How Plastic Hurts Us, and 3 Ways to Live Without It

How to Reduce Plastic Use

Plastic is everywhere and is used for pretty much everything. This can make the decision to move away from plastic feel overwhelming. But there are small and simple steps you can take to minimise how much plastic you use, especially when it comes to your food and drinks.

01 Ditch the Single Use

Why are we using something that doesn’t biodegrade when the intention is to only use it once? It just doesn’t make sense.

Australian businesses are increasingly realising this: Coles and Woolies have stopped giving out single-use bags, and many cafes now give you a discount if you bring a keep cup. There are so many reasons to reduce your use of disposable plastics.

Start by switching to a metal or glass water bottle and making the habit of taking a keep cup with you when you go out for coffee. If you’re a straw user, switch to bringing your own metal straw, or encourage your local cafe to switch to paper straws.

02 Invest in Glassware

Are you sick of plastic food containers that are stained by bolognese sauce, or pitted or warped from overheating in the microwave?

My husband and I bought new matching tupperware containers less than a year ago, and they’re already stained and pitted. Every time I heat up leftovers in the microwave I’m concerned about the containers leaching chemicals into our food. So we’ve decided it’s time to make the switch from plastic to glass!

Pyrex glass containers are affordable, stylish, and don’t leach harmful chemicals into your food. And what’s even better, they’re good for the environment! Glass can be infinitely recycled, making it one of the earth’s most sustainable materials.

03 Find Alternatives

This article from Business Insider has a stack of great recommendations for ways to swap plastic for fabric, bamboo, wooden, metal, or biodegradable alternatives. These are my favourite products to reduce plastic while shopping and cooking.

Biobags: These compostable bin bags won’t break down into microplastics, making them perfect for containing your rubbish and protecting the planet.

Beeswax wraps: These make a great replacement for cling wrap, as they’ll keep your food fresh while being reusable and environmentally friendly.

Mesh produce bags: Take mesh produce bags to the fruit shop instead of using a plastic bag for every different type of vegetable.

If you want to learn more about plastic pollution and how it affects our planet, our bodies and the wildlife, check out this video to get the facts.

Plastic Pollution: How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic