It’s Plastic Free July a month which highlights all the benefits to going plastic-free as much as we can, however it does beg the question, what more can we do to continue to support a plastic-free lifestyle throughout the year…?
It is estimated that 50% of plastic products currently made are disposable i.e. to be used once and then thrown away
Reducing the amount of avoidable single-use plastic we use can have a huge impact on our environment. With only 9% of the world’s plastic waste being recycled, and plastic items typically taking around 400 years to degrade (some releasing toxic chemicals in the process) we need to keep taking action.
It’s not always easy to make the most sustainable choice, and any choice we make has an impact on our planet.
If feels like only yesterday when the plastic bag ‘tax / charge’ came in, it was nearly 11 years ago when carrying a hessian bag from your favourite grocer made you feel like that person in the know, setting a trend and on the better side of cool (and there was one in Manchester in particular which was streets ahead and sold some brilliant, dare I say funky, ones #unicorngrocery). Taking along a shopping bag is now (hopefully) second nature to most of us, (though I do sometimes forget and end up walking home doing a comical juggle with an assortment of buys to avoid buying a plastic bag!). However, if you’re not already there, what are you doing, there’s no excuse for this one?!
Next on my list is carrying a refillable water bottle and coffee cup – to be honest it’s a good day when I remember both on my way out of the house, so it’s a good job that our office has plenty of mugs and that I’m too tight to buy one on my way in, additional benefits include staying better hydrated whilst on the move, a must during the current heatwave. Anyhow, if you do fancy a brew or a water refill on the move, visit the Refill app to find your nearest refill station: Refill Return | Join the Refill Movement Today.
Next off is making a packed lunch, for one month – July obviously – why not commit to making your own lunch and taking it in a rather lovely container, it may form a habit which goes beyond one month with the money saving and health benefits from making your own picnic in a box. (These benefits also go alongside making use of leftover meals, always a source of envy in the office at lunchtime with the whiff of a colleague’s spicy lunch!)
Visit your local refill shop…
Something we can all try and do this month is to find out where our local refill shop is. These shops are managed by a fab group of people who want to sell their lovely products in your saved containers, these people are great at also introducing shoppers to other brilliant ways to do the right thing for our planet. Many of these shops are run by individuals or co-operatives, and by shopping locally you are supporting small business owners and your local economy, which I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s great having these independent shops on our high streets but they all need our support and pennies to sustain their presence.
Your local school may also be running one of our 44 Greater Manchester Eco Refill Shops, they are proving to be an excellent way to introduce young people to the joys of running an enterprise whilst also refilling and selling lovely products to friends, family and the local community. Read more about the programme.
Finally, I have recently discovered the pleasure of making my own cleaning products and reusing bottles and jars. These products can be made from distilled vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and other cheap products with soda in their name. By creating a product which is effective and safe to our environment when disposed of, I’m turning cleaning from a chore into a scientific joy! (My personal hero on this subject is Nancy Birtwhistle – seek her out on social media for safe and suitable recipes 😉)
So good luck with Plastic-free July – do visit the campaign website for further inspiration and how you can go even further: Next steps – Plastic Free July
You should also visit the #PlasticFreeGM webpages for further information and tips:
