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Stop and look around. Can you see something made from plastic? Chances are you can see more than one item that is either made from plastic entirely or contains some plastic. Where does all that plastic end up? Either in landfill, or even worse, in our oceans.
According to the United Nations Environment program, as a planet we purchase one million plastic water bottles every minute, while up to five trillion plastic bags are used around the world each year. Half of all plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes!
As recently as the 1970’s, our plastic use was minimal, and manageable. After that though, there’s been an absolute explosion in the use of plastic, tripling in the decades from the 1970’s to the 1990’s. In the first decade of this century, plastic waste rose more than it had in the previous four decades combined!
Right now, we produce around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste per year.
The worst bit? This plastic will most likely never disappear.
Each piece will just keep getting smaller and smaller, turning into microplastics that enter our waterways, soil and air, and in turn enter us – through food, water and simply breathing!
And yes, a lot of this waste is generated in ways that are out of our control, by governments or big corporations, but there are still ways we can make a difference as individuals and reduce our own use of plastics, simply by refusing to buy it in the first place.
Stop using plastic wrap – Don’t wrap your sandwiches in plastic wrap. Instead use reusable silicone wraps, beeswax wraps, or sustainable stainless steel lunchboxes.
No more single-use straws! – Thankfully a lot of jurisdictions in Australia are banning the use of single-use straws. We stock a huge range of straws of all sizes made from silicone or stainless steel. Carry these instead and you’ll never need a single-use straw again.
Reusable oil tablecloths – Believe it or not, people are still using plastic tablecloths for picnics or parties then throwing them out a few hours later! Reusable oil tablecloths not only look beautiful, but they’re a sustainable option too. Plus, they come in some amazing designs so you can still get one to match the theme of your party, then use it again for something later on.
Brushes – Toothbrushes, hairbrushes, dish brushes, even toilet brushes…! The ones you buy in the supermarket most likely are either made of plastic or are part-plastic. We stock a range of brushes that are made from sustainable materials, and some can even be composted at the end of their lives.
Reusable coffee cups – This is a big one. We all know how much Australians love their coffee. Clean Up Australia estimates we use around 1.84 billion single-use cups every year! And while they may look like paper, often they have a plastic lining which makes them more challenging to recycle. There are so many options available now for reusable coffee cups – there’s really no excuse to not use them instead.
We only have one planet and there’s only so much plastic it can take! We must address our plastic consumption before our world drowns in it.
We’ve only mentioned a few of the plastic-free alternatives we stock in this post. Browse our website to find more ways that you can minimise or eliminate your plastic use.