Mindful living: ditching plastic

I’m not one to make resolutions, but ditching plastic, or at least significantly reducing my consumption is definitely something I’m taking seriously in 2018. As part of my blog refresh I’m kicking off my mindful living series with this topical subject.

Did you watch Blue Planet 2? I couldn’t help but be moved by the images of plastic entangling the wonderful animals of the sea. If you saw it I’m sure you felt the same, unless you’re totally heartless!

My social media feeds are currently filled with different campaigns, and with Theresa May announcing a pledge to scrap plastic waste by the distant 2042, more people are starting to wake up to this problem. We are already seeing some brands making commitments towards removing plastic from their products. This is a global crisis and it definitely needs some serious solutions from big names for real change.

But, we have a responsibility to do our bit too. Here are some things that I’m going to do to play my part in this plastic catastrophe.

Ditch plastic – simple swaps:

Stop buying bottled water – how many bottles of water do you buy a week, a month, a year? Invest in a reusable water bottle and fill it up before you leave the house. This brand have some pretty sweet colours.

Refuse a straw – Wagamama have just announced that they’ll be marking Earth Day by no longer using plastic straws in their branches. When ordering your drinks at a bar/restaurant/cafe just ask for no straw, it’s a really simple thing to do.

Buy a reusable coffee cup – In the last few weeks, coffee shops have announced reduced price coffee if you bring your own reusable cup. If you’re a regular takeaway coffee shop drinker, invest in a reusable stainless steel mug.

Swap to a bamboo toothbrush – 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes worldwide are thrown away each year. That’s a fuck load of plastic. Bamboo is biodegradable, over time your toothbrush will break down in landfill. But, do check what the bristles are made from.

Ditch the teabags – did you know that most UK teabags aren’t fully biodegradable? I know, me neither! It turns out that a teabags contain polypropylene or in other words – plastic! Why not switch to loose leaf tea, and revive that dusty teapot, or switch to plastic free teabags such as this brand.

Remove plastic from the bathroom – toothpaste tubes, shampoo bottle, shower gel bottles, conditioner bottles, razors, moisturisers, cotton buds. That’s a pretty long list of plastic in the bathroom. There’s definitely a lot that can be removed here, and I’ll do a post dedicated to this area in the near future.

I’m going to revisit this list later in the year and see how I’m getting on, and see what other areas I can remove plastic from my life. If you fancy coming on this journey with me then do let me know what your doing and keep up-to-date with my journey via my newsletter.