Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - How I'm cutting down on plastic!

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I think we all have a responsibility to the planet, and I think as a society and species we have never been more aware of that than right now. So I wanted to share with you a few of the things that I try my best to do to reduce my impact on the planet - of course I absolutely am not perfect...sometimes I use single-use plastic, and I don’t recycle every little thing, but I do my best. And right now what we need is not a handful of people being perfect but everyone being beautifully imperfect but doing their best, I genuinely believe that is what will change the world!

So here we go a few of the things I try my best to do, little tips and products that I have switched to.

Reusable Water Bottle

Pretty standard one to start right? But here is a little fun fact about me to go with it - I hardly ever drink fizzy juice now, I’m not anti fizzy juice and there is always a 2 ltr bottle of coke zero in my fridge but that will usually last me for at least a week. What I mostly drink now is water straight from my tap.

At first I was using just a regular reusable water bottle, but I absolutely hate anything less than freezing cold aqua so I bought this insulated chilli bottle from amazon and honestly it has been life changing for me. In the morning I sling in a load of ice cubes and keep filling it up through the day and it stays icy cold. Because of this I no longer buy a little bottle of water to store in the fridge because I am happy to drink straight from the tap.

Reusable Coffee Cup

Of course it goes without saying that I have a whole collection of these that I have gathered over the years, but this Insulated Chilly's one I was given as a birthday present this year is my favourite at the moment. I do my very best here to use my sippy cups, but it can often be hard for me because I don’t really have bags that are big enough for all my crap plus a coffee cup. But if I am running out to pick up from lunch I will always take my cup with me.

Reusable freezer bags

I am a grazer when I eat, I like to nibble and eat little bits of different things. The only problem is that it can lead to heaps of open packs and boxes in my fridge. I used to use a single-use sandwich bag and then just throw them away...honestly what is wrong with me, ridiculous! So I took to amazon again (I buy a lot of stuff on a whim on Amazon by the way) and quickly discovered reusable food / freezer bags. I bought a variety of sizes and now I just pop my half eaten food into these and they keep fresh for way longer and no plastic waste.

I’ve stopped buying fast fashion

Okay this isn’t really ‘plastic’ but I think it is important. I have stopped buying cheap wear once clothing. I am also trying to take better care of my clothing so that they don't fall apart so fast - Did you know that we wash our clothes far more than we need to, which leads to much faster wear and tear on clothing. Obviously there is stuff that needs to be washed after one wear, but most things should only be washed if they are dirty or smell obviously. For example it is recommended that jeans, unless dirty, should be washed every 1-2 months...this blew my mind! Do not walk about in smelly clothes but don’t wash your clothes more than they need it, they will last longer.

Also as a side note I am trying to make sure that I am buying from brands that are sourcing their cottons sustainably. And I totally avoid polyester altogether now because it isn’t biodegradable, and everytime it gets washed it releases plastic particles into the waste system...and where does that go? That’s right out into the ocean and straight into our sealifes bellies - some of which we eat, and I don't know about you but I prefer my tuna sandwich without a side of plastic.

Last clothing change - If I buy from a brand that delivers with lots of excessive plastic I don’t buy from them again.

A few other random tips

Cleaning - I like to use Method for cleaning products, although I am about to put in an order with Smol who are getting great write ups.

Kitchen - I have a reusable plastic straw that I use at home for drinking my iced lattes.

Bathroom - I use bars of soap rather than hand wash which comes in plastic bottles, many of which can’t be recycled.

Bathroom - I have started using Wild, a sustainable Natural Deodorant which you can have delivered to you. They are aluminium and single use plastic free. The refills come in little cardboard pods that can be recycled. Plus it smell gorg!

Bathroom - For makeup removal I use washable bamboo cotton pads - I have been using mine for about 2 years now and I am just about ready to get a new set, so these are a great investment. I also love a sheet mask but I absolutely do not use these anymore. Sheet masks are usually made of cotton which can be composted but because they are covered in chemicals that make them non-biodegradable, so unfortunately they get the heave-ho from me.

I hope you find these tips in some way helpful and maybe get you thinking a bit more about how you can make small changes to your day and not even notice.