This month, we spoke with marine scientist Jess Savage to get the lowdown on going plastic-free. Here is her advice.
Although plastic has shaped our society as we know it today, with clean drinking water and sterile medical equipment, our throwaway lifestyle means that items we use only once stay in the environment for thousands of years. We’ve all seen the pictures of turtles entangled in fishing nets, or seabirds with plastic in their stomachs. If we don’t change our behaviour, scientists have estimated that the quantities of mismanaged plastic waste entering the marine environment could triple by 2060.
So what can we do about this? While beach cleans and recycling have benefits, the only way to reduce the amount of plastic entering the ocean is by “turning off the tap”: reducing our reliance on plastic products in the first place.
But where to start? It can feel overwhelming, but it’s better to start making some simple changes now rather than doing nothing because you’re worried it won’t be perfect. Spoiler alert, you’ll probably not be able to cut out every single bit of plastic you use – and neither will I, even though I study plastic pollution for my job!
Next month is Plastic Free July, so it is the perfect time to have a go at ditching plastic pollution. Here are four behaviours I try to implement in my own life:
1) Moving away from single-use
Even ‘biodegradable’ single-use products can be hard to break down. Here are some ideas of items you could reuse again and again: reusable coffee cups, metal water bottles, metal straws, cotton pads, cotton make up wipes, glass food containers, shopping bags (and loose produce where possible), solid or refillable shampoos/soaps/cleaning products.
2) Trying to make things myself
Rather than buying pre-packaged products, you could try making them yourself. For example, people have made cleaning products out of sodium bicarbonate and vinegar or lemon juice for centuries. Additionally, by making your own food from scratch, you can make yourself enough dinner to have lunch the next day, and save yourself buying a sandwich in a wrapper. If you’re good at sewing, you could even make your own clothes!
3) Prioritising natural materials where possible/affordable
If you don’t have the time or skills to make your own clothes yet, buying durable clothes made out of cotton could help reduce the quantities of microfibres entering the marine environment through washing clothes in a washing machine (to which you could add a filter to reduce the microfibre emission even more).
4) Being aware of overconsumption
The excellent marketing companies of the 21st century have convinced us we always need more of the newest things. Buying-second hand (clothes or refurbished electronics for example) can also reduce the quantities of new products bought, and prevent items in perfectly good condition ending up in landfill.
As a summary, reducing our plastic footprint doesn’t necessarily need to be scary and expensive. Many of the changes suggested above will actually save you money in the long-run, and are easy to implement in our busy day to day life. The key message I would like any reader to take away from this article is to not worry about doing things perfectly to start reducing your plastic use. It’s better to do one thing well than perfectly do nothing!
If you have more time and energy to give, here are some other ideas you can add into your life:
- Join in with community litter picks, or simply take a bag to collect litter next time you go for a walk.
- Write to your local council to ask for improvements (e.g., more recycling bins in your local park).
- Contact large supermarket chains to suggest they sell more loose produce, or collect food packaging (some already do this).
- You could even start a plastic free initiative in your community! For example, weekly park/beach cleans, clothes swaps, or a plastic-free committee in your school, university or company!
Here are some follow-up resources that might help you on your plastic-free journey:
Websites:
- https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/ : the plastic free movement
- https://www.thezerowastecollective.com/ : a blog with ideas on reducing waste
Apps:
- Refill: find where to fill your water bottle for free.
- Freecycle; Olio: find people who could use things you don’t need anymore.
- Too Good to Go: not directly plastic related, but prevents food waste by giving cafes the opportunity to sell their goods for vastly reduced prices. So not only is it a bargain, but it also stops food packaging going to waste without anyone having even eaten the sandwich!
By Jess Savage PhD, Institute of Zoology.
