Increasingly these days, people want to be more environmentally friendly and that means using less plastic. Since the introduction of the five pence charge for shopping bags, the number of plastic bags being used has dropped dramatically. But there’s still much to be done. Nearly 8.5 million tons of plastic have become waste since 1950, rotting away very slowly in our landfill sites. Unfortunately, global plastic production is increasing so we all need to do our bit on an individual level to help reduce plastic use. Here are some ideas:

Think ahead and buy in bulk

Instead of purchasing lots of small plastic containers of soap, for example, buy a large one that you can use to refill your existing smaller ones. Buying larger products will last you longer and use less overall packaging than constantly replacing small containers. An extra bonus is that you’ll also need less trips to the shop so saving on fuel and being kinder to the environment.

Make your voice heard

If we want companies to use less plastic then we have to put pressure on them to act. Doing some research and knowing the companies that you buy from will help you make better informed decisions about whether you should continue to use their services or not. If you’re not happy with something that a business does then make sure you email or tweet to voice your concerns. If enough consumers cause a fuss then a company may change its procedure.

Use Reusable

Wherever you can, use containers more than once for multiple things. Instead of buying packs of water bottles, think about investing in a reusable water bottle or thermos instead. You’ll probably find that your water tastes better and you’ll drink more too. Buy yourself a set of tiffins instead of using plastic lunch containers for taking food into work with you.

Long-lasting bags

Once the charge for plastic shopping bags was introduced, many of us had to get used to remembering to take bags with us to the shops. Now the practice has settled in, we can see how great it feels not to use a plastic bag once and then put it in the bin. Our shopping bags can be as attractive and unique as we like, really make a statement and be a lot stronger and easier to carry. You can easily purchase a reusable bag at almost all shop checkouts but if you want a more durable and stylish shopping bag then why not think about investing in a traditional basket? Before the age of plastic bags, this is how people carried their goods from shop to home. Take a look at a beautiful Bolga Basket at www.injabulo.com/

Compost

Don’t throw away your rubbish in plastic bags. Instead recycle your food waste by composting. More than half of your rubbish is most likely compostable and buying a compost bin makes the process much easier to get started.

Buy Second Hand

Before spending lots of money on all those shiny new plastic toys for Christmas, look around for good quality second hand items first. You’ll save money and most young children won’t even know that their toys have been pre-played with.