5 ways to kick start your plastic free life on a budget

Plastic is a huge problem for the world, but what can you do to help? Living a plastic free life isn’t something you can just adapt to in the blink of any eye. In fact, a plastic free life takes an awful lot of planning and thinking ahead. When you start to delve into the idea, it’s actually pretty overwhelming. And then as well as the huge overhaul on the way you live your life and the way you shop, there’s the added worry about how much this is all going to cost! The amount of plastic we use is unbelievable! So if you can’t just start leading a plastic free life, what can you do to help?

5 ways to kick start your plastic free life on a budget

It’s estimated that there are 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently sitting in the world’s oceans. The vast majority of us want to cut back on our plastic use, but for most of us, going completely plastic free just isn’t an option. That doesn’t mean that we should just continue using plastic as we always have though. There are plenty of ways you can cut back on plastic use and still make an impact.

1. Get hold of some reusable straws

Single-use plastic straws are bad news. Many retailers have already stopped using plastic straws, but they will actually be banned from April 2020. It’s currently estimated that around 5 billion plastic straws are used every year in England alone, that’s a huge number. The ban will have a big impact on this, cutting down on a vast amount of single-use plastic which is great news for the environment.

These days, you can get hold of great reusable straws, so if you do prefer to use a straw, there really is no need to use the throwaway variety.

Many reusable straws also come in a handy carry case, so you can keep them clean in your bag until you need to use them.

2. Ditch the plastic carrier bags

Supermarkets and other retailers were forced to bring charges in for carrier bags back in 2015, with the minimum charge being 5p per bag. This might not seem like a lot of money, but it can quickly add up if you buy multiple bags every time you shop. Aside from the cost, plastic bags are extremely bad for the environment. They can take up to 1,000 years to degrade, causing all kinds of problems for wildlife and plant growth.

If you already have a stash of plastic bags, then use them. I’m not suggesting you just throw them all away and buy canvas instead, that would defeat the object a little. If you’re always forgetting to take your bags shopping with you, then get into the habit of keeping them in the car, or always having a couple in your bag, it soon becomes routine.

3. Refuse disposable coffee cups

Grabbing a coffee on the way to work is part of the daily routine for many. But did you know that you could ask your barista to refill your own coffee cup?

You can find reusable cups at really low prices online, and some retailers will even offer you a small discount if you use your own reusable cup rather than their disposable ones.

4. Buy loose fruit and vegetables

A large amount of fruit and vegetables are wrapped unnecessarily in plastic. It’s so frustrating to see bunches of bananas in plastic bags still, there’s really no need for it!

You can often find loose fruit and veg in the supermarket, or you can opt to shop in a local greengrocer instead where you can either use your own bags or choose their paper bags.

Loose fruit and veg is actually far more economical as well as being far better for the planet. You can choose the exact number of items you want, rather than buying a whole bag full, and you can also hand-pick the tastiest looking.

5. Use sustainable food wrapping

Cling film is a complete waste of money, AND it is incredibly harmful for the environment. You can only use a sheet of cling film once, and then it goes straight into the bin to take years to decompose.

Opt for a more sustainable food wrap such as beeswax wraps. These aren’t as expensive as you might think, and they can be washed and reused, lasting an average of 12 months. Beeswax wraps are also a much better option as they preserve the food naturally, rather than smothering it in plastic!

If you’re trying to cut back on the amount of plastic you use in your household, then these five tips will help you kick start you on your plastic free journey. Don’t be overwhelmed and try to cut out plastic use altogether, that’s a surefire way to failure. Simply try one step at a time and let me know how you get on. Do you have any tips for cutting down on the amount of plastic we use? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.