Have you ever taken a moment to consider that plastic has become one of the most harmful materials to our environment?
You might not really be bothered by this fact but in the grand scheme of things, it creates both short term and long term effects, and will no doubt have hideous effects on future generations to come if we don’t step up and do something about it.
From polluting oceans and harming wildlife, to filling up landfills without decomposing, it’s all pretty terrible.
Good news, making the shift to living with less plastic is not as hard as it sounds and actually, it’s becoming more and more rad to be a bit more conscious about your waste and environmental footprint.
These are some basic tips about how you can reduce your plastic in your home and essentially go virgin plastic free.
Did someone say plastic virgin?
Uh …. no. It’s virgin plastic. Virgin plastic is new plastic (as opposed to plastic that has been used before and then recycled).
We believe the world will be a better place if we stop using virgin plastics as much as possible.But we DON’T think you need to go totally plastic free though.
There’s all this plastic in the world already and it’s our belief that we should recycle it! These days lots of eco-conscious folk choose glass or tin over plastic but did you know that when you’re choosing glass or tin you’re usually choosing virgin material? It’s way more eco-friendly to choose plastic, as long as it’s recycled.
6 easy ways to ditch virgin plastic
1. A RAZOR TO LAST A LIFETIME
Instead of chucking whole plastic razor out when the blade becomes blunt, invest in a razor you can use over a lifetime and just refill the blade.
2. USE NON-PLASTIC CONTAINERS
It’s so easy to purchase a reusable water bottle or travel mug, in a variety of different materials to use wherever you go. It’s also become trendy to pack your lunch in glass, stainless steel, cloth sandwich bags or even a wooden Bento box instead of using plastic Ziploc bags.
Next time you spend five bucks on a coffee or go to buy that bottle of water housed in plastic, splurge and get a travel mug and glass water bottle that you can take every time you go out.Reuse is the key word here fellas.
3. REPLACE YOUR BRUSHES
Making the switch to wood or bamboo for your toothbrushes and hairbrushes, are easy to recycle and reuse. Once you’ve retired the bristles (usually made from plastic, or plant-based materials) recycle them or compost the handle.
4. AVOID NON-STICK COOKWARE AND PLASTIC IN THE KITCHEN
Non-stick surfaces such as Teflon produce toxic perfluorochemicals when heated. You can also replace your plastic utensils - they will last longer and save you more money to spend on pints. Replace your cookware with cast-iron, stainless steel, copper or wood cookware and utensils.
5. BUY IN BULK TO AVOID ADDITIONAL PACKAGING
If you’re not using recyclable shopping bags already then you probably should, if you’ve read this far. Shopping in bulk will also help you to save in packaging. Not only will you be reducing your waste, you’ll be saving money on food and lessening your trips to the store.
6. CHOOSE RECYCLED PLASTIC FOR YOUR GROOMING PRODUCTS
Invest in a grooming brand who uses majority recycled plastic to house their formulas. This means you get the convenience of plastic (glass and the shower is not a good combo!), but without the environmental impact. Instead of that plastic heading to the waterways, it can live its life over and over to house your favourite shave cream. Brands like ours do all this and more *wink wink*.
Told you, rad.
