25 ways to go plastic free checklist
1. Buy a reusable stainless steel or glass straw or use paper straws or best of all do without straws altogether and just sip your drink. Ask your local café or bar to only provide straws if they are requested rather than automatically putting them in every drink.
2. Buy silicone long lasting zip top sandwich bags or wash out and reuse any ordinary zip lock bags you have.
3. Buy a bamboo toothbrush next time you have to replace your toothbrush. If these brushes don’t suit you email the manufacturers and let them know why so they can produce a more satisfactory product.
4. Buy grains such as rice, barley, flour; legumes such as lentils and dried beans; and nuts in bulk using paper or cloth bags to transport them home. Store in recycled glass jar or vacuum sealed bags which you can reuse. Nuts are best stored in the fridge or freezer.
5. Try shopping at a market so that you can buy all your fruit and vegetables unpackaged and fresh and transport them home in a cloth bag or basket. If some fruit or vegetables are prepackaged in plastic then talk to the stall holder about alternatives.
6. Use recyclable coffee pods or buy pods from companies that recycle not just the used coffee but the pods themselves. Better still, don’t use pods at all but buy coffee beans and grind your own. Coffee is best stored in the fridge or freezer.
7. Don’t use single use cutlery, plates and dishes for special events which are made of plastic. Try bamboo products instead or have a set of lightweight plates and dishes which can be used over and over again or best of all ask guests to bring their own cutlery and crockery and save on washing up.
8. Ditch bottled water. Australian tap water is of a very high quality, so it is unnecessary to use bottled water. If you can taste the chlorine in the water just let it stand for a while. For recreational use buy a stainless steel, glass or bamboo water bottle that you can reuse.
9. Give up chewing gum, not only does it look unsightly on footpaths and the soles of your shoes, believe it or not, these days it may contain plastics, rubber and wax to make it pliable.
10. Cook a simple meal at home or one that your have previously frozen, when you don’t feel like cooking rather than having takeaway. If you do have takeaway find a takeaway provider that uses materials that can be recycled or reused to package the food. Take you own non-plastic reusable containers to restaurants if it is likely you will want to take leftover food home.
11. Like a takeaway coffee for morning tea – take your own mug to be filled or a takeaway cup that is reusable. Some silicone cups are available that fold down flat.
12. Don’t buy six packs of cans of beer or soft drink that are wrapped up in plastic, buy them individually. Animals get choked or starved to death by the rings holding six packs together. Look for six packs that have non-plastic, biodegradable packaging to keep them together.
13. Stop using balloons especially ones that are released into the air. Think of other ways to make a special occasion festive such as kites, garlands, bunting made of material, paper chains and streamers.
14. Avoid bread in plastic wraps – not only does it make the bread go limp it is not good for the environment. Instead buy bread in paper bags or pop it straight into a cloth bag – old pillowcases are good.
15. Buy clothes made of cotton, linen, hemp, wool and silk if possible rather than synthetic materials such as polyester, acrylic, Lycra, spandex and nylon. Yes, they may be more expensive, and require ironing, but they are long lasting, less polluting, easier to recycle or reuse and they breathe.
16. Need a new razor? Don’t buy a disposable razor buy a reusable one and just replace the blades. It will give you a good shave for years to come.
17. Avoid plastics that can be toxic to livings things either in their manufacture, use, or disposal such as type 3 plastics including PVC, type 6 including polystyrene, and type 7 other plastics BPA
18. If you have to buy something made of plastic check to see if it can be recycled. Most clear plastic bottles etc can be recycled.
19. Wrap up your rubbish in newspaper instead of putting it is a plastic bag then put it in a garbage bag that is securely tied so that material can’t escape in transit to the dump.
20. Use starch ‘peanuts’ for packing delicate items rather than Styrofoam ‘peanuts’, they dissolve quickly if you add water.
21. Give up smoking – better for your health, better for your pocket and better for the environment as cigarette butts are a major source of pollution in the environment.
22. Use cleaning products that do not come in plastic containers such as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) vinegar, citrus oil, lemons, white vinegar, eucalyptus oil.
23. Use washable recycled lint free clothes for polishing, sticking on floor cleaning pads, for wiping and general cleaning.
24. Use non synthetic dish clothes and wash them frequently.
25. For every item you intend to throw away check first it can be recycled, reused or repurposed.