Plastic Free July; Making a commitment to change
July is just another month; but it is as good a month as any to start (if you haven’t already) to make the switch to planet friendly alternatives. Let it not just be for the month of July but well beyond; hopefully lifelong changes! Life is just so insanely busy and it has become way too easy to pollute unconsciously. Let’s get a little real here; none of us are perfect, we all succumb to the convenience of plastic wrapped products – and often it’s REALLY inconvenient to avoid plastic. It’s just shit but we are all in control of living more consciously.
Just last week I went to the supermarket and just before the check out I looked into my trolley feeling pretty ashamed at all the plastic I was piling into it. That was just MY trolley! Multiply that by everyone and WOW- that’s just so much avoidable waste. If we all start making the changes and saying no to single use plastic and landfill waste, manufacturers will have to change the way they do things.
As a business we are committed to making a difference and vow to use as little as possible, if any plastic to package our clean products. We are always looking for more ecofriendly options. It’s all very well and good to create pure and clean products but totally hypocritical packaging them in planet polluting plastics. We use only reusable and recyclable glass and compostable paper packaging. NO wasteful boxes because seriously, who the hell needs them! Personal care packaging accumulates quickly and just have a look in your bathroom; the vast majority are plastic – this has to change!
Personally though, we are both committed to changing our ways and helping you all change yours too. We think a huge part of it is being prepared; It took me SOOOO long to remember to take my reusable shopping bags with me… but now I keep a stash everywhere; the car, the door handle and always keep at least 2 bags in my handbag. I once read someone who promised herself that if she forgot her reusable bags she’d either have to carry her shopping or leave it at the shop – great way to start remembering!
We are devoting the month of July to sharing our journey to becoming plastic free households with you, not claiming to be perfect, far from it, but genuinely wanting to be the change. Please join us, share your journey, share the tips and tricks you use to reduce YOUR environmental footprint. Apart from the individual changes you can make in your own home and life (which we will start sharing this month) consider the bigger picture too. Here are a couple of things to start thinking about before you get started;
• Find, join, support or donate your time to a local group committed to helping the community reduce their waste. Booomerang bags is a great example of an organisation that brings people together to divert wasted material into reusable bags among other fabulous initiatives. This is a global movement with almost 900 communities worldwide working together to make a difference. Find a Boomerang Bag community here.
• Do an honest audit of your own household waste. Where does the majority of your landfill waste come from? We’ve managed to reduce the waste we send to landfill by half if not more some weeks by simply committing to throwing all our compostable waste into either a compost bin at the back of our garden or our worm farm. If that isn’t an option at your place, maybe consider joining forces with your neighbours to create a pooled community composting system. Or do you gather a tonne of single use plastics from your fruit and veg shop each week that ends up in landfill? If your answer is YES, get yourself (buy or make) some reusable produce bags, shop at local farmgates and say no to the bags, or find a REDcycle partner to drop off your soft plastics to! An easy swap that makes a big difference. Note down all the problem areas you are facing… connect with others and find sustainable solutions.
Watch this space as we will be sharing loads of positive changes you can make!
Here’s to together, making lasting change that we owe future generations and our beautiful Mother Earth,
Tammy
X