It’s Plastic Free July and we’re just checking in to see how you are all going with reducing single-use plastics in your world.
This time last year I started my first Plastic Free July campaign and was honestly overwhelmed with the prospect, and not sure where the hell to begin.
Twelve months on, I am certainly not perfect in my attempt to be completely plastic free, but as a family we have created some permanent habits around reducing our waste, particularly single-use plastics and food scraps.
Last year for my birthday (which happens to fall in July) I received a double compost bin and an odourless scraps bucket for our kitchen to begin the process of reducing our food waste – which was overwhelmingly large and still requires some work.
I did look at getting some chickens, but compost was a great place to start for us and one the kids could be actively involved in. As well as all discarded fruit and vegetables, the compost bin is also a great place for tea bags and coffee grounds.
With the supermarket ban on single-use plastic bags now in place across many states, it has never been easier to find motivation to use our recycled shopping bags and with a good stash (some in the car and some inside) we are rarely caught out these days.
This July I have focussed my attention on what comes ‘into’ our house in terms of waste, rather than just focusing on recycling, and know I need to get a firmer meal plan to further reduce our food wastage.
Did you know Australian families throw out more than $3,500 worth of groceries a year, and in 2014/15 we wasted 3.3 million tonnes of food – enough to fill the MCG six times! Shocking… and I know I’m guilty here!
Straws are also a big one, and can be easily avoided. Australians throw away more than 10 million plastic straws every day.
Simply say NO to a straw and if you really need one, purchase a metal version you can carry – just like your own coffee cup.
It really is that simple, and if we all take small steps to reduce our own personal waste it WILL make a difference to our environment… one less piece of plastic at a time!
If you want to learn more about where our waste comes from, tune into the second offering from the ABC’s War on Waste on July 24 and be open to making some changes in your home.
Good luck with your own plastic free campaign this month (and beyond) and we’d love you to share any successes or challenges you have along the way over on our Facebook Page and on Instagram, using the hash tag #plasticfreejuly.
My number one tip would be to focus on one thing at a time, it can be overwhelming and challenging to change overnight… progress takes time!
Christy
xo
#spreadingthegoodstuff
