It’s plastic free July and like a lot of people, reducing the amount of plastic in my life has resurfaced in my consciousness. The plastic free movement’s july campaign really places an emphasis on thinking about the amount of plastic we use on a daily basis. These last few years I’ve been using small but mighty steps to try and become a bit more of an ethical and environmentally conscious consumer. Plastic is no exception.
What does plastic free mean?
Plastic free is not about banning all plastic from life. It’s about changing our habits to remove plastic where possible. Single use plastics from bottles, packaging etc, we’re saying goodbye.
The thing with plastic free july is that at times it can feel like a whole lot of pressure to suddenly get rid of all plastic things from life, but the truth of it is things aren’t that simple. Rather than focusing on any form of guilt associated with not being perfect on the onset, at Selfmade, we’re here to celebrate the process and focus on the progress. For us it’s all about starting and taking those small but mighty steps. Here are a few of our favourites. Let us know which ones are new to you and which ones you’ve beeeen doing. We’re also here to learn too!
How do you say no to plastic?
1. Buy fruit naked
Like mother earth intended, fruit grows naked, buy it this way too. Those 5 pack of bananas in plastic wrapping? Put them down. Those easy peeler satsumas in that bright orange netting? Say no. You don’t even have to find your closest premium priced organic, pest free, local grocers or farmers market to do this. A lot of supermarkets also have this option available for a lot of fruit and veg. Not only is it more environmentally conscious, it also helps save a few coins too.
2. Reusable make up wipes
Game changer. It’s time we said goodbye to plastic wrapped single use make up wipes and hello to reusable cloth based make up wipes. Like our OG faces, they can be washed and washed again to give a new lease of life.
3. Replace your plastic bags with reusable shopping bags
This one a lot of people have already switched to. With the government imposed fee on plastic bags as well as the stylishness of some of our favourite fabric bags, we’re here for the reusable shopping bags. Fashion and function. Yes please
4. Reusable kitchen roll
As certified spillers of liquids, we’re prone to using a fair bit of material to wipe down surfaces. One of the best swaps available is reusable kitchen roll. There’s something about the kitchen roll shape that reinforces my habit of wiping whilst removing the guilt of throwing away materials. It happens to be an added bonus that reusable kitchen roll doesn’t come in plastic packaging too.
5. Say no to single use plastic bottles
Please, Keep Cup and Chillys have beeeeen doing the most on the anti plastic bottle and coffee cup side. If you haven’t already made the switch, it’s time
6. Shampoo bars
Yes, you read that correct. Shampoo bars. Swap your bottled shampoo for one in bar form to save on not just plastic, but packaging too.
Like a lot of habit based activities like smoking and ordering a friday takeaway, it takes time to really change your behaviour. Plastic free packaging, plastic free products and a lower amount of single use plastics are all steps we can all take to improve our planet. Hopefully these small but mighty steps help you out on your journey to a plastic-less july and future months too!