DITCH THE DISPOSABLES
Try out a local refill shop
Refuse single use plastic
Choose loose veg
TRY OUT A LOCAL REFILL SHOP
Photo by Chloe Masefield
The best way to start reducing single use plastic in your life is to find out what the worst offenders are. Have a look in your bin and identify the main areas where single use plastic is getting into your home. Focus on the easy wins first then move onto the more difficult ones.
We are lucky to have both Little Green Refills in Abergavenny and Natural Weigh in Crickhowell. Kids find it great fun to do and they have a huge range of other sustainable products to help you ditch disposables throughout your life.
REFUSE SINGLE USE PLASTIC
Photo by Chloe Masefield
Pack a zero waste bag to take whenever you are out and about. This should include: reusable coffee cup, reusable water bottle, reusable cutlery, empty container for takeaway food or to get your cheese or meat in at the shops, reusable shopping bag.
Consider reusables in all areas of your life. The initial outlay may seem high but they always save you money in the long run. E.g. reusable nappies, reusable sanitary or incontinence towels or menstrual cups. These work really well and I’d encourage you to give them a try.
Refuse single use whenever you are out and about and, if you feel comfortable doing so, tell people why and spread the message. Say no to straws, single use cups, plastic bags, excess unnecessary packaging, etc.
Don’t use wipes. Use cloths for cleaning, mops for floors, flannels for mucky fingers and antibacterial spray for sanitising.
CHOOSE LOOSE VEG
Photo by Sally Jones
Get a local veg box. These typically come with little, if any packaging and they have very low carbon emissions and, often, more environmentally friendly farming practices.
Alternatively buy loose veg from our market or supermarket if possible.
We can all reduce the amount of waste we produce and put more pressure on the big supermarkets to reduce plastic in their supply chains. The best way to send a message is to stop giving money to organisations which are causing significant harm to our natural environment, our spending power is a valuable tool for change.
MORE INFORMATION
Photo by Stijn Dijkstra from Pexels
As it stands, humanity now produces more than 200 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.The report “Plastics: The cost to society, environment and the economy” reveals that across the lifecycle, plastic is responsible for generating 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) a year. That is more than the annual emissions from aviation and shipping combined.
There are about 150 million tons of plastic in the oceans; and plastic particles have been found in human intestines, blood, and even the placenta.
