How to use less plastic

Exfoliating shower puffs might be a popular scrubbing tool, but they’re made of plastic. Specialist advice is to not use them at all, but if you must, to replace them every 3-4 weeks because of the nasty bacteria that can build up on the netting - that adds up to a lot of plastic waste! There are alternatives made from natural materials, but maybe it’s best to ditch them altogether.

Keep an eye out for unpackaged bar soap and ditch the shower gel. Kept out of any water stream, they last a really long time! You can also get shampoo and conditioner in this form.

Disposable razors amount to a huge amount of plastic waste and aren’t easily recyclable. You could decide to let your hair grow wild, or if you prefer that clean-shaven feel, traditional safety razors are a much longer lasting, sustainable option.

Cling film may be a food storage staple in your house, but it doesn’t need to be! Pop it in a reusable Tupperware box. Otherwise, beeswax (or soy wax) wraps do a great job of covering pots and bowls where a plate won’t do, and are also useful for wrapping foods like sandwiches and cut veg.

Doing a little forward planning if you know you’ll be out for the day can make a big difference. By now we’ve all heard of the benefits of bringing our own coffee cups, shopping bags, and refillable water bottles. If you already do these things, then keep up the good work! Maybe it’s time to go one further and carry your own cutlery, or maybe a straw if you’d rather not skip it next time you’re out? Taking your own picnic can also help you avoid the pesky plastic of the meal deal.

One of the easiest ways to reduce your plastic consumption at the supermarket is by choosing loose produce over packaged. Because you only buy what you need, this will also help you curb food waste!

Certain items, like spinach, may be harder to find packaging-free, so it’s also worth finding out if you can get some from a local greengrocer, community allotments or farmer’s market and support your local economy. A few major supermarkets officially accept customers’ own containers for deli items, including meat, so it’s worth taking yours along and asking nicely!

We all enjoy the occasional take-away meal, but it doesn’t have to come with its weight in throwaway plastic! If you’re ordering over the phone, ask if it’s possible to skip the cutlery or sauce sachets – every little bit makes a difference! By asking if your food is coming wrapped in plastic or polystyrene, it also shows businesses that it’s something its customers care about, and will drive change.

Next time you’re doing your washing, take a peek at your clothing labels. Chances are a lot of your clothing is made of synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon – all kinds of plastic. When you wash these, tiny microplastic fibres get washed down the drain and are too small to be captured by any water treatment. It’s estimated that a polyester fleece releases close to a million microfibres per wash!

Hand-washing synthetic fabrics significantly reduces the amount of fibres released, or if you’re reluctant to give up the convenience of the washing machine, shorter wash cycles, or purpose-made microfibre-catching laundry bags can minimise the impact. When buying new clothes, think twice about anything made with synthetic fabrics!

A huge source of plastic in the environment comes from vehicle tyres shedding microplastics onto roads and getting washed into our drains. Vehicle tyres are mainly made from synthetic rubber – a type of plastic. So next time you’re heading out, think twice about taking the car and ideally opt for walking or cycling. There are plenty of other health and environmental benefits to leaving the car at home too!