How to Reduce your Plastic Footprint
Plastic pollution is a huge environmental issue affecting our world today. It is becoming harder to avoid plastic packaging, materials, and products in our everyday lives. Plastic consumption has expedited over the past decade, with more than 8 million metric tons of plastic waste ending up in our oceans every year. By the year 2050, this number is expected to multiply by 10. So, what can we do?
Here at the Plastic Collective, we have devised and categorized simple ways in which everyone as an individual can help reduce their plastic footprint. From opting for reusable products to transforming the ‘normal’ way of living into a zero-waste lifestyle.
To help you reduce your Plastic Footprint, we have created My Plastic Plan, an online structured guide that helps you implement your plastic reduction activity. You can access My Plastic Plan by signing up to our Plastic Neutral, Positive or Awesome programs. Sign up here and become Plastic Neutral today
Beginner
1. Refuse single-use plastics as much as possible to help reduce environmental impact.
2. Go “top less” and refuse the plastic lid on your disposable coffee cups at cafes to reduce the amount of plastic you need to dispose of.
3. Choose to go without a plastic straw when buying drinks or bring a reusable one.
4. Invest in a good drink bottle to avoid single-use plastic water bottles.
5. Refuse single-use plastic bags, plastic bottles plastic cutlery, and other food items.
6. Avoid cosmetic products with microplastics or microbeads.
7. Return soft plastics to collection points in supermarkets and your designated state Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). This helps reduce plastic leakage into ecosystems.
8. Become more aware of waste management initiatives and the circular economy.
Plastic Neutral
1. Ditch the cling wrap and substitute beeswax wraps or aluminium foil instead.2. Invest in some good cloth bags for vegetables and loose items at supermarkets and grocery stores.
3. Always remember to bring your own bags when shopping.
4. Opt for using your own containers at takeout and fast food restaurants.
5. Ask for food such as sushi without the plastic wrap.
6. Replace disposable coffee cups with travel mugs and glass bottles.
7. Report litter or littering.
8. Become Plastic Neutral.
Plastic Positive
1. Invest in biodegradable phone cases, accessories, and other products.2. Reduce overall plastic usage by substituting for glass jars as food storage and household organizers.
3. Make your own toothpaste, soaps, and body wash.
4. Opt for shampoo and condition ‘bars’ instead of plastic bottles.
5. Replace sponges and clothes with stainless steel scrubbers for cleaning to avoid producing microplastics.
6. “Take 3 for the sea” and participate in local clean-ups.
7. Buy second-hand or recycled materials for everyday use such as; stationery, kitchenware, and clothes. If you must buy a product with plastic, look for recycled plastic. Repurpose and reuse existing items to give them a second life and avoid filling up landfills with plastic items.
8. Become Plastic Positive.
Plastic Awesome
1. Host your own beach clean-ups in your local area.
2. Refuse the purchase of plastic products and instead make your own products, toys, and furniture out of recycled material avoiding plastic materials.
3. Become Plastic Neutral and carry out a plastic footprint assessment to help reduce your use of plastic further.
4. Encourage, protest, and petition corporations, businesses, and companies to remove plastic packing and replace their plastic products with recycled material.
5. Transform your business by becoming Plastic Neutral Certified by purchasing Plastic Credits.
6. Transform yourself and make the pledge to My Plastic Plan and begin your plastic-free lifestyle.
7. Businesses can carry out a product life cycle assessment and review the inputs of the materials they use and supply. Fully understanding the supply chain and adjusting accordingly will also help reduce the carbon footprint of the business.
By making small incremental changes and methodology of how we use plastics, can have a huge impact. Reducing plastic use can reduce our own personal carbon footprint, aid sustainability, and help reduce emissions from plastic production, and in turn, help with the mitigation of climate change.
Reducing your Plastic Footprint Overall
There is great empowerment when we make environmentally conscious decisions and choose to refuse and reduce plastic. The plastic pollution epidemic can feel like an overwhelming problem, however, making these small, yet necessary changes to our everyday lives has a huge impact and is something you should be proud of.
On behalf of the Plastic Collective, we congratulate you on your efforts to help save the environment.
