Plastic – we use it every day, it’s so convenient and useful, but it’s also one of the biggest sources of waste in the world. We use plastic for so many things, and a lot of the time we use that item once and then throw it away, like plastic water bottles, straws, glad wrap, shopping bags and packaging for the produce we buy. Plastic is a big part of our day to day lives but a significant amount of the plastic we use ends up in landfill, or as litter which makes its way into our water systems and ultimately our rivers and oceans, causing havoc and death to wildlife. Once in the environment, plastic can last up to 1000 years, continuing to cause damage far beyond our lifetime.

Plastics are made from non-renewable resources, and Australians use around 3.92 billion plastic bags a year – that’s over 10 million new bags being used every day[1]! While plastic bags and bottles can be recycled, only a small proportion make it to the recycling process.

It sounds depressing, but there is hope! As a community we are learning a lot about recycling – what can and can’t be recycled, where to take it, and what it can be turned into. An even better option than recycling existing plastic is to not need to produce the plastic in the first place. As the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra goes – the best option is to reduce the need for the item, reuse the item or last but not least – recycle the item.

We know it’s a problem, so what can we do about it? Here are some tips for reducing your use of plastic, and some alternative reusable options….

Reduce & reuse – 5 quick tips

1. Reusable produce bags

I have started using reusable mesh produce bags when buying my fruit and veg – they are light so don’t impact on the scales, you can see your fruit and veg through the bags, and every time you use them you are saving on those small pesky plastic produce bags that end up going in the bin! If you no longer use 5-8 plastic bags a week, you could reduce the use of 416 bags a year! I’ve been using Onya mesh produce bags. Not only do they save on plastic bags, they are made from recycled plastic bottles – a real win win.

2. Avoid excess packaging

Avoid fruit and veg (or any product) that is excessively wrapped. Do apples really need to be on a tray and wrapped in gladwrap?! Try your local fruit and veg shop, they are less likely to have items wrapped that don’t really need to be wrapped. At the supermarket look out for individually wrapped items within the outer packaging – it’s an extra layer of plastic that all adds up.

3. Take your own shopping bags

Remember to take your shopping bags with you! Whether you use plastic bags that you already have lying around, or reusable shopping bags, you can reduce your plastic bag usage drastically. I carry a reusable bag that folds down into a small pouch in my handbag, so I’m never caught out. I also keep a couple in the car just in case! As a bonus – source shopping bags that are made out of recycled plastic drink bottles – I didn’t even know this was a thing! These large reusable shopping bags are made using 10 recycled plastic bottles. Not only are you reducing your plastic use, you are using a recycled product at the same time. Keep your mesh produce bags and your shopping bags together, so you remember to take them all.

4. Use an alternative to gladwrap

If you are like me, gladwrap has been the go to option for that half an avocado, or a freshly open block of cheese or to cover a salad that is going in the fridge for later. Reusable beeswax wraps are a really cool alternative. They come in a range of sizes to fit all sorts of food items, from that half used block of cheese, to that quarter of an onion you are saving for later, to the open tops of containers, they are amazing! They wash easily too, and mean you can hold off on the gladwrap. With antibacterial qualities and made from organic cotton, a natural beeswax blend and jojoba oil they can be used again and again, and once they are worn out – they can go in the compost bin and will biodegrade. Did I mention the funky designs?!

5. Replace sandwich plastic wrap

Do you or the kids take sandwiches to work or school and wrap them in gladwrap? Sandwich wraps can solve this one! Food safe and easy to clean these will keep your lunch fresh all day without throwing out more plastic. They are good for other things too – like bickies, pastries or vegie sticks. A great option for the daily lunchbox.

Recycle

If you do end up with plastic that needs to go (let’s face it, sometimes it does sneak in), your plastics can be recycled. I take my soft plastics to my local supermarket when they do accumulate, and a range of items can be put in the bins, including those silver foil wrappers from crackers or confectionary. It’s great to know that your soft plastics can be turned into something useful instead of ending up in landfill.

Your plastic bottles can go in the recycling bin and may end up as a reuseable shopping bag and be given a second life, reducing the need to produce new plastic bags from natural resources. Get in touch with your local council to see exactly what you can put in your recycling bin, you are bound to be surprised what can be recycled.

Some states have a container refund system and will pay you to return plastic bottles or recycling, even greater incentive to take them there! All the change adds up.

We hope these tips have helped!

We hope these tips have helped give you some ideas for finding an alternative to single use plastics.

We’d love to hear your tips for reducing waste, leave a comment below if you’ve found another way to use less plastic!

Thanks for reading!

Peta

To check out some reuse solutions, take a look at our store

[1] www.cleanup.org.au/au/Campaings/plastic-bag-facts, 25 June 2017