Less Plastic is Fantastic

Swap cling wrap for:

• Reusable takeaway containers
• A spare plate used as a lid
• Beeswax wraps
• School lunches in reusable containers.

More simple kitchen tips are to:

• Use the containers you already have – don’t feel like you need to buy more containers or change to glass ones. Use what you have, and reuse as much as possible. For example, when a glass jar is empty, keep it for storing foods in the fridge and pantry.
• Buy dishwasher tablets that have dissolvable covers and are packaged in a cardboard box to reduce plastic waste.
• Fruit and vegetable shopping – see if you can avoid plastic wrapped fruit and vegetables by buying them loose and taking your own produce bags. If you don’t have any, you can always pack fruit and vegetables loose into one of your reusable bags. By shopping this way, you’ll avoid plastic waste and possibly food waste as well, since you’ll only buy as much as you need.
• Find a farmers market near you – fruit and vegetables from here will be local, fresh, and in season too. Plastic can be completely avoided when you take your own bags or basket.
• The rest of the shopping – as much as possible choose products that have simple packaging or packaging that clearly indicates how to recycle and or dispose of it.
• Avoid purchasing pre-packaged bars and cakes from the supermarket by making your own instead. Even if you use a cake mix, this option reduces the amount of plastic packaging, and is also a great way to spend time with the kids in the kitchen!

• Swap shower gel or liquid soap for a bar of soap - you can even buy it wrapped in paper or not wrapped at all to avoid that packaging too.
• Swap the plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one - these are becoming more widely available in supermarkets and chemists, so you shouldn’t have to search too hard to find one.
• Swap out moisturiser – try coconut oil, or even some of the other cooking oils in your home.
• Shampoo and conditioner – try the bar version, or buy the bigger bottles to reduce the amount of plastic waste created.

• Buy your washing powder in a box or packaging that can easily be recycled.
• Do you really need fabric softener? If you are using it for the scent, swap it for an essential oil instead. A couple of drops should do the trick for a refreshing scent, or you can also choose different oils for different purposes (such as antibacterial and antifungal properties).
• Try soapberries – these can be considered expensive, however 1kg can do up to 365 loads of washing, creating no waste, and the berries can be composted at the end of their useful lifetime.
• Create your own surface spray – place it in an old spray bottle you already have at home, and reduce the amount of chemicals in your home at the same time.
• Create cleaning cloths out of old towels, cotton clothing or cloth nappies.

Lunch for school and work can feel like a chore, and it’s easy to take the convenient path to make this job as quick and painless as possible. However there are a few easy swaps to reduce the use of single use plastics at lunchtime:

• Pack the kids’ sandwiches and snacks in reusable containers instead of cling wrap. Pop their names on the containers to ensure the containers make it back home each day.
• Send a reusable drink bottle with the kids to refill at school.
• Spend some time on the weekend making a slice from scratch, or bake some cupcakes instead of buying pre-packaged bars and cakes. Freeze extra for later in the week and this will instantly reduce the volume of packaging and wrappers in your home.

Make a ‘less plastic kit’ to take with you when you are out and about. This kit is great to keep at the office or when meeting up with friends for lunch. The items in the kit will empower you to use less single use plastic as you go about your day.

Suggested items for your kit:

1. Foldable reusable bag
2. Stainless steel drink bottle – though if you already have a plastic one use this one first
3. Reusable coffee cup
4. Stainless steel drinking straw
5. Cloth napkin
6. Cutlery
7. Container for left overs