end up in UK land fill, and it soon becomes clear we all need to “say no to plastic”.
That just happens to be the name of a new book by Harriet Dyer, who explains eco-friendly alternatives to plastic. Here’s a few top tips from the book:
REPLACE RAZOR BLADES INSTEAD OF RAZORS Disposable razors produce an extraordinary quantity of plastic waste each time they are replaced. Not only are they often packaged in both an outer plastic wrapper and an inner plastic case, their body is also made of plastic. Swap disposable razors for safety razors. The body of the safety razor is metal, so you only need to replace the blade. The initial cost is higher than that of disposable razors, but new blades can be cheap.
GIVE UP MAKE-UP WIPES Wipes seem like a convenient method of removing makeup, but they generate a lot of waste. They are less efficient than liquid make-up remover and cotton wool, so they generate waste more frequently. Plus, not all make-up wipes are biodegradable, so many wipes end up piling up in landfills or clogging sewers.
VINEGAR TOILET CLEANER Even with diligent cleaning, grime can build up in the toilet bowl. Chemical companies have turned this into a reason to buy another product – packaged in plastic, of course. You can avoid spending more money and creating more waste by doubling up on the use of a common household product – white vinegar.
Simply pour a couple of teaspoons of vinegar into the water, wait a couple of minutes, then scrub for the same effect as chemical cleaners.
SAY NO TO READY MEALS Microwave meals come under a lot of fire for being unhealthy and they are pretty awful in the plastic arena, too. Often packaged in a plastic container, covered in a non-recyclable plastic film and enclosed in a laminated cardboard sleeve, microwave meals take a heavy plastic toll. If you rely on them for work, consider cooking up a big batch of reheatable food, such as chilli or a pasta bake, and taking it to work in a microwavable container instead.
BIODEGRADABLE TEA BAGS Bad news, tea drinkers. It seems there has been secret plastic in our tea bags for years. Most tea brands use a type of plastic – polypropylene – to seal the bags. While most of the bag will erode away with time, the plastic will linger in land-fill. You can search online for a list of tea brands that don’t use plastic in their bags, and some
Vegetables – 5 days to 1 month Paper – 2 to 5 months Nylon fabric – 30 to 40 years Ditch the wipes supermarket own brands are also plastic-free, such as Waitrose and Aldi. Alternatively, you can buy loose leaf tea and use tea infusers, or a pot and strainer.
EAT ICE CREAM OUT OF A CONE INSTEAD OF A TUB
You may not have taken the environment into consideration when choosing between ice cream in a cone or a tub, but these summer treats are surprising generators of plastic waste. Opt for a cup of ice cream and you may be served with a plastic tub and a plastic spoon to eat it with – both single-use. So, when faced with that delicious dilemma, choose a cone. If you don’t want to eat the cone, don’t worry, it will biodegrade.
FIND AN ALTERNATIVE TO WRAPPING WITH TAPE
Sticky tape is plastic-based and not recyclable. Instead of tape, secure your wrapping with a natural fibre. Plain string or raffia can look quite retro and attractive, especially if you slip a sprig of flowers or a treat alongside the bow. If you love the spectacle of decorated presents, there are plenty of alternatives such as coloured wool or twine, silk ribbon or pretty lace, all of which can be used in place of sticky tape.
USE POPCORN TO PACK FRAGILE ITEMS
Polystyrene packing “peanuts” are made of plastic and are not often recyclable. Replace them with popped popcorn. Popcorn fits as well around a fragile item and will protect it on its journey, plus it’s fully compostable. Use plain popcorn, or buy kernels and pop it yourself.
BUY IN BULK WITH FRIENDS
You can reduce plastic packaging by buying items in bulk and you can capitalise on that tactic by teaming up with friends. If a few of you put money in a pot, you can buy large amounts of items and split them. This works especially well for deli items such as cheeses or meats, as they expire too quickly for one person to buy and store large amounts.
INVOLVE YOUR WORKPLACE IN POLICIES Talk to your boss about introducing eco-friendly work policies into the workplace. Depending on the size of the company, this can have a real impact as the policy could affect many people and, as a result, help to reduce plastic. This could be anything from forming a small group among your colleagues to bulk buy lunch goods, implementing a strong recycling initiative, or even getting the company to agree to change its practices to avoid buying tea bags with plastic or coffee pods.
■ Say No to Plastic – 101 Easy Ways to Use Less Plastic, by Harriet Dyer, is published by Summersdale and priced at £6.99.
Aluminium cans – 80 to 100 years Styrofoam cup – 500 years to for ever Plastic bags – 500 years to for ever