Chances are, if you’re reading this you’re probably a keep-cup queen, a green-bag guru and a plastic-straw avoiding pro. So where to next? Well we’ve got five (less-obvious) ideas to take your personal plight against plastic to the next level.
Bars over bottles
When it comes to cosmetics and cleaning opt for bars over bottles. This tip is both low on plastic and low on price. Try using a good-old bar of soap to replace bottled hand and body wash, shampoo and conditioner bars, sunlight soap instead of spray stain remover bottles and so on.
Re-use the plastic in your life
Despite our best efforts, some plastics always seem to weasel it’s way into our life. Instead of feeling guilty, choose to re-use this plastic. Despite its many negative effects plastic, at its core, is a very useful resource. It’s hardy, lightweight and waterproof which makes it very useful. So on the occasion when you do bring plastic into the world, commit to re-use it till you can no more. Plastic takeaway containers become tupperware, plastic bags to bin liners, bread bags reused as sandwich bags! We’d love you to comment your best and most creative ideas. Check out below for an icecream container now a pot plant holder and a trail mix bag now holding frozen bananas.
Re-home rather than re-cycle
When it comes to plastic the focus tends to be on the disposable kinds, plastic straws, cutlery, coffee cups etc. This makes it easy to forget that plastic comes in many shapes and sizes.
So when it next comes time to throw away miscellaneous plastic goods (think: old baby toys, cooking crockery and bowls, organisational tubs, even foam surfboards) opt for re-homing them rather than disposing them. Sites like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree work a treat to either sell or giveaway for free unwanted goods. We never cease to be amazed at just how true the old saying the old saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ is in these circumstances.
Befriend bulk food stores
Here in Newcastle we are incredibly lucky to have access to bulk food stores like, Scoop Foods at The Junction and The Source at Marketown. They offer the perfect solution to purchasing waste-free goods like pasta, legumes and grains. By BYO-ing your own container you can make the trip completely waste-free, with the added bonus of buying the exact amount you need. Beware, the prices can be higher than supermarket stores so perhaps you may want to first commit to swapping just one of your regular purchases for the bulk-food option (eg. flour) and build up from there.
Green up your grocery shop
It’s no secret the weekly shop at conventional supermarkets are a minefield of seemingly unavoidable plastic. And When we don’t make a conscious effort to avoid plastic, we can end up with (just about) equal parts plastic to produce in the trolley. To avoid this, opt for local and small-scale sellers who offer plastic-free options. Or hey, maybe start growing some produce yourself? The weekly Feedbox is a completely plastic-free option that delivers locally grown, fresh and seasonal produce to your door. For items that do require packaging (like mixed lettuce leaves) we use BioBags. Although BioBags look and work like plastic bags, they are in fact not plastic as they are made from a resin called Mater-Bi and are completely compostable.
What’s in season for October?
Baby Beets . Broccoli . Cabbage . Carrots . Cauliflower . Daikon .
Potatoes . Onions . Radishes . Salad greens . Silverbeet . Snow Peas . Swiss Chard . Turnips
Subscribing to a organic veg box delivery like FeedBox means healthy, tasty vegetables at your door!
