It’s Plastic-free July and with the big supermarket chains eliminating single-use plastic bags, this is a good time to brush up on some afforable ways to eliminate plastic from your life.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Going plastic-free doesn’t have to an expensive exercise or a compromise, here are some handy (and affordable) tips on giving plastic the flick.
- Brush up on your grooming
Speaking of brushes...an easy one to start with is your hair brush. Many are made with plastic, however, wooden and bamboo brushes are becoming increasingly popular and don’t cost much more. On the bright side, they’re better for your hair and scalp too.
- Bean there, done that
Get rid of those coffee pods and get back to grinding those beans. You’ll save on two types of plastic with this tip: first, you won’t be using plastic coffee pods and second, you’ll be saving money as it works out cheaper to buy fresh from your local coffee shop or supermarket. Many supermarkets also have a coffee grinding facility available.
- Put a lid on it
According to Roy Morgan, Australians on average drink 9.2 cups of coffee a week. So how many plastic lids does that make? Next time you head down to your local, bring your own reusable coffee cup and if you forget the cup, opt-out of taking a lid.
Read more: Living a plastic-free life, could you do it?
- Tea-totaler
If you’re not a coffee drinker but fancy a brew, get back to your loose leaf and use a metal tea strainer. You might be surprised to know that most tea bags are not biodegradable and use plastic packaging.
- Here’s a bottler
It seems that everywhere you turn you can buy a drink in a plastic bottle. Why not lead by example and reach for a drink packaged in glass? If we all took this step, perhaps beverage companies might be prompted to rethink their packaging choice.
- Tall glass of water
While we’re on the subject of bottles, you can always opt to bring your own bottle of water with you, whether you’re at the gym, doing the shopping or at your work desk. There are many options these days: glass, stainless steel or even give that coffee mug another purpose.
- Packed lunch
And while you’re at our desk and about to grab your lunch – what did you wrap it in? Plastic cling wrap, right? Why not pack your lunch in a reusable container or using beeswax paper.
- Sin bin your liners
When you’re done with lunch, throw out your rubbish without using a plastic bin liner. Better options are compostable bin liners, using a bin you can easily hose out, or use yesterday’s newspaper (after you’ve read it of course).
- Hang it out to dry
Another easy switch is swapping out those plastic pegs for the old-school wooden ones. You could even look at using some fancy stainless steel ones.
- The last straw
Next time you’re out for a cocktail or soft drink, choose to refuse and say no to that plastic straw. Like the plastic bag and coffee lid, these single use plastics are wreaking havoc on our natural environment. So in addition to remembering your favourite drink order, remember to add: “no straw, thanks.”
Final note…While our weekly free delivery of the Highlands Post does come wrapped in plastic, it is 100 per cent recyclable.
- Do you have a tip for plastic-free living? We would love to hear from you. Go to: https://www.southernhighlandnews.com.au/, click ‘community’, then ‘send us your news’.